¹⁹ serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me ^(A)by the plotting of the Jews;

⁴ For out of much ^[a]affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, ^(A)not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

³ and stayed three months. And ^(A)when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

^24 (A)knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; ^(B)for^[a] you serve the Lord Christ.

¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

The Thorn in the Flesh

⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a ^(A)thorn in the flesh was given to me, ^(B)a messenger of Satan to ^[a]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. ^8 (C)Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. ⁹ And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly ^(D)I will rather boast in my infirmities, ^(E)that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ¹⁰ Therefore ^(F)I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. ^(G)For when I am weak, then I am strong.

⁵ For indeed, ^(A)when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but ^(B)we were troubled on every side. ^(C)Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.

Cast Down but Unconquered

⁷ But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, ^(A)that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. ⁸ We are ^(B)hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not ^(C)forsaken; ^(D)struck down, but not destroyed— ^10 (E)always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, ^(F)that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. ¹¹ For we who live ^(G)are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

Stoning, Escape to Derbe

^19 (A)Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, ^(B)they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be ^(C)dead. ²⁰ However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.