⁴ But many of those who heard the word believed, and they numbered about five thousand.^(A)

⁴¹ So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added.

⁹ for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.^{(A) 10} Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.^(B)

Paul’s Present Circumstances

¹² I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the progress of the gospel, ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard^[a] and to everyone else that my imprisonment is for Christ, ¹⁴ and most of the brothers and sisters, having been made confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, dare to speak the word^[b] with greater boldness and without fear.

¹⁵ Some proclaim Christ from envy and rivalry but others from goodwill. ¹⁶ These proclaim Christ out of love, knowing that I have been put here for the defense of the gospel; ¹⁷ the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but intending to increase my suffering in my imprisonment. ¹⁸ What does it matter? Just this, that Christ is proclaimed in every way, whether out of false motives or true, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice,

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him.^{[a] 15} For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:^{(A) 16} to the one group a fragrance from death^[b] to death, to the other a fragrance from life^[c] to life. Who is qualified for these things?^{(B) 17} For we are not peddlers of God’s word like so many,^[d] but as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God, we are speaking in Christ before God.^(C)

²⁴ Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe.

²⁴ Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.