1 For you know yourselves, brothers, that our visit to you was by no means a failure. 2 But, although we had just suffered and been insulted, as you remember, at Philippi, we again summoned courage by the help of God, in spite of the terrific strain, to tell you God's good news. 3 For our appeal did not originate from a delusion or an impure motive; it was not made in fraud; 4 for since we have been so approved by God as to be entrusted with the good news, we are now telling it, not to please men but God, who proves and finds approved our hearts. 5 Indeed, we never resorted to flattery, as you are well aware, nor to any pretext for making money; God is our witness. 6 We never sought praise from men, either from you or from anyone else; although as apostles we could have stood on our official dignity. 7 Instead we were little children among you; we were like a mother nursing her children. 8 Because we were yearning for you so tenderly, we were willing, not only to share with you God's good news, but to lay down our very lives too for you, all because you were so dearly loved by us. 9 You remember, brothers, our hard labor and toil. We kept up our habit of working night and day, in order not to be a burden to any of you when we preached to you. 10 You can testify, and God too, with what pure, upright, and irreproachable motives I dealt with you who believed; 11 for you know how, as a father deals with his children, we used to encourage you, cheer you on, and charge each of you 12 to live lives worthy of God who calls you into His kingdom and His glory.
13 For another reason too, we, as far as we are concerned, are constantly giving thanks to God; that is, when you received the message you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the message of men but as the message of God, as it really is, which keeps on working in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you too have suffered the same sort of ill-treatment at the hands of your fellow-countrymen as they did at the hands of the Jews, 15 who killed the Lord Jesus and persecuted the prophets and us; and who continue to displease God and show themselves in opposition to all mankind, 16 by trying to keep us from speaking to the heathen, so that they may be saved, so as always to fill to the brim the cup of their sins. But at last God's wrath has come upon them.
17 Now we, brothers, on our part, when we were separated from you for a little while -- in person but not in heart -- were extremely eager and intensely longing to see you. 18 Because we did want to come to see you; I mean, that I myself, Paul, wanted again and again to come, but Satan prevented it. 19 For what is our hope or happiness or crown of boasting, except you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes? 20 You, indeed, are our glory and our joy.