Therefore (oun) is a term of conclusion - based on the personal accountability of his future appointment at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Based on a wholesome, healthy reverential awe of Christ as Paul's Judge, as the divine Sifter of his every thought, motive, word and deed. Based on this truth, Paul sought to appeal, persuade or convince men.

PAUL'S MINISTRY
OF INTEGRITY

John MacArthur emphasizes that in 2Co 5:11-15 Paul is defending the integrity of his ministry writing that...

If the false teachers who had come to the city of Corinth were going to get a hearing for their false gospel...they had to destroy the integrity of Paul. They had to get the people to lose confidence in him because he was their teacher (Ed: for 18 months! See Acts 18:11)....They were bringing in error...contrary to what Paul taught. And in order to be heard they had to...destroy his integrity....They were so effective that they had convinced many of the people in the Corinthian congregation that Paul was not a man of honesty, sincerity, genuineness and integrity. And once they had destroyed Paul's integrity, they could replace him..... And so it was very important to Paul to maintain his integrity, not for his sake, but for God's sake and the sake of the church and the sake of the witness of the church to the lost....He himself says in this letter later on, "I am a nobody." We've already heard him say he is nothing but a clay pot (2Co 4:7-note). But at the same time that that is true and he is not seeking self-glory, he desperately wants them to trust his integrity for the sake of the truth and the God of truth. (A Ministry of Integrity)

The false teachers accused Paul of ministering in the power of his flesh and insincerity to which he responded...

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in all our dealings. We have depended on God's grace, not on our own earthly wisdom. (2Co 1:12 NLT)

They accused him of having a secret agenda to which he responded...

My letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can't understand. (2Co 1:13 NLT) 

They accused him in essence of being a liar (of changing his mind) to which he responded...

You may be asking why I changed my plan (Ed: To come to see the Corinthians). Hadn't I made up my mind yet? Or am I like people of the world who say yes when they really mean no? As surely as God is true, I am not that sort of person. My yes means yes (2Co 1:17, 18 NLT)

They accused him of being a deceiver, a perverter of Scripture,  to which he responded...

We reject all shameful and underhanded methods. We do not try to trick anyone, and we do not distort the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know that. (2Cor 4:2 NLT)

They accused him of seeking personal glory to which he responded...

We don't go around preaching about ourselves; we preach Christ Jesus, the Lord. (2Co 4:5 NLT)

They said he did not even deserve to be listed among the apostles, to which he responded...

I consider myself not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles...no respect was I inferior to the most eminent apostles, even though I am a nobody. The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles. (2Cor 11:5, 12:11, 12)

In summary, throughout the Second Epistle to the Corinthians Paul, with great humility, defends the repeated assaults which his adversaries made against the integrity of his person (character) and his ministry (authenticity). And so the time to defend ourselves and our ministry is when we are being falsely challenged and are doing what we are doing for the sake of the Lord and for His reputation. If the Corinthians believed the accusations and began to think of Paul's ministry as lacking integrity, what might they begin to think of the One Paul sought to proclaim and what would they think of the "integrity" of his message, the Gospel? Compare this line of reasoning with Paul's statement to the unbelieving Jews, that because of the way they lived, the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles (see Ro 2:24-note).

This raises an important point of application - Is my life "preaching" what my lips are "preaching"? Do people look at my life and say "If that's the way a Christian behaves, then I don't want anything to do with their Christ or His Gospel!"

Knowing the fear of the Lord - The absolute certainty that he would one day stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ stimulated a holy fear of the Lord, a fear which in turn served as a  motivation to minister with integrity.

Fear (reverence) (5401)(phobos from verb phébomai = to flee from or be startled) refers first to flight, to alarm, to fright or to terror (of the shaking type) (cf. Mt 14:26; Lk 21:26). This type of fear is connected with fear of the unknown, fear of the future, and fear of authorities. It speaks of the terror which seizes one when danger appears. In the present passage Paul is not using phobos to describe a negative emotion but more of a positive attitude. Abraham described the importance of a proper holy fear of God (see Ge 20:11). It is fascinating to note that Jacob came to know God by this very name "Fear", referring to Him as the "fear of Isaac" (God of Isaac - Ge 31:41)

Lightfoot explains phobos as that fear which should be in every believer as "a nervous and trembling anxiety to do right." (cp 2Co 5:9) Because of Christ's victory on the Cross, Christians are not to fear people (Pr 29:25) or persecution or even Satan. However, they are called to show proper reverence and awe toward God. Indeed, one of the most common commands of Jesus to His little flock was "fear not" (see Mt 10:28KJV, Lk 12:4,5).

The idea of fear in this passage is a deep awe and reverential sense of the coming day of reckoning and accountability before the Lord Jesus Christ at His Seat of Judgment. Believers are not to be terrified at the thought of standing before Christ. On the other hand unbelievers should feel a terror of having to stand before Him at the Great White Throne to be sentenced to eternal separation from His presence for all eternity (Rev 20:11, 12, 13, 14, 15-notes). And so clearly it is not the latter type of fear which Paul is referring to in the present passage.

Plummer gives the fear of the Lord a slightly different emphasis writing that it is...

