2 Our Christian friends, you yourselves know that our visit to you had good results. 2 You know what happened to us before we came to you. The people at Philippi had done bad things to us. [ a ] They had caused us to have trouble. When we came to you, our God helped us to be brave. We were not afraid to tell you his good news. Many people tried to stop us, but we told you God's message.
3 When we tell people to obey God's message, we are not saying anything that is not true. We do not have a wrong purpose. We are not trying to deceive anyone. 4 Instead, we say what God wants us to say. He has chosen us to tell his good news to people. So we do not do it to make people happy. We do it to make God happy. He is the one who knows what we are really like.
5 When we came to you, we spoke what was true. We did not just say nice things to make you feel good. You yourselves know that. We did not try to make you give things to us. We never had a secret purpose like that. God knows that this is true. 6 We did not want anyone to say that we are great people. We did not want you to do that, or anyone else. 7 We could have used our authority over you, because we are Christ's apostles. But instead, we chose to be kind to you and to help you. We took care of you, like a mother takes care of her little children. 8 We loved you very much, so we wanted to tell you God's good news. We wanted to share our lives with you too. [ b ]
9 Our Christian friends, remember how we worked so hard to help you. We worked during the day and even during the night. We did not want to cause any problems for you. So we taught you God's good news and we did not ask you to give us anything in return. [ c ]
10 You know that we lived in a good way when we were with you. God also knows that. We were completely honest with you believers. Nobody could say that we did anything wrong. 11 You know that we helped you, like a father helps his own children. 12 We taught you clearly what is true. We helped you to be strong as believers. God has chosen you to be his own people. You belong to his great kingdom, where he rules. So we told you to live in a way that pleases him.
13 There is another reason why we always continue to thank God for you. When we told God's message to you, you knew that it was not human ideas. You accepted it as God's own message, and that is what it certainly is. You continue to grow as believers because of God's message that you heard.
14 Our Christian friends, you have received the same kind of trouble that the people in the churches of Judea received. [ d ] People in your own country have caused you to have trouble and pain. The same thing happened to the people in Judea who believed in Christ Jesus. They received trouble from their own Jewish people.
15 People like that even killed the Lord Jesus. They killed God's prophets, too. They also did bad things against us, so that we had to leave their towns. They make God become angry. They are enemies of all people, 16 because they try to stop us speaking to Gentiles. They do not want God to save anyone from another nation. In this way, they continue to do more and more bad things. When their sins become too many, God has to stop them. He has become so angry that he has punished them completely.
17 Our friends, we have had to go away from you for a short time. But we have not stopped thinking about you. We have wanted more and more to come to see you again. 18 Yes, we really wanted to return to you. Certainly, I, Paul, tried again and again to come to you, but Satan stopped us.
19 You are the people that make us very happy! We know that you will continue to trust God. So, when our Lord Jesus returns, we will be proud of you. You will be like a crown that he gives us when we stand in front of him. 20 You show the great results of our work. Yes, it is because of you that we are very happy.
2 Brothers and sisters, you know that our visit to you was not a failure. 2 Before we came to you, people in Philippi abused us with insults and made us suffer. You know all about that. And then, when we came to you, many people there caused trouble for us. But our God gave us the courage we needed to tell you his Good News. 3 When we encourage people to believe the Good News, it’s not out of wrong motives. We are not trying to trick or fool anyone. 4 No, we did it because God is the one who gave us this work. And this was only after he tested us and saw that we could be trusted to do it. So when we speak, we are only trying to please God, not anyone else. He is the one who can see what is in our hearts.
5 You know that we never tried to influence you by saying nice things about you. We were not trying to get your money. We had no greed to hide from you. God knows that this is true. 6 We were not looking for praise from people—not from you or anyone else.
7 When we were with you, as apostles of Christ we could have used our authority to make you help us. But we were very gentle [ a ] with you. We were like a mother caring for her little children. 8 We loved you very much, so we were happy to share God’s Good News with you. But not only that—we were also happy to share even our own lives with you. 9 Brothers and sisters, I know that you remember how hard we worked. We worked night and day to support ourselves, so that we would not be a burden to anyone while we did the work of telling you God’s Good News.
10 When we were there with you believers, we were pure, honest, and without fault in the way we lived. You know, just as God does, that this is true. 11 You know that we treated each one of you the way a father treats his own children. 12 We encouraged you, we comforted you, and we told you to live good lives for God. He calls you to be part of his glorious kingdom.
13 Also, we always thank God because of the way you accepted his message. You heard it and accepted it as God’s message, not our own. And it really is God’s message. And it works in you who believe. 14 Brothers and sisters, you are just like God’s churches in Judea. [ b ] I mean that you were treated badly by your own people, just as those believers in Christ Jesus were treated badly by other Jews— 15 the same Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets. And they forced us to leave their country. They are not pleasing to God, and they are against everyone else. 16 And they are trying to stop us from teaching those who are not Jews. They don’t want them to be saved. But they are just adding more and more sins to the ones they already have. Now the time has come for them to suffer God’s anger.
