You remember why I preached the gospel to you the first time; it was because I was sick.

You have no troubles, and yet you make fun of me; you hit someone who is about to fall.

I am unimportant and despised, but I do not neglect your teachings.

I have always said that wisdom is better than strength, but no one thinks of the poor as wise or pays any attention to what they say.

It was the will of the LORD that his servant grow like a plant taking root in dry ground. He had no dignity or beauty to make us take notice of him. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing that would draw us to him.

We despised him and rejected him; he endured suffering and pain. No one would even look at him--- we ignored him as if he were nothing.

He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.

For Christ's sake we are fools; but you are wise in union with Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! We are despised, but you are honored!

So then, whoever rejects this teaching is not rejecting a human being, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

I said to myself that your promise, sir, would make me safe, because the king is like God's angel and can distinguish good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you!"

He lied about me to Your Majesty, but you are like God's angel, so do what seems right to you.

At that time the LORD will protect those who live in Jerusalem, and even the weakest among them will become as strong as David was. The descendants of David will lead them like the angel of the LORD, like God himself.

It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the LORD Almighty.

Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it.

"Whoever welcomes you welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

And whoever welcomes in my name one such child as this, welcomes me.

The King will reply, 'I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!'

Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever listens to you listens to me; whoever rejects you rejects me; and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

I am telling you the truth: whoever receives anyone I send receives me also; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."

Here we are, then, speaking for Christ, as though God himself were making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ's behalf: let God change you from enemies into his friends!

And there is another reason why we always give thanks to God. When we brought you God's message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a message from human beings but as God's message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.