¹² If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right.^(A) On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder^(B) the gospel of Christ.

¹² And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about.

¹⁸ What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge,^(A) and so not make full use of my rights^(B) as a preacher of the gospel.

¹⁵ But I have not used any of these rights.^(A) And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast.^(B)

⁶ We were not looking for praise from people,^(A) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles^(B) of Christ we could have asserted our authority.^{(C) 7} Instead, we were like young children^[a] among you.

Just as a nursing mother cares for her children,^{(D) 8} so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God^(E) but our lives as well.^{(F) 9} Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked^(G) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone^(H) while we preached the gospel of God to you.

⁷ Was it a sin^(A) for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God^(B) to you free of charge?^{(C) 8} I robbed other churches by receiving support from them^(D) so as to serve you. ⁹ And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed.^(E) I have kept myself from being a burden to you^(F) in any way, and will continue to do so. ¹⁰ As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,^(G) nobody in the regions of Achaia^(H) will stop this boasting^(I) of mine.

⁸ nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked^(A) night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. ⁹ We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,^(B) but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.^(C)

²⁰ In fact, you even put up with^(A) anyone who enslaves you^(B) or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face.

Paul’s Hardships

³ We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path,^(A) so that our ministry will not be discredited.