17 Brothers and sisters, we were separated from you for a short time. But even though we were not there, our thoughts were still with you. We wanted very much to see you, and we tried very hard to do this. 18 Yes, we wanted to come to you. I, Paul, tried more than once to come, but Satan stopped us. 19 You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will be proud of when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. 20 You bring us honor and joy.
2 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain:
2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
3 For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
5 For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
6 Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of Christ.
7 But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
10 Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
11 As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children,
12 That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
15 Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men:
16 Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
17 But we, brethren, being taken from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire.
18 Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.
19 For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
20 For ye are our glory and joy.
2 For you yourselves know, brothers and sisters , that our [ a ] ( A ) reception among you ( B ) was not in vain, 2 but after we had already suffered and been ( C ) treated abusively in ( D ) Philippi, as you know, we had the boldness in our God ( E ) to speak to you the ( F ) gospel of God [ b ] amid much [ c ] ( G ) opposition. 3 For our ( H ) exhortation does not come from ( I ) error or ( J ) impurity or [ d ] by way of ( K ) deceit; 4 ( L ) but just as we have been approved by God to be ( M ) entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, ( N ) not intending to please people, but to please God, who [ e ] ( O ) examines our hearts. 5 For we never came [ f ] with flattering speech, as you know, nor with ( P ) a pretext [ g ] for greed— ( Q ) God is our witness— 6 nor did we ( R ) seek honor from people, either from you or from others, though [ h ] we could have [ i ] asserted our authority as ( S ) apostles of Christ. 7 But we [ j ] proved to be [ k ] ( T ) gentle [ l ] among you. ( U ) As a nursing mother [ m ] tenderly cares for her own children, 8 in the same way we had a fond affection for you and were delighted to ( V ) share with you not only the ( W ) gospel of God, but also our own [ n ] lives, because you had become [ o ] very dear to us.
9 For you recall, brothers and sisters , our ( X ) labor and hardship: it was by ( Y ) working night and day so as not to be a ( Z ) burden to any of you, that we proclaimed to you the ( AA ) gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and so is ( AB ) God, of ( AC ) how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we [ p ] behaved toward you [ q ] believers; 11 just as you know how we were ( AD ) exhorting and encouraging and ( AE ) imploring each one of you as ( AF ) a father would his own children, 12 so that you would ( AG ) walk in a manner worthy of the God who ( AH ) calls you into His own kingdom and ( AI ) glory.
13 For this reason we also constantly ( AJ ) thank God that when you received the ( AK ) word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it ( AL ) not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, ( AM ) which also is at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters , became ( AN ) imitators of ( AO ) the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are ( AP ) in Judea, for ( AQ ) you also endured the same sufferings at the hands of your own countrymen, ( AR ) even as they did from the Jews, 15 ( AS ) who both killed the Lord Jesus and ( AT ) the prophets, and [ r ] drove us out. [ s ] They are not pleasing to God, [ t ] but hostile to all people, 16 ( AU ) hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles ( AV ) so that they may be saved; with the result that they always [ u ] ( AW ) reach the limit of their sins. But ( AX ) wrath has come upon them [ v ] fully.
17 But we, brothers and sisters , having been orphaned from you by absence for a [ w ] short while— ( AY ) in [ x ] person, not in [ y ] spirit—were all the more eager with great desire ( AZ ) to see your face. 18 [ z ] For ( BA ) we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, [ aa ] ( BB ) more than once—and ( BC ) Satan ( BD ) hindered us. 19 For who is our hope, or ( BE ) joy or crown of pride, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His [ ab ] ( BF ) coming? Or is it not indeed you? 20 For you are ( BG ) our glory and joy.
2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you ( A ) was not without results. ( B ) 2 We had previously suffered ( C ) and been treated outrageously in Philippi, ( D ) as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. ( E ) 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, ( F ) nor are we trying to trick you. ( G ) 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. ( H ) We are not trying to please people ( I ) but God, who tests our hearts. ( J ) 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed ( K ) —God is our witness. ( L ) 6 We were not looking for praise from people, ( M ) not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles ( N ) of Christ we could have asserted our authority. ( O ) 7 Instead, we were like young children [ a ] among you.
Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, ( P ) 8 so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God ( Q ) but our lives as well. ( R ) 9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked ( S ) night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone ( T ) while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, ( U ) and so is God, ( V ) of how holy, ( W ) righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ( X ) 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy ( Y ) of God, who calls ( Z ) you into his kingdom and glory.
13 And we also thank God continually ( AA ) because, when you received the word of God, ( AB ) which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators ( AC ) of God’s churches in Judea, ( AD ) which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people ( AE ) the same things those churches suffered from the Jews 15 who killed the Lord Jesus ( AF ) and the prophets ( AG ) and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to everyone 16 in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles ( AH ) so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. ( AI ) The wrath of God has come upon them at last. [ b ]
17 But, brothers and sisters, when we were orphaned by being separated from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), ( AJ ) out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ( AK ) 18 For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan ( AL ) blocked our way. ( AM ) 19 For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown ( AN ) in which we will glory ( AO ) in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? ( AP ) Is it not you? 20 Indeed, you are our glory ( AQ ) and joy.
