and that our Gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.
for your sake: Such statements so frequently found in the New Testament should stand as a rebuke to those who "make merchandise of the gospel." "The demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit in the preaching was not given in the interests of the preachers but in the interests of the hearers" (Hogg and Vine 37). Faithful ministers of the gospel will always be motivated by what they can give, not what they can get.