nor seeking glory from men (neither from you nor from others), when we might have claimed authority as apostles of Christ.
as the apostles of Christ: The word apostle means "one sent." There are only fourteen individuals designated in scripture as "apostles of Christ": the original twelve (Matthew 10:2-4), Matthias (Acts 1:26), and Paul (Ephesians 1:1). There are a few others called apostles in the secondary sense of emissaries of various churches. Despite claims to the contrary, there are no apostles today because no one can meet the qualifications for that office (Acts 1:21-22). Paul uses this title here to indicate he is entitled to be supported financially, yet he has asked for no support and does not think it expedient to do so.