The fear excited by the thought of standing before the Judgment Seat of Christ and having one’s whole life exposed and estimated. (2 Corinthians 5 A Critical and Exegetical Commentary)

Phobos - 6x in Corinthians -  1Co 2:3; 2Co 5:11; 2Co 7:1, 5, 11, 15;

How can the Christian prepare for the Judgment Seat of Christ? Maintain a clear conscience. Terror = fear. - It is not the sense of being afraid of being clubbed to death or whipped by an angry God. It is an awesome reverence, a fear that grows out of respect. The fear excited by the thought of standing before the judgment seat of Christ and having one’s whole life exposed and estimated (evaluated).  How can such opposite emotions as fear and love (2Co 5:14) dwell in the same heart? Certainly they are found in the hearts of children who love their parents and yet respect them and their authority. “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling” (Ps 2:11-note). (2 Corinthians 5:11-21)

And I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them (Ed: Note the divine keeping power of covenant - a strong argument against the spurious [in my opinion] teaching that one can lose their eternal security! cp Jn 10:28, 29), to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts (Ed: not just head knowledge, but heart knowledge, knowledge that transforms one's will and desire) so that (term of explanation = explains the vital association of proper fear and proper conduct! cp Job 1:1) they will not turn away from Me.

Nothing could be more significant than that the fear of the Lord should be coupled with the comfort of the Holy Spirit as the characteristics of the New Testament church:

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and, going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase. (Acts 9:31).

THE Christian hope of immortality is elevated and solemnized by the thought of the judgment-seat of Christ. This is no strange thought to Paul; many a time he has set himself in imagination in that great presence, and let the awe of it descend upon his heart. This is what he means when he writes, “Knowing the fear of the Lord.” Like the pastors addressed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, he exercises his office as one who must render an account (Heb 13:17-note Ed comment: All of us in ministry need to keep this future accounting continually in the forefront of our mind - Are we feeding His sheep? [Jn 21:15KJV, Jn 21:16KJV, Jn 21:17KJV] We will be held accountable if we preach ourselves and not Christ! See 2Co 4:5-note, 2Co 4:7-note). In this spirit, he says, he persuades men. A motive (Ed: The eschatological motive = Our Future Bema Seat Appearance!) so high, and so stern in its purifying power, no minister of Christ can afford to dispense with.

We need something to suppress self-seeking, to keep conscience vigorous, to preserve the message of reconciliation itself from degenerating into good-natured indifference, to prohibit immoral compromises and superficial healing of the soul’s hurts (cp Jer 6:14, 8:11, 14:14, Lam 2:14, Ezek 22:26, 44:23). Let us familiarize our minds, by meditation, with the fear due to Christ the Judge (2Ti 4:1-note, 2Ti 4:8-note), and a new element of power will enter into our service, making it at once more urgent and more wholesome than it could otherwise be. (AMEN!)

The meaning of the words “we persuade men” is not at once clear. Interpreters generally find in them a combination of two ideas — we try to win men for the Gospel, and we try to convince them of our own purity of motive in our evangelistic work. The word is suitable enough to express either idea; and though it is straining it to make it carry both, the first is suggested by the general tenor of the passage, and the second seems to be demanded by what follows.

“We try to convince men of our disinterestedness, but we do not need to try to convince God; we have been manifested to Him already; and we trust also that we have been manifested in your consciences.”

Paul was well aware of the hostility with which he was regarded by some of the Corinthians, but he is confident that, when his appeal is tried in the proper court, decision must be given in his favor, and he hopes that this has really been done at Corinth. Often we
do not give people in his position the benefit of a fair trial. It is not in our consciences they are arraigned — i.e., in God’s sight, and according to God’s law — but at the bar of our prejudices, our likes and dislikes, sometimes even our whims and caprices. It is not their character which is taken into account, but something quite irrelevant to character. Paul did not care for such estimates as these. It was nothing to him whether his appearance made a favorable impression on those who heard him—whether they liked his voice, his gestures, his manners, or even his message (Ed: May we all continually obey the present imperative in 1Co 11:1!). What he did care for was to be able to appeal to their consciences, as he could appeal to God, to Whom all things were naked and opened, that in the discharge of his functions as an evangelist he had been absolutely simple and sincere. In speaking thus, he has no intention of again recommending himself. (2Expositor's Bible: 2Cor  5:11-15 The Measure of Christ's Love)

2Corinthians 1:2, 3, 14; 2:12; 3:16, 17, 18; 4:5, 14; 5:6, 8, 11; 6:17, 18; 8:5, 9, 19, 21; 10:8, 17, 18; 11:17, 31; 12:1, 8; 13:10, 14. (Note how Lord or Kurios and grace or charis are coupled in the closing words of both letters! [1Co 16:23, 2Co 13:14] Aren't we thankful He is Lord, the One Who is supremely able to dispense His all sufficient, multi-colored grace [1Pe 4:10-note where "manifold" = multi-colored = poikilos] to undeserving saints).

Boice informs us that the first century readers would have fully understood Paul's emphasis on Jesus as Lord writing that the...

