2 Corinthians 10:14
For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
The verse belongs to Paul's defense of his ministry and conduct at Corinth, recounting the difficulties he faced and his defense of the course God had given him. His manual work as a tentmaker did not cancel his authority or responsibility as a minister of the gospel. Paul stayed inside the measure of the rule God distributed to him, which genuinely reached Corinth because he came that far preaching the gospel of Christ, and he did not stretch himself beyond his measure.
Staying within measure means not boasting of things without measure, not claiming other people's labors, and not working in another person's field where things have already been made ready. It requires God's workers to labor within the place and work God assigns. That excludes measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves among themselves to demand as much pay as another receives, becoming wise above what is written, double-dealing and selfishly securing all they think they should have, and appropriating means for personal use and robbing the treasury.
God is not with such selfishness and covetousness, and an atmosphere of unbelief surrounds such a person. He sees every case and will pass judgment on it as He looked upon the sin of Achan. Such persons cannot give the right mold to the work nor supply the necessities of those laboring in hard fields. Not boasting beyond measure comes from true spiritual discernment and consciousness of personal weakness and deficiency and unlikeness to Christ through close connection with God, producing a humble opinion of self and a meek and lowly heart that walks prayerfully and carefully before God. True boasting is glorying in the Lord, for approval belongs not to the one who commends himself but to whom the Lord commends.
The verse holds out hope that when faith is increased the work will be enlarged abundantly to preach the gospel in the regions beyond, so gospel work should extend beyond places already reached without exceeding one's God-given sphere. The verse is applied to the need to extend the truth into nearby regions beyond the school's present field. The image of stretching beyond one's measure describes going beyond the sphere or capacity God has assigned, applied here to taking on more financial commitments than can be met while workers still need to be paid.