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As you are also aware, and as God is our witness, we have never resorted to flattering words or to your sense of greed. Neither did we seek praise from human beings, whether from you or from others.

As apostles of Christ, we could have imposed our will on you,[a] yet we were as gentle in our treatment of you as a mother nursing and caring for her own children.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Thessalonians 2:7 We could have imposed our will on you: another possible translation is: “we could have been a burden to you.” It was accepted among the early Christians that apostles are entitled to the support of the Churches (see 1 Cor 9:3-14; 2 Cor 11:7-11). Paul insisted on this right although he did not always make use of it.