Fatherly Admonition

¹⁴ I am not writing this to make you ashamed but to admonish you as my beloved children.

¹¹ As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children,

⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.^(A)

¹⁵ But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this so that they may be applied in my case. Indeed, I would rather die than that—no one will deprive me of my ground for boasting!

¹⁵ For though you might have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers. Indeed, in Christ Jesus I fathered you through the gospel.^(A)

¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.^(A)

²⁸ It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.^[a](A)

¹⁹ Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? We are speaking in Christ before God. Everything we do, beloved, is for the sake of building you up.^(A)

¹⁴ Here I am, ready to come to you this third time, and I will not be a burden because I do not want what is yours but you, for children ought not to save up for their parents but parents for their children.^{(A) 15} I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?^(B)

¹¹ And why? Because I do not love you? God knows I do!^(A)