8 We felt so strongly about you that we were determined to share with you not only the Good News of God but also our lives. That’s how dear you were to us!
9 You remember, brothers and sisters, our work and what we did to earn a living. We worked night and day so that we could bring you the Good News of God without being a burden to any of you.
10 You and God are witnesses of how pure, honest, and blameless we were in our dealings with you believers.
11 You know very well that we treated each of you the way a father treats his children. We comforted you and encouraged you. Yet, we insisted that
12 you should live in a way that proves you belong to the God who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13 Here is another reason why we never stop thanking God: When you received God’s word from us, you realized it wasn’t the word of humans. Instead, you accepted it for what it really is—the word of God. This word is at work in you believers.
14 You, brothers and sisters, were like the churches of God in Judea that are united with Christ Jesus. You suffered the same persecutions from the people of your own country as those churches did from the Jews