11 All this has been the speech of a fool, — but of one who has been driven to it because of your failure to defend him before his enemies. You know yourselves that whatever claims to apostleship may be put forward and enlarged upon by others, my own are more striking than any;
12 and even in your very midst — although they say I am nothing when present and only weighty by letters from afar — even in your midst have come to pass those signs of God, those wonders and evidences of His power, which were wrought in patience and meekness. You were not less favoured than other churches, and the “signs following” were as numerous when I uttered the gospel message to you as they were when I preached and sojourned amongst the other churches.
13 In only one respect did I treat you differently from the other churches, and that was that I never lived at your charges, but paid my own way, earning my own living, as I have not always done in Asia and elsewhere. Was this a crime, my friends? Forgive me, if it were.
14 But I intend, so far as I am able, never to be at your charges, but to support myself again and draw no salary from you, on this the third occasion on which I am coming to you. For I intend shortly to be with you again for the third time, and shall ask nothing from you. I seek not yours, but you; the father should work for his children, and support them, not be supported by them.
15 I shall spend myself, and be spent for you, and in so doing, will you love me less? Because I will take no money from you, will you think the less of me for that?
16 Is it possible that you think I maintained this attitude in order to take you captive, and did it all craftily and hypocritically, in order to spoil you in the end? But have I ever taken advantage of you?
17 Have any of those I have since sent to you done you any wrong?