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Paul's Ministry

¹ For you yourselves know, brethren, that our ^(F1)(C1)coming to you ^(C2)was not in vain,² but after we had already suffered and been ^(C1)mistreated in ^(C2)Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ^(C3)to speak to you the ^(C4)gospel of God amid much ^(F1)(C5)opposition.³ For our ^(C1)exhortation does not come from ^(C2)error or ^(C3)impurity or ^(F1)by way of ^(C4)deceit;^4 (C1)but just as we have been approved by God to be ^(C2)entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^(C3)not as pleasing men, but God who ^(F1)(C4)examines our hearts.⁵ For we never came ^(F1)with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^(C1)a pretext for greed--^(C2)God is witness--⁶ nor did we ^(C1)seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as ^(C2)apostles of Christ ^(F1)we might have ^(F2)asserted our authority.⁷ But we ^(F1)proved to be ^(F2)(C1)gentle ^(F3)among you, ^(C2)as a nursing mother ^(F4)tenderly cares for her own children.⁸ Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to ^(C1)impart to you not only the ^(C2)gospel of God but also our own ^(F1)lives, because you had become ^(F2)very dear to us.

⁹ For you recall, brethren, our ^(C1)labor and hardship, how ^(C2)working night and day so as not to be a ^(C3)burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the ^(C4)gospel of God.¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is ^(C1)God, ^(C2)how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we ^(F1)behaved toward you ^(F2)believers;¹¹ just as you know how we were ^(C1)exhorting and encouraging and ^(F1)(C2)imploring each one of you as ^(C3)a father would his own children,¹² so that you would ^(C1)walk in a manner worthy of the God who ^(C2)calls you into His own kingdom and ^(C3)glory.

¹³ For this reason we also constantly ^(C1)thank God that when you received the ^(C2)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(C3)not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, ^(C4)which also performs its work in you who believe.¹⁴ For you, brethren, became ^(C1)imitators of ^(C2)the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ^(C3)in Judea, for ^(C4)you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, ^(C5)even as they did from the Jews,^15 (C1)who both killed the Lord Jesus and ^(C2)the prophets, and ^(F1)drove us out. ^(F2)They are not pleasing to God, ^(F2)but hostile to all men,^16 (C1)hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ^(C2)so that they may be saved; with the result that they always ^(C3)fill up the measure of their sins. But ^(C4)wrath has come upon them ^(F1)to the utmost.

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a ^(F1)short while--^(C1)in ^(F2)person, not in ^(F3)spirit--were all the more eager with great desire ^(C2)to see your face.^18 (F1)For ^(C1)we wanted to come to you--I, Paul, ^(F2)(C2)more than once--and yet ^(C3)Satan ^(C4)hindered us.¹⁹ For who is our hope or ^(C1)joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^(F1)(C2)coming?²⁰ For you are ^(C1)our glory and joy.