(a) It is the normal title of respect like the English sir, the French monsieur, the German herr.

The phrase for Lord and God (in Re 4:11-note) is kurios kai theos and that was the official title of Domitian, the Roman Emperor. It was, indeed, because the Christians would not acknowledge that claim that they were persecuted and killed. Simply to call God Lord and God was a triumphant confession of faith, an assertion that he holds first place in all the universe. (The New Daily Study Bible: New Testament on Logos or Hardbound)

PERSUADE MEN
OF WHAT?

We persuade men - Some commentators feel Paul is saying persuade them or convince them to come to saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. If one takes this passage out of the overall context of this letter, this would not be an unreasonable interpretation; i.e.,  "To win men to Christ." Such an interpretation would also be supported by comparing some of the other NT uses of the verb "persuade" (peitho), in which the context clearly calls for this "evangelistic" interpretation (Acts 17:4, 18:4, 19:8, 26:28, 28:23, 24). For example in

Acts 13:43 Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging (were persuading in imperfect tense = over and over again) them to continue in the grace of God.

Henry Alford on the other hand writes that a better Interpretation in context (context is "king" of accurate interpretation) is that Paul sought to convince men "of our own integrity."

Wuest paraphrases it as saying that Paul (writing using the plural pronoun "our") was seeking to convince men "of our sincerity and integrity."

Murray Harris seems to merge these two interpretations writing that Paul was trying to convince men

Of the truth of the gospel, and the truth concerning himself; viz., that his motives were pure and sincere (cf. 2Co1:12) and that his apostolic credentials and conduct were sound (cf. 2Co 3:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-notes; 2Co 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-notes). (Gaebelein, F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament. Zondervan Publishing or Logos version or Wordsearch Version)

Kent Hughes echoes Murray adding that...

This fear of the Lord drove Paul to “persuade others”—that is, to persuade the Corinthians of his gospel (Ed: And his evangelizing activities in which he sought to persuade men of the truth of the Gospel - eg, Acts 17:4, 18:4, 19:8, 26, 28:23) and the integrity of his person as an apostle. In theological terms, eschatological fear motivated Paul to carry out his calling. (Hughes, R. K. 2 Corinthians : Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books)

Brian Bell cautions all of us in ministry (and we are ALL in ministry!)...

We must take care not to depend on the praise of men. Paul referred to the “letters of commendation” that the Judaizers prized so highly. If we live only for the praise of men, we will not win the praise of God at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

Persuade (3982)(peitho - Thayer says peitho is from root meaning `to bind'; allied with pistis, fides, foedus, etc; see also the study of the antonym = apeitheo) means literally to persuade or induce by words to believe (Mt 27:20, Lk 16:31, Lk 18:9 = "trusted", Lk 20:6 = "convinced", Acts 17:4, 19:26, Ro 8:38-note, Ro 14:14-note = "convinced").

Peitho - 4 times in 2 Corinthians - 2Co 1:9; 2:3; 5:11; 10:7.

It is notable that in the first letter, Paul used the related adjective peithos (persuasive, winning) to counter as Hughes describes it "the persuasive techniques of Greco-Roman rhetorical tradition" writing...

I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive (peithos) words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. (1Co 2:3, 4, 5).

Comment: So where earlier Paul rejected the philosophers persuasive rhetorical techniques, here shows that he does not reject the need to persuade men of the integrity of his evangelistic ("persuading") ministry.

For am I now seeking the favor (peitho) of men or of God (More literally = "For am I now persuading men or God?")? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant (surrenders his will to the will of the Master) of Christ.

Plummer commenting on 2Cor 5:11 writes that...

Here also (Paul) may be replying to criticism, such as, ‘You know how to talk men over, but you will not be able to talk God over.’ ‘Certainly,’ he says, ‘I try to induce men to believe in me; the fear of a judgment to come makes me do so; but to God I am perfectly transparent. The conviction that He sees me and that I must one day give account compels me to be sincere....Others interpret, ‘We persuade men that we strive to please Christ who is to be our Judge.’ This is not very different from ‘we persuade men that we are sincere.’ Chrysostom points out that it is a duty to remove unjust suspicions from ourselves. A minister is hindered in his work by being credited with misdeeds of which he is innocent. It is not likely that anthropous peithomen means ‘we persuade men to become Christians,’ (Beza). Such an interpretation is foreign to the context, and it makes the contrast between persuading men and being fully known to God pointless. (2 Corinthians 5 A Critical and Exegetical Commentary)

Hughes adds that...

