when people lie about us, we answer in a friendly manner. We are the world’s dirt and scum, even now.

For we never appeared ¹  with flattering speech, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed – God is our witness –

¹  although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became ²  little children ³  among you. Like a nursing mother caring for her own children,

You are witnesses, and so is God, as to how holy and righteous and blameless our conduct was toward you who believe.

Just ¹  as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of armies ²  had not left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have resembled Gomorrah.” ³ 

For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to die, because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to people.

in that ¹  our gospel did not come to you merely in words, ²  but in power and in the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction (surely you recall the character we displayed when we came among you to help you). ³