² You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by all,

The Rights of an Apostle

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?^{(A) 2} If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.^(B)

⁸ For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it.^(A)

Prayer of Thanksgiving

⁸ First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world.^(A)

⁷ It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart,^[a] for all of you are my partners in God’s grace,^[b] both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.^(A)

¹⁵ I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?^(A)

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

³ I do not say this to condemn you, for I have already said that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live together.^(A)

¹⁰ According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Let each builder choose with care how to build on it.^(A)