Paul tried to persuade his listeners, but not for their applause. Although people were the targets of his persuasion, God alone remained the singular evaluator and gauge of his success. As Paul neared the delivery of a very cutting exhortation, he could only hope that the Corinthians’ consciences would confirm his proved and loving character. (Hughes, R. B. Second Corinthians. Chicago, IL: Moody Press)

BUT WE ARE MADE MANIFEST TO GOD AND I HOPE THAT WE ARE MADE MANIFEST ALSO IN YOUR CONSCIENCES: elpizo (1SPAI) de kai en tais suneidesesin humon pephanerosthai. (RPN) theo de pephanerometha (1PRPI): (but: 2Co 1:12-14 2:17 4:1,2 1Co 4:4,5 1Th 2:3-12)

MEN'S ALLEGATIONS
GOD'S FULL KNOWLEDGE

But (contrast) - What is being contrasted? In the previous clause Paul alludes to the mistrust of men (who don't really know Paul or his motives). By way of contrast Paul makes his appeal to the all seeing eyes of the omniscient God who sees Paul "through and through." (Ps 139:1, 2, 3, 4-note)

Made manifest to God - The idea is that God knows all about Paul. God's knows thoroughly, through and through. No matter what the adversaries are saying about Paul, he knew that he could be confident that God knew the sincerity and integrity of his heart, his motives and his methods. On the other hand, as he has just stated, he had to persuade men regarding his sincerity and integrity, but even if he was unable to persuade them, he know that God still knew what was true of his ministry. Application - If you are being unfairly criticized for His ministry through you, first, don't be surprised that you are attacked, for you are in excellent company (Jesus and Paul), and, second, you can rest assured that God knows the truth and that should comfort your soul.

The NEB paraphrases this section nicely...

To God our lives lie open, as I hope they also lie open to you in your heart of hearts.

Disciple's Study Bible...

Paul had to defend his leadership position for the Corinthians. His evidence: God knew his intentions. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows us better than we know ourselves. We may even deceive ourselves as to what we really are, but not God. (Disciple's Study Bible)

Made manifest (5319) (phaneroo from phanerós = manifest, visible, conspicuous in turn from phaino = give light; become visible in turn from phos = light) is literally "to bring to light" and primarily means "to make visible" or to cause to become visible. The basic meaning of phaneroo is to make known, to clearly reveal, to manifest, to cause to be seen or to make clear or known.

Paul uses the perfect tense which pictures Paul as fully known to God at a point in time in the past and still fully known to Him. In other words Paul is saying in essence "all along we have been open to God's view." There was no point when they had not had "full disclosure" of their ministry motives and methods before God. As Plummer says the perfect tense shows that Paul's "character has been, and still is, laid bare." God saw no hidden motives, no deception, no personal agenda in Paul's ministry of the Gospel. Beloved pastor/teacher, could you say the same with a clear conscience before the one Who sees all? When we constantly keep the image of the Judgment Seat of Christ in our mind ("knowing the fear of the Lord"), we will continually seek to ministry in a way that brings God the glory. Our motive for service to God should be not because we feel "obligated" but because we are in awe of the Lord and desire to do all you do for His glory (1Co 10:31)!

Related Resource: Study the passages that speak of the all seeing eyes of Jehovah - Ge 16:13 Dt 11:12 21:9 2Chr 6:20 Ps 33:18-note Ps 34:15-note, Ps 113:6-note, Ps 139:2,3-note, Job 34:21,31:4, Pr 5:21-note Pr 15:3 Jer 16:17, Jer 23:24, Jer 32:19 Zec 4:10 Heb 4:13-note 1Pe 3:12-note Ge 6:8 2Chr 16:9

Hope (1679) (elpizo from noun elpis [word study] = hope, absolute assurance of future good) means to look forward with confidence to that which is good and beneficial. To express desire for some good with the expectation of obtaining it.

Elpizo - 8x in Corinthians - 1Co 13:7; 15:19; 16:7; 2Co 1:10, 13; 5:11; 8:5; 13:6

Elpizo means a firm conviction based on the Jesus' resurrection, that we too can have confidence as we face the future (Ro 8:24, 25-note, 1Co 15:18). We can have confident expectation (He 11:1-note).

Made manifest (5319) (phaneroo see above) again is the idea of "full disclosure."

Made manifest to your consciences - Paul desired to be clearly revealed to the Corinthian's sense of moral goodness, the place where every man assesses what is right or good versus wrong or bad. Paul wanted to be brought to the light in their consciences, so that they might commend him from their heart of hearts not as bad but as good in regard to his ministry.

Plummer writes that Paul appealed to...

Their consciences, rather than their intellects, on which they prided themselves...; "conscience goes deeper than criticism" (Calvin). (2 Corinthians 5 A Critical and Exegetical Commentary)

Kent Hughes adds that...

Deep down, the Corinthians were aware of the character of Paul’s ministry from when he was with them and how he proclaimed not himself but Christ as Lord and himself their servant (cf. 4:5), calling them to “be reconciled to God” (5:20) with sincerity and integrity (cf. 2Co 1:12, 13, 14; 2:17; 4:2). He hoped, therefore, that the moral faculties of their consciences would connect the dots and that he would become known and remain known to them as the man of integrity that he truly was. (Hughes, R. K. 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness. Preaching the Word. Crossway or Logos or Wordsearch)

Paul's conscience was clear (for he was "manifest to God"), but he also wanted the Corinthians to know the truth about the integrity of his ministry. And so he appealed to their conscience, to their "heart of hearts". It is as if he asked them are they going to listen to their consciences or to his critics? We know that the Corinthians should have known about his life and the integrity of his ministry because Luke recorded that...

he (Paul) settled there (in Corinth - Acts 18:1) a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. (Acts 18:11)

Comment: Note Paul's primary objective - teaching. Note that it was not Paul's words but God's Word. Pastors, this should be our primary objective, for God's Spirit will only bless His Word, not our words! (cp 2Co 4:5-note, 2Ti 4:2-note, Pr 30:5 Dt 4:2, 12:32 Rev 22:18-note, Rev 22:19-note) And so we see that the Corinthians had 18 months to closely scrutinize Paul's ministry which should have been sufficient time for any significant flaws to surface. Paul was confident that his ministry was free from deceitfulness and felt that they would come to the same conclusion if they allowed their conscience to guide their judgment.

