For you endure if someone brings you into bondage, if someone devours you, if someone takes from you, if someone exalts himself, if someone strikes you on the face.

If I am not an apostle to others, yet at least I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I admonish you.

For though you might have countless instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so with me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my exulting void.

What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.

Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.

Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you freely?

And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked, the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

For what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Now the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek what is yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.

Nor did we seek honor from men, either from you or from others, when we might have been authoritative as apostles of Christ.

So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own souls, because you had become beloved to us.

nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you,

not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should imitate us.

To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and wander homeless.

And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

Now therefore, it is already an utter failure with you that you go to court against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather be defrauded?

And he said to them, Do not delay me, since Jehovah has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master.

and all of them conspired together to come and make war against Jerusalem and to create confusion.

Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.

For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.

But what I do, I will also do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast.