At Philippi, as you know, we had been ill-treated and insulted, but we took courage and confidence in our God to tell you the gospel of God in spite of all the strain.

we never sought honour from men, from you or from anybody else, though as apostles of Christ we had the power of claiming to be men of weight;

fain, in our yearning affection for you, to impart not only the gospel of God to you but our very souls as well ??you had so won our love.

Brothers, when we were bereft of you for a little while (out of sight, not out of mind), we were the more eager to see you. We had a keen longing for you.

Well then, unable to bear it any longer, I sent to find out about your faith, in case the Tempter had tempted you and our labour had been thrown away.