Earlier Paul had asked...

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?  You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of human hearts. (2Co 3:1, 2, 3)

Comment: The supernatural, internal (heart) change wrought by the Spirit in the Corinthians themselves as manifested by their transformed lives was all the recommendation necessary to authenticate the integrity of Paul's ministry. The supernatural internal work in the saints contrasted radically with the external "for show" work of Paul's adversaries.

We are not again commending ourselves to you - The New Living paraphrase gives us a good sense of what Paul is saying "Are we trying to pat ourselves on the back again?" to which he answers an emphatic, absolute "No" (Greek for "not" = ou = signifies absolute negation). Every time Paul sought to defend himself, he ran the risk of being misunderstood (they might think he was "patting himself on the back"). And every time you seek to defend your ministry, you too will run the risk of being misunderstood as bragging or arrogance. And given the fact that virtually the entire second epistle to the Corinthians was written to defend his ministry, it could easily be misconstrued that he was a "self-promoter." And so he says that he is not commending himself again, but in fact was giving the Corinthians "ammunition" so to speak to counter the false allegations.

Plummer...

The remark has the same relation to 2Co 5:11 as 2Co 3:1 to 2Co 2:17. He sees that what he has just stated gives a handle to those who said that he was always praising himself, and he hastens to show that he has no such aim. He is not commending himself to them; if the hope just expressed is correct, there is no need for him to do that; he is helping them to answer the cavils of his opponents. The accusations against him, sometimes very plausible, were a great hindrance to his work, and he constantly takes opportunity to answer them.

Kenneth Chafin writes that...

it continues to amaze me that so magnificent a passage of the Bible was written by the apostle Paul in answer to his critics and in defense of his ministry....it is difficult for us to imagine that there was a time when he was accused of being a crazy, self-appointed peddler of the gospel. Enough people took the criticism seriously that Paul felt it necessary to defend himself. (Chafin, K. L. Vol. 30: The Preacher's Commentary Series, 1, 2 Corinthians. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson)

Commending (4921) (sunistemi/sunistao from from sún = together with + hístemi = set, place, stand) means literally to set, place or put together and so to set in the same place, a literal meaning found in Luke 9:32.  Sunistemi can also mean to put together by way of combination and to make known by action. When one brings together a person with another person, it is a way of presenting or introducing them. Paul uses sunistemi with the meaning of commend, which means to recommend as worthy of confidence or to present to one’s acquaintance for favorable notice. The present tense speaks of continuing action, but in this context is modified by an absolute denial that such an action has been engaged in by Paul.

Proud (2745)(kauchema akin to aucheo = boast + euchomai = pray to God <> auchen = neck which vain persons are apt to carry in proud manner) strictly speaking describes either a boast (the act) or the ground or the matter of glorying or boasting (the object). The boast can be either proper or improper (sinful, as in 1Co 5:6), and whether it is a good or bad sense is determined by the context.

Kauchema - 6x  = 1Cor 5:6; 9:15 16; 2 Cor 1:14; 5:12; 9:3

1 Corinthians 5:6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?

1 Corinthians 9:15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

2 Corinthians 1:14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.

2 Corinthians 9:3 But I have sent the brethren, in order that our boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, as I was saying, you may be prepared;

Earlier Paul had alluded to acceptable "boasting" ("future boasting" analogous to "future grace" at Christ's return - see 1Pe 1:13-note) both he and the saints at Corinth would participate in when the Lord Jesus Christ returns writing...

Fallen men have no grounds for boasting in the presence of God (1Co 1:29, James 4:16) but instead should boast in God (1Co 1:31, from Jer 9:23, 24, cp 2Co 10:17). And so Paul writes that...

that no man should boast before God, but by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST (present imperative = command to continually boast) IN THE LORD." (1Cor 1:29, 30, 31)

2Co 12:1 Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord...5 On behalf of such a man will I boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. 6 For if I do wish to boast I shall not be foolish, for I shall be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one may credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. 7 And because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me-- to keep me from exalting myself!8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

Heart  (2588)(kardia) does not refer to the physical organ but is always used figuratively in Scripture to refer to the seat and center of human life,  the center of the personality which controls the intellect, emotions, and will.  No outward obedience is of the slightest value unless the heart turns to God. While kardia does represent the inner person, the seat of motives and attitudes, the center of personality, in Scripture it also includes thinking process. For example, Jesus asked a group of scribes, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts?” (Mt 9:4). In short, the heart is the control center of the mind and will as well as the emotions.

