¹² The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works.^{(A) 13} How have you been worse off than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!^(B)

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.^{(C) 15} I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?^{(D) 16} Be that as it may, I did not burden you. But, crafty person that I am, did I take you in by deceit? ¹⁷ Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? ¹⁸ I urged Titus to go and sent the brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? Did we not conduct ourselves with the same spirit? Did we not walk in the same footsteps?^(E)

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.^{(F) 20} For I fear that when I come I may find you not as I wish and that you may find me not as you wish; I fear that there may perhaps be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder.^{(G) 21} I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you and that I may have to mourn over many who previously sinned and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and debauchery that they have practiced.^(H)

The Beginning of the Galilean Ministry

¹⁴ Then Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding region.^{(A) 15} He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.^(B)

The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth

¹⁶ When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,^{(C) 17} and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.^{(F) 21} Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”