2 Corinthians 6:3-13 - The Character Of Paul's Ministry

³ I put no obstacles in anyone's path, so that no fault may be found with my work. ⁴ On the contrary, as a servant of God I try in every way to commend myself to them, through my great endurance in troubles, difficulties, hardships, ⁵ beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, and hunger, ⁶ through my purity of life, my knowledge, my patience, my kindness, my holiness of spirit, my genuine love, ⁷ the truth of my teaching, and the power of God; with the weapons of uprightness for the right hand and the left, ⁸ in honor or dishonor, in praise or blame; considered an imposter, when I am true, ⁹ obscure, when I am well known, at the point of death, yet here I am alive, punished, but not dead yet, ¹⁰ pained, when I am always glad, poor, when I make many others rich, penniless, when really I own everything.

¹¹ I have kept nothing back from you, men of Corinth; I have opened my heart to you. ¹² It is not that I am cramping you, it is your own affections. ¹³ To pay me back, I tell you, my children, you must open your hearts too.