I was so sure of all this that I made plans at first to visit you, in order that you might be blessed twice.

This is now the third time that I am coming to visit you. "Any accusation must be upheld by the evidence of two or more witnesses"---as the scripture says.

If the Lord is willing, however, I will come to you soon, and then I will find out for myself the power which these proud people have, and not just what they say.

And if any of you are hungry, you should eat at home, so that you will not come under God's judgment as you meet together. As for the other matters, I will settle them when I come.

I shall come to you after I have gone through Macedonia---for I have to go through Macedonia.

Righteousness gives life, but violence takes it away.

I have not wanted anyone's silver or gold or clothing.

Just do as I do; I try to please everyone in all that I do, not thinking of my own good, but of the good of all, so that they might be saved.

So then, my friends, how dear you are to me and how I miss you! How happy you make me, and how proud I am of you!---this, dear friends, is how you should stand firm in your life in the Lord.

It is not that I just want to receive gifts; rather, I want to see profit added to your account.

You know very well that we did not come to you with flattering talk, nor did we use words to cover up greed---God is our witness!

We did not try to get praise from anyone, either from you or from others,

Because of our love for you we were ready to share with you not only the Good News from God but even our own lives. You were so dear to us!

After all, it is you---you, no less than others!---who are our hope, our joy, and our reason for boasting of our victory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes.

Indeed, you are our pride and our joy!

to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.

"The LORD has greatly blessed my master and made him a rich man. He has given him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, silver, gold, male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.

Sarah, my master's wife, bore him a son when she was old, and my master has given everything he owns to him.

Rachel and Leah answered Jacob, "There is nothing left for us to inherit from our father.

He treats us like foreigners. He sold us, and now he has spent all the money he was paid for us.

Good people will have wealth to leave to their grandchildren, but the wealth of sinners will go to the righteous.

A man can inherit a house and money from his parents, but only the LORD can give him a sensible wife.

I write this to you, not because I want to make you feel ashamed, but to instruct you as my own dear children.

For even if you have ten thousand guardians in your Christian life, you have only one father. For in your life in union with Christ Jesus I have become your father by bringing the Good News to you.

You know that we treated each one of you just as parents treat their own children.