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14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to warn and advise you as my beloved children. 15 For even if you were to have ten thousand teachers [to guide you] in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers [who led you to Christ and assumed responsibility for you], for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the good news [of salvation]. 16 So I urge you, be imitators of me [just as a child imitates his father]. 17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my way of life in Christ [my conduct and my precepts for godly living], just as I teach everywhere in every church. 18 Now some of you have become arrogant and pretentious, as though I were not coming to see you. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord is willing, and I will find out not just the talk of these arrogant people, but [evaluate] their [spiritual] power [whether they live up to their own claims]. 20 For the kingdom of God is not based on talk but on power. 21 Which do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod [of discipline and correction], or with love and a gentle spirit?

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14 I am graphō not ou writing graphō these things houtos to shame entrepō you hymeis, but alla to admonish noutheteō you as hōs my egō dear agapētos children teknon. 15 For gar though ean you have echō innumerable myrios guardians paidagōgos in en Christ Christos, you do not ou have many polys fathers patēr, because gar I egō became gennaō your hymeis father gennaō in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous through dia the ho gospel euangelion. 16 I urge parakaleō you hymeis, therefore oun, be ginomai imitators mimētēs of me egō. 17 That is why dia I sent pempō to you hymeis Timothy Timotheos, who hos is eimi my egō beloved agapētos and kai faithful pistos child teknon in en the Lord kyrios. He hos will remind anamimnēskō you hymeis of ho my egō ways hodos · ho in en Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous, as kathōs I teach didaskō them everywhere pantachou in en every pas church ekklēsia. 18 Some tis have become arrogant physioō, as hōs though I egō were not coming erchomai · de to pros you hymeis. 19 But de I will come erchomai to pros you hymeis soon tacheōs, if ean the ho Lord kyrios wills thelō, and kai I will find ginōskō out not ou the ho speech logos of these ho arrogant physioō people but alla their ho power dynamis. 20 For gar the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos is not ou a matter of en talk logos but alla of en power dynamis. 21 What tis would you prefer thelō? Shall I come erchomai to pros you hymeis with en a rod rhabdos of correction or ē with en love agapē in a spirit pneuma of gentleness prautēs?

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