While we often relate heart to the emotions (e.g., “He has a broken heart”), the Bible relates it primarily to the intellect (e.g., “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders,” Matt 15:19). That’s why you must “watch over your heart with all diligence” (Proverbs 4:23-note). In a secondary way, however, heart relates to the will and emotions because they are influenced by the intellect. If you are committed to something, it will affect your will, which in turn will affect your emotions." (Drawing Near. Crossway Books) MacArthur adds that "In most modern cultures, the heart is thought of as the seat of emotions and feelings. But most ancients—Hebrews, Greeks, and many others—considered the heart to be the center of knowledge, understanding, thinking, and wisdom. The New Testament also uses it in that way. The heart was considered to be the seat of the mind and will, and it could be taught what the brain could never know. Emotions and feelings were associated with the intestines, or bowels." (MacArthur, J: Ephesians. 1986. Chicago: Moody Press)

The great Puritan writer John Flavel wrote that...

came to denote man’s entire mental and moral activities, and to stand figuratively for the hidden springs of the personal life, and so here signifies the seat of thought and feeling. (Vine, W. Collected writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson )

Kardia - 15x in Corinthians - 1Cor 2:9; 4:5; 7:37; 14:25; 2 Cor 1:22; 2:4; 3:2f, 15; 4:6; 5:12; 6:11; 7:3; 8:16; 9:7

"CRAZY" FOR
GOD!

If we are beside ourselves - "whether we were out of our mind" (Wuest), "If it seems we are crazy" (NLT), "If we have been mad" (Phillips), "if we are beside ourselves [mad, as some say]" (Amp), "if we are out of our minds" (NET), "If, to some people, we have seemed insane" (Murray Harris).

Paul's passionate devotion and "fanaticism" for Jesus and His Gospel resulted in him being labeled as a "mentally imbalanced religious nut!" Amazing! In one sense Paul's adversaries were correct. Paul was without question a full fledged fanatic for Jesus Christ. What kind of a man would risk his life to preach a sermon to a riotous crowd seeking his life? (Acts 21:31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 22:1-21, 22, 23, 24) What kind of man would go back into the same town where he had been stoned and left for dead? (cp Acts 14:8, 19 with Acts 14:21) But they were wrong in accusing him of being mentally unstable, insane or out of his mind, for he was completely stable, sane and of sound mind! Why did he do all that he did? Why did he do so many things that make sense to most people?...

IT IS FOR
GOD!

Don't miss this powerful principle - Paul was willing to be considered to be an insane fool for Christ! And he issued a clear command to all who would follow to "Be imitators" of him! (1Co 4:16, 1Co 11:1) Would it be that all of us would be labeled by the unregenerate world as men and woman who are "crazy for God" instead of "apathetic for God" or "indifferent for God". Are you willing to obey Paul's command and risk being accused of having gone mad for Christ? Take some time an read a few excerpts from Fox's Book of Martyrs (e.g., see the story of William Tyndale) which describe the lives of men and women willing to risk it all for the cause of Christ. Are you willing to be called a fool for Christ? Beloved, if so, it will be the wisest decision you will ever make in time and eternity!

Lord please send a Word Centered, Spirit driven, God glorifying, Christ exalting revival to all of us who are genuine believers in America so that we might become radical, even "crazy" and beside ourselves, for Jesus, in a way that brings great glory and honor to Thy holy Name. Amen.

As a corollary application - If you are living radically (not bizarre behavior) for Christ and are being criticized for your conduct and lifestyle, you can take courage from this section of Scripture that you are not alone and are in good company with Jesus and Paul.  It may also be that your "being beside yourself" for Jesus is what God's Spirit uses wins them into the Kingdom as they watch your life and see that it matches your lips and the Gospel you preach.

Holman Christian Study Bible comments that Paul

was "insane" in that Christ's love compelled him into vigorous apostolic ministry. On the other hand, his ministry among the Corinthians had never been that of a madman (1Co 2:1-5). Indeed, he had kept his "third heaven" vision private for 14 years until he mentioned it later in this letter (2Cor 12:1-10). (MyStudyBible.com)

Paul had been accused of being crazy or out of his mind...

And while Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind (Greek = mania meaning insanity, madness)! Your great learning is driving you mad." But Paul said, "I am not out of my mind (mainomai = to be mad, to rave), most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth." (Acts 26:25, 26)

Beside (1839) (existemi from ek = out + hístemi = to stand)  literally means to stand out from or to stand outside oneself (and thus to be beside oneself). To put out of position, to displace or to change. To remove from its place. For example Aristotle writes "you won't budge (existemi) me from my position on these matters."

The NT uses of existemi are all related in some way to the human mind. Richards adds that existemi "suggests astonishment mixed with anxiety, stimulated by extraordinary events that cannot be explained."

Existemi means to be amazed, astonished or astounded describing "the feeling of astonishment mingled with fear, caused by events which are miraculous, extraordinary, or difficult to understand." (BDAG) It can describe one who is so astonished almost to the point of failing to comprehend what one has experienced.

Existemi can also mean to not be able to reason normally, to become insane, to be out of one's senses, to be beside oneself.

