2
“Our Visit to You Was Not, Brothers and Sisters, without Result”
1 In regard to these things, you yourselves know that our visit to you was not, brothers and sisters, without result.
2 No, just the opposite: Despite the fact that we had previously suffered and been treated shamefully, as you are aware, in Philippi, we still boldly dared with the help of our God+ to declare the gospel of God to you in the face of fierce opposition.
3 The appeal we make,+ you see, doesn’t spring from deluded ideas or filthy motives or an intent to deceive.
4 On the contrary, just as we have been examined and approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we declare it, aiming to please not mere men, but God, who examines our thoughts and motives.+
5 Indeed, at no time did we resort to flattering talk, as you know, or to some greedy scheme to get your money—God himself is our witness—
6 nor was it mere men from whom we were seeking praise+—not from you or anyone else.
7 Although we could have insisted, since we are apostles of the Messiah, on our own importance,+ we instead humbled+ ourselves while we were with you. Like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children,
8 such great affection having for you, we gladly chose to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives, too, because you had become so dear to us.
9 For surely you remember, brothers and sisters, how hard we worked and toiled!+ Working night and day and day and night, so that we would not impose a financial strain on any of you—that’s how we proclaimed the gospel of God to you.
10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how devout and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.
11 As you know, we treated each one of you as a father would his own children,+, continually exhorting you and encouraging you and solemnly warning+ you
12 to live your lives in a manner befitting God, who summons+ you to his own Kingdom and glory.+
“You Welcomed It Not as a Message from Mere Men”
13 And here is another reason why we thank God constantly: When you received God’s message, which you heard from us,+ you welcomed it not as a message from mere men, but for what it truly is—a message from God,+ who+ is continually at work bringing about what he himself wants+ inside+ you who believe.+
14 You, after all, found yourselves in the same predicament,+ brothers and sisters, as God’s assemblies in Judea which are united+ with Messiah Jesus, yourselves suffering at the hand of your own countrymen the very same kinds of things that they, too, did at the hand of their Jewish leaders and persecutors+—
15 who killed the Lord himself, Jesus, as well as the prophets! Us they chased out, God they are constantly provoking to anger,+ and the whole human race they oppose,
16 because they keep trying to stop us from proclaiming the message of salvation+ to the Gentiles.+ As a result, their sins are always piling up to the point when God no longer restrains his judgment.+ And his wrath will surely come against them in full strength.+
“We Are Destined to Suffer Trials and Persecution”
17 As for us, brothers and sisters, after we were torn away from you (only in body, not in our thoughts;+ I trust the rupture will last only a little while+),+ we missed you terribly and were extremely anxious to come and see you again in person.+
18 That is why we wanted to return to you. I, Paul, tried to do so time and again, and yet Satan blocked our way.+
19 What, after all, is our hope, our joy, and the victor’s crown of honor+ we will receive in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?+ It is you, isn’t it?
20 Yes, you yourselves are the glorious reward we will receive+ and the cause of our joy.