Book of Common Prayer

2 My brothers, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not for nothing.

² The people at the city of Philippi treated us very badly. As you know, we had much trouble. But God helped us, and we did not fear to tell you God's good news. But many things were against us and tried to stop us.

³ Our message was not a lie. What we told you was not wrong. And we did not try to fool you.

⁴ But God chose us to tell people the good news. And so we do not speak to please men, but to please God. He is the one who knows what is in our hearts.

⁵ We never said nice things about people that were not true. You know this. We never talked to get something out of it for ourselves. God knows this.

⁶ And we did not ask you or anybody else to help us or to praise us. Of course, we are apostles of Christ, and we had the right to do so.

⁷ But we were kind when we were with you. We were like a woman taking care of her own children.

⁸ Because we loved you, we were glad to give you God's good news. We were also glad to give you our lives, because we loved you very much.

⁹ My brothers, you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day so that we would not trouble any of you. And we told you God's good news.

¹⁰ We lived in a holy and right way among you Christians. We did nothing wrong to you. You know this yourselves and God knows it too.

¹¹ You know how we talked to each of you as a father talks to his children. We comforted, helped, and taught you.

¹² We told you to live to please God. He called you to his own kingdom and greatness.

¹⁷ `Do not think that I have come to take away the law and the writings of the prophets. No, I have not come to take them away. But I have come to do what they say must be done.

¹⁸ I tell you the truth. Until the sky and the earth are taken away, not one small part of the law will be taken away, until everything has been done.

¹⁹ So anyone who does not obey one of the smallest laws, and teaches other people not to obey it, will have the smallest part in the kingdom of heaven. But any one who obeys and teaches the law, will have a big part in the kingdom of heaven.

²⁰ I tell you, you must do much better than the scribes and Pharisees. If you do not, then you will never go into the kingdom of heaven.'