For you yourselves know, brethren, that our 1 acoming to you bwas not in vain,
2but after we had already suffered and been amistreated in bPhilippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God cto speak to you the dgospel of God amid much 1 eopposition.
3For our aexhortation does not come from berror or cimpurity or 1by way of ddeceit;
4abut just as we have been approved by God to be bentrusted with the gospel, so we speak, cnot as pleasing men, but God who 1 dexamines our hearts.
5For we never came 1with flattering speech, as you know, nor with aa pretext for greed-- bGod is witness--
6nor did we aseek glory from men, either from you or from others, even though as bapostles of Christ 1we might have 2asserted our authority.
7But we 1proved to be 2 agentle 3among you, bas a nursing mother 4tenderly cares for her own children.
8Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to aimpart to you not only the bgospel of God but also our own 1lives, because you had become 2very dear to us.
9For you recall, brethren, our alabor and hardship, how bworking night and day so as not to be a cburden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the dgospel of God.
10You are witnesses, and so is aGod, bhow devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we 1behaved toward you 2believers;
11just as you know how we were aexhorting and encouraging and 1 bimploring each one of you as ca father would his own children,
12so that you would awalk in a manner worthy of the God who bcalls you into His own kingdom and cglory.
13For this reason we also constantly athank God that when you received the bword of God which you heard from us, you accepted it cnot as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, dwhich also performs its work in you who believe.
14For you, brethren, became aimitators of bthe churches of God in Christ Jesus that are cin Judea, for dyou also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, eeven as they did from the Jews,
15awho both killed the Lord Jesus and bthe prophets, and 1drove us out. 2They are not pleasing to God, 2but hostile to all men,
16ahindering us from speaking to the Gentiles bso that they may be saved; with the result that they always cfill up the measure of their sins. But dwrath has come upon them 1to the utmost.
17But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a 1short while-- ain 2person, not in 3spirit--were all the more eager with great desire bto see your face.
181For awe wanted to come to you--I, Paul, 2 bmore than once--and yet cSatan dhindered us.
19For who is our hope or ajoy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His 1 bcoming?
20For you are aour glory and joy.