¹⁵ For though you have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus, I became your father through the Gospel.

¹⁹ My little children, of whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you--

¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

²³ having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.

¹⁸ Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).

¹⁰ I beg you for my child, whom I have become the father of in my chains, Onesimus,{Onesimus means "useful."}

¹¹ who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him back. Therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

⁴ to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

³ For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but, having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts;

¹ Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?

² You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men;

³ being revealed that you are a letter of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone, but in tablets that are hearts of flesh.

²³ Now I do this for the Gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

¹⁸ What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Gospel, I may present the Gospel of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Gospel.

¹⁴ Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Gospel should live from the Gospel.

¹² If others partake of this right over you, don't we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Gospel of Christ.

¹ Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren't you my work in the Lord?

² If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

⁶ I planted. Apollos watered. But God gave the increase.

²⁰ yes, making it my aim to preach the Gospel, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another's foundation.

⁴ He reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded Jews and Greeks.

⁵ But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

⁶ When they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook out his clothing and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on, I will go to the Gentiles!"

⁷ He departed there, and went into the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.

⁸ Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house. Many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized.

⁹ The Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Don't be afraid, but speak and don't be silent;

¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

¹¹ He lived there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.