14. I am not writing this to shame you. You are my dear children, and I want to warn you.
15. You may have 10,000 believers in Christ watching over you. But you don't have many fathers. I became your father by serving Christ Jesus and telling you the good news.
16. So I'm asking you to follow my example.
17. That's the reason I'm sending Timothy to you. He is like a son to me, and I love him. He is faithful in serving the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in serving Christ Jesus. And that agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
18. Some of you have become proud. You act as if I weren't coming to you.