Paul’s Ministry

1FOR ye yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in to you, that it was not in vain. 2But though we had suffered before, and were infamously treated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to preach unto you the gospel of God amidst a great conflict. 3And our exhortation originated not from delusion, or impurity, or from guile; 4but as we have been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts. 5For neither at any time used we insinuating language, as ye know, nor a pretext for covetousness; God is witness: 6not seeking glory from men, neither from you, nor from others, though we might have been burdensome, as apostles of Christ. 7But we were gentle in the midst of you, as a nurse cherisheth her own infants. 8So, tenderly affected towards you, we could with pleasure have imparted to you not the gospel of God only, but our own lives also, because ye were beloved by us.

9For ye remember, brethren, our labour and toil: for night and day working hard, that we might be no burden to any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God. 10Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and faultlessly we conducted ourselves among you that believe: 11as ye know how we treated every one of you, as a father doth his children, exhorting you, and admonishing, and conjuring you, 12that ye should walk worthy of God, as calling you into his kingdom and glory.

13For this cause do we also give thanks to God unceasingly, because when ye received the word reported by us from God, ye received it not as the word of man, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which worketh also effectually in you that believe. 14For ye, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus: for ye suffered the same things also yourselves from your own countrymen, as they too have of the Jews; 15who both murdered the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us, and please not God, and are in opposition to all mankind; 16forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might be saved, to fill up the measure of their iniquities always: but wrath is coming upon them to the extremity.

Paul’s Longing to Visit

17But we, brethren, bereaved of you for a short moment, in person, not in heart, have more abundantly longed to see your face with great desire. 18Therefore we wished to have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan prevented us. 19For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? 20For ye are our glory and joy.