Mounce notes that...

existemi carries two distinct but related meanings. It can mean confusing, astounding, or terrifying. Its secondary meaning is to be out of one’s senses. (Mounce's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old & New Testament Words. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan  or Computer version)

BDAG adds that existemi means

to cause to be in a state in which things seem to make little or no sense = confuse, amaze, astound....Out of the sense ‘to become separated from something or lose something’ emerges the psychological sense (the only sense of the intransitive in our literature; for physical disturbance = be out of one’s normal state of mind. (Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature or Wordsearch)

Wuest notes that the word "trance" is...

the translation of the Greek word ekstasis . This word comes from the verb existemi. The simple verb histemi means “to stand,” the prefixed preposition, “out,” thus, the compound word means “to stand out.” The noun ekstasis thus means “a standing out.” A person in a trance is one who in a sense is standing out of himself. He is actually in his physical body, but his attention has been so engaged by something or someone else that his mind does not register the impressions given him by his senses. He might as well be out of his body so far as recognized sense sensations are concerned.

Existemi - 74x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint (Lxx) - Ge 27:33; 42:28; 43:33; 45:26; Exod 18:9; 19:18; 23:27; Lev 9:24; Josh 2:11; 10:10; Judg 4:15, 21; 8:12; Ruth 3:8; 1Sam 4:13; 13:7; 14:15; 16:4; 17:11; 21:1; 28:5; 2 Sam 17:2; 22:15; 1 Kgs 1:49; 9:8; 2 Kgs 4:13; 2 Chr 7:21; 15:6; Job 5:13; 12:17; 26:11; 36:28; Isa 7:2; 10:31; 13:8; 16:3; 28:7; 29:9; 32:11; 33:3; 41:2; 42:14; 52:14; 60:5; Jer 2:12; 4:9; 9:10; 18:16; 49:23; Ezek 2:6; 21:14; 26:16; 27:35; 32:10; Dan 2:1, 3; Hos 3:5; 5:8; 11:10f; Mic 7:17; Hab 3:2; Matt 12:23; Mark 2:12; 3:21; 5:42; 6:51; Luke 2:47; 8:56; 24:22; Acts 2:7, 12; 8:9, 11, 13; 9:21; 10:45; 12:16; 2 Cor 5:13

TDNT writes that existemi

occurs in the LXX for many Hebrew words to denote the human reaction to God’s self-revelation (cf. Ex. 18:9; 19:8; Hab. 3:2). (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W.  Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans or Wordsearch)

Existemi - 17x in 17v in NAS -  amazed(10), amazement(1), astonished(2), astonishing(1), astounded(1), beside ourselves(1), lost His senses(1).

Matthew 12:23 All the crowds were amazed, and were saying, "This man cannot be the Son of David, can he?"

MacArthur: Existemi (to be amazed) means to be totally astounded, beside oneself with amazement and wonder. One writer suggests that “it means to be literally knocked out of your senses,” and another that “it means to be out of your mind with amazement.” In ways that we may not fully see from the narrative, this particular miracle was unusually overwhelming, as if Jesus meant to intensify its demonstration of supernaturalness. (Matthew 8-15, Matthew 16-23, Matthew 24-28 or Logos or Wordsearch)

Mark 2:12 And he got up and immediately picked up the pallet and went out in the sight of everyone, so that they were all amazed and were glorifying God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this."

JESUS ACCUSED OF
BEING OUT OF HIS MIND

Mark 3:21 When His own people heard of this (Mk 3:20), they went out to take custody of Him; for they were saying, "He has lost His senses."

Comment: Paul being spiritually out of his mind or beside himself is in "good company" according to Mark where Jesus Himself is accused of being out of His mind by His own family! (As an aside, it is often your family members who will accuse you have lost your marbles when you fall radically in love with Jesus!) Anyone who has made a radical commitment to Christ will at one time or another be accused of being "out of their mind". Others will question your behavior. Even some in church will question your "irrational behavior". D L Moody was known as "Crazy Moody" because of his zeal to see lost souls come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Lord, may his tribe increase! Amen

Mark 5:42 Immediately the girl got up and began to walk, for she was twelve years old. And immediately they were completely astounded. (Literally =  out of their minds with great amazement)

Mark 6:51 Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, (astonishment because of amazement or fear)

Luke 2:47 And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers.

Luke 8:56 Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.

Luke 24:22 "But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning,

Acts 2:7 They were amazed and astonished (thaumazo), saying, "Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans?

12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"

Acts 8:9  Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great...11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts....13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

Acts 9:21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"

Acts 10:45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

Acts 12:16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.

2 Corinthians 5:13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.

Plummer highlights the difficulty of interpreting this verse writing that a...

reasonable suggestion is that existemi refers to his self-commendation, which his critics said amounted to a mania. Cf. "To glory out of season is to sound the same note as madness” (Pind. Ol. ix. 39)...Other suggestions are: (1) Existemi refers to the vigour with which the Apostle followed his own advice of being ‘instant in season and out of season’ (2Ti 4:2) in proclaiming the word. ...(2) He is referring to the comments made on the letter which he sent between 1Corinthians and this Epistle—the severe letter, about the effects of which he was so anxious. If 10–13. formed part of that letter, some Corinthians might easily say, “The man must be mad”; and he himself foresaw the possibility (2Co 11:1, 16, 12:6). Herveius seems to agree with Augustine in restricting the reference to ecstasy.... All that is certain is that existemi refers to exceptional, and sophroneo to ordinary conditions, and that these two cover the whole of his behaviour, which, therefore, is never self-seeking.

