1 C hristian brothers, you know that my visit with you was not wasted.

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming among you was not useless and fruitless.

2 J ust before we came to you, we had been in the city of Philippi. You know how they worked against us and made us suffer. But God helped us preach the Good News to you without fear, even while many people hated us and made it hard for us.

But though we had already suffered and been outrageously treated at Philippi, as you know, yet in our God we summoned courage to proclaim to you unfalteringly the good news (the Gospel) with earnest contention and much conflict and great opposition.

3 Y ou remember what we said to you was true. We had no wrong desire in teaching you. We did not try to fool you.

For our appeal does not from delusion or error or impure purpose or motive, nor in fraud or deceit.

4 G od has allowed us to be trusted with the Good News. Because of this, we preach it to please God, not man. God tests and proves our hearts.

But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the glad tidings (the Gospel), so we speak not to please men but to please God, Who tests our hearts '> expecting them to be approved].

5 Y ou know we never used smooth-sounding words. God knows we never tried to get money from you by preaching.

For as you well know, we never resorted either to words of flattery or to any cloak to conceal greedy motives or pretexts for gain, God is our witness.

6 W e never looked for thanks from men, not from you or from anyone else. But because we were missionaries of Christ, we could have asked you to do much for us.

Nor did we seek to extract praise and honor and glory from men, either from you or from anyone else, though we might have asserted our authority as apostles (special missionaries) of Christ (the Messiah).

7 I nstead, we were gentle when we came to you. We were like a mother caring for her children.

But we behaved gently when we were among you, like a devoted mother nursing and cherishing her own children.

8 W e had such a strong desire to help you that we were happy to give you the Good News. Because we loved you so much, we were ready to give you our own lives also.

So, being thus tenderly and affectionately desirous of you, we continued to share with you not only God’s good news (the Gospel) but also our own lives as well, for you had become so very dear to us.

9 Y ou remember, Christian brothers, we worked night and day for our food and clothes while we preached the Good News to you. We did not want to make it hard for you.

For you recall our hard toil and struggles, brethren. We worked night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you while we proclaimed the glad tidings (the Gospel) of God to you.

10 Y ou know, and so does God, how pure and right and without blame we were among you who believe.

You are witnesses, and God, how unworldly and upright and blameless was our behavior toward you believers.

11 A s a father helps his children, you know how we wanted to help you and give you comfort. We told you with strong words

For you know how, as a father his children, we used to exhort each of you personally, stimulating and encouraging and charging you

12 t hat you should live to please God. He is the One Who chose you to come into His holy nation and to share His shining-greatness.

To live lives worthy of God, Who calls you into His own kingdom and the glorious blessedness '> into which true believers will enter after Christ’s return].

13 W e always thank God that when you heard the Word of God from us, you believed it. You did not receive it as from men, but you received it as the Word of God. That is what it is. It is at work in the lives of you who believe.

And we also thank God continually for this, that when you received the message of God from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the Word of God, which is effectually at work in you who believe '> exercising its superhuman power in those who adhere to and trust in and rely on it].

14 C hristian brothers, you became just like the churches in the country of Judea. You had to suffer from the men in your country as those churches had to suffer from the Jews.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the assemblies (churches) of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you too have suffered the same kind of treatment from your own fellow countrymen as they did of the Jews,

15 I t was the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the early preachers. The Jews made it hard for us and made us leave. They do not please God and are working against all men.

Who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and harassed and drove us out, and continue to make themselves hateful and offensive to God and to show themselves foes of all men,

16 T hey tried to keep us from preaching the Good News to the people who are not Jews. The Jews do not want them saved from the punishment of sin. The lives of the Jews are full of more sin all the time. But now God’s anger has come to them at last.

Forbidding and hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles (the nations) that they may be saved. So as always they fill up their sins. But God’s wrath has come upon them at last!

17 C hristian brothers, because we have not been able to be with you, our hearts have been with you. We have wanted very much to see you.

But since we were bereft of you, brethren, for a little while in person, not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great longing to see you face to face,

18 W e wanted to come to you. I, Paul, have tried to come to you more than once but Satan kept us from coming.

Because it was our will to come to you. I, Paul, again and again, but Satan hindered and impeded us.

19 W ho is our hope or joy or crown of happiness? It is you, when you stand before our Lord Jesus Christ when He comes again.

For what is our hope or happiness or our victor’s wreath of exultant triumph when we stand in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? Is it not you?

20 Y ou are our pride and joy.

For you are our glory and our joy!