⁷ even though as apostles of Christ we could have made demands on you. But we were gentle when we were with you, like a mother^[a] taking care of her children. ⁸ Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us! ⁹ Surely you remember, our friends, how we worked and toiled! We worked day and night so that we would not be any trouble to you as we preached to you the Good News from God.

¹³ And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.