2 Corinthians 11:28

¹⁶that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

¹⁷Only, as the Lord has distributed to each man, as God has called each, so let him walk. So I command in all the assemblies.

¹⁸When they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you all the time, ¹⁹serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears, and with trials which happened to me by the plots of the Jews; ²⁰how I didn’t shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, teaching you publicly and from house to house, ²¹testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus.^22[+] Now, behold, I go bound by the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there; ²³except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions wait for me. ²⁴But these things don’t count; nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to fully testify to the Good News of the grace of God.

²⁵“Now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I went about preaching God’s Kingdom, will see my face no more. ²⁶Therefore I testify to you today that I am clean from the blood of all men, ²⁷for I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. ²⁸Take heed, therefore, to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the assembly of the Lord and^[+] God which he purchased with his own blood. ²⁹For I know that after my departure, vicious wolves will enter in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹Therefore watch, remembering that for a period of three years I didn’t cease to admonish everyone night and day with tears. ³²Now, brothers,^[+] I entrust you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ³³I coveted no one’s silver, gold, or clothing. ³⁴You yourselves know that these hands served my necessities, and those who were with me. ³⁵In all things I gave you an example, that so laboring you ought to help the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

¹³For I speak to you who are Gentiles. Since then as I am an apostle to Gentiles, I glorify my ministry,

²³Having spent some time there, he departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

¹For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

⁴who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the Gentiles.

⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. ⁴¹He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

³⁶After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

¹⁴I am debtor both to Greeks and to foreigners, both to the wise and to the foolish.