Constable summarizes the difficulties as follows...

What Paul meant by the charge of being beside himself, and its opposite, being of sound mind, could and probably does include all the following possibilities. Some critics apparently attacked him for his teaching that differed from mainstream Judaism, his ecstatic experiences, and his ceaseless service. To this his response was, “That is for God to judge” (cf. 2Co 5:9–11). Other critics may have thought him crazy for speaking in tongues and having visions (cf. Acts 22:17, 18, 19, 20, 21). For Paul, that was a matter between him and God (cf. 1Co 14:2). Occasionally Paul may have appeared carried away with his emotions, but that conduct only resulted in God’s glory. His self-commendation may have looked like lunacy to some in Corinth, but Paul was only defending God’s cause. To the Jews the apostle’s conversion marked him as a madman, but that change of mind was a totally rational decision. Jesus’ critics had misjudged Him too. (2 Corinthians Expository Notes)

Jamieson feels that...

The glorifying of his office was not for his own, but for God’s glory. The abasing of himself was in adaptation to their infirmity, to gain them to Christ (1Co 9:22). (2Corinthians 5 Commentary)

Charles Hodge

The apostle means to say that whether he was extravagant or moderate, whether he exceeded the bounds of discretion, as his enemies asserted, or whether he was sober and discreet, it was not for himself. He had in view only the glory of God and the good of his church, and therefore the Corinthians might safely vindicate him from the aspersions of the false teachers.

Whether the extravagance or insanity referred to here consisted in his self-commendation or in his zeal and devotion is a matter of dispute. The former is the more probable, both because in the immediate context he had been speaking about that subject and because in chapters 11 and 12 he speaks so much about his commending himself, although it was forced upon him, as a kind of folly or insanity. In those chapters the madness he accuses himself of was self-praise; and the sanity or soberness that he wanted to display was moderation in speaking about himself and his labors. Paul, therefore, in this passage is most naturally understood to mean that whether he praised himself or not, he spoke not for himself but for God and his people. (2 Corinthians 5 Commentary)

Adam Clarke

It is to God - If we do appear, in speaking of the glories of the eternal world, to be transported beyond ourselves, it is through the good hand of our God upon us, and we do it to promote his honour. Whether we be sober - Speak of Divine things in a more cool and dispassionate manner, it is that we may the better instruct and encourage you. (2 Corinthians 5 Commentary)

Joseph Beet

Gone-out-of-our-mind: become mad. These strange words can be accounted for only as being actually spoken by his enemies. The relatives of Christ said (Mk 3:21) the same of Him. We can well conceive that Paul’s ecstatic visions, (2Co 12:2ff, ) his transcendental teaching, which to many would seem absurd, his reckless daring in face of peril, and his complete rejection of all the motives which rule common men, would lead some to say and even to believe that he was not in full possession of his senses. The same has been said in all ages about similar men.

For God: to work out His purposes.

Of sound mind: exact opposite of madness. Same contrast in Mk 5:15; Ac 26:25.

For you: to do you good.

If, as our enemies say, we are mad, we have become so in order to serve God and do His work. And, therefore, our very madness claims respect. If we are men of sound sense we use our sense, not, as most others do, to enrich ourselves, but to do you good

Paul thus appeals to his readers’ observation of his conduct. They knew that where human prudence might condemn his recklessness his purpose was to serve God; and that whatever mental power he possessed was used for the good of others. (2 Corinthians 5 Commentary)

If we are of sound mind, it is for you - This most likely describes times when Paul was simply teaching in a calm manner. His goal was to edify and equip the saints at Corinth. In sum, if things I do look insane to some, I am doing them for God. If other things I do look sane and sober minded, I am doing those things for your sake.

Paul is showing that there is a place for defending yourself in ministry --
If it is done for God's glory and if it is done for the benefit of the saints.

Sound mind (4993)(sophroneo from sozo = to save {from sos = sound} + phren = mind, which would then literally describe a "saved mind"!) (Click studies on related words sophron and sophronismos) means literally to be of sound mind. The idea is to to keep one’s mind safe and sound or to be in one's right mind. To think of one's self soberly. To put a moderate estimate on one's self. To curb one's passions. It means to be able to reason and think properly and in a sane manner. It means to have understanding about practical matters and thus be able to act sensibly and implies reasonableness, moderation, good judgment, self-control.

The man who is sophron has every part of his nature under perfect control, which is to say that the man who is sophron is the man in whose heart Christ reigns supreme." (Barclay, W: The Daily Study Bible Series. The Westminster Press or Logos)

Sophroneo - 6x in 6v - Mk 5:15; Lk 8:35; Ro 12:3; 2Cor 5:13; Titus 2:6; 1Pe 4:7