The false missionaries in Corinth preached about a different Jesus, a different kind of Spirit, and a different gospel than the one the Corinthians believed. It is hard to know exactly what these false teachers preached. Most likely, they promoted a powerful, dominant Christ and ignored the suffering of the cross. They probably saw themselves as powerful preachers, free from hardship and trial. In contrast, Paul’s message focused on Christ crucified (13:4), and Paul’s own sufferings showed true apostleship (12:1–12). This difference is central to Paul’s defense of his apostleship in chapters 10–13.