Paul’s Ministry

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our ^[a](A)coming to you ^(B)was not in vain, ² but after we had already suffered and been ^(C)mistreated in ^(D)Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ^(E)to speak to you the ^(F)gospel of God amid much ^[b](G)opposition. ³ For our ^(H)exhortation does not come from ^(I)error or ^(J)impurity or ^[c]by way of ^(K)deceit; ^4 (L)but just as we have been approved by God to be ^(M)entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ^(N)not as pleasing men, but God who ^[d](O)examines our hearts. ⁵ For we never came ^[e]with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ^(P)a pretext for greed—^(Q)God is witness— ⁶ nor did we ^(R)seek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as ^(S)apostles of Christ ^[f]we might have ^[g]asserted our authority. ⁷ But we ^[h]proved to be ^[i](T)gentle ^[j]among you, ^(U)as a nursing mother ^[k]tenderly cares for her own children. ⁸ Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to ^(V)impart to you not only the ^(W)gospel of God but also our own ^[l]lives, because you had become ^[m]very dear to us.

⁹ For you recall, brethren, our ^(X)labor and hardship, how ^(Y)working night and day so as not to be a ^(Z)burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the ^(AA)gospel of God. ¹⁰ You are witnesses, and so is ^(AB)God, ^(AC)how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we ^[n]behaved toward you ^[o]believers; ¹¹ just as you know how we were ^(AD)exhorting and encouraging and ^[p](AE)imploring each one of you as ^(AF)a father would his own children, ¹² so that you would ^(AG)walk in a manner worthy of the God who ^(AH)calls you into His own kingdom and ^(AI)glory.

¹³ For this reason we also constantly ^(AJ)thank God that when you received the ^(AK)word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ^(AL)not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, ^(AM)which also performs its work in you who believe. ¹⁴ For you, brethren, became ^(AN)imitators of ^(AO)the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ^(AP)in Judea, for ^(AQ)you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, ^(AR)even as they did from the Jews, ^15 (AS)who both killed the Lord Jesus and ^(AT)the prophets, and ^[q]drove us out. ^[r]They are not pleasing to God, ^[s]but hostile to all men, ^16 (AU)hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ^(AV)so that they may be saved; with the result that they always ^(AW)fill up the measure of their sins. But ^(AX)wrath has come upon them ^[t]to the utmost.

¹⁷ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a ^[u]short while—^(AY)in ^[v]person, not in ^[w]spirit—were all the more eager with great desire ^(AZ)to see your face. ^18 [x]For ^(BA)we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, ^[y](BB)more than once—and yet ^(BC)Satan ^(BD)hindered us. ¹⁹ For who is our hope or ^(BE)joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His ^[z](BF)coming? ²⁰ For you are ^(BG)our glory and joy.