Paul’s appeal to his children

¹² Become like me!—because I became like you, my dear family. This is my plea to you. You didn’t wrong me: ¹³ no, you know that it was through bodily weakness that I announced the gospel to you in the first place. ¹⁴ You didn’t despise or scorn me, even though my condition was quite a test for you, but you welcomed me as if I were God’s angel, as if I were the Messiah, Jesus!