⁵ As you know, we didn’t sandwich the truth between cunning compliments—we told it straight—and before the eye of God, we never conspired to make a single cent off of you. ⁶ We didn’t come seeking respect from people—not from you or anyone else—although we could have leveraged our position as emissaries^[a] of the Anointed One, the Liberating King. ⁷ Instead, we proved to be gentle among you, like a nursing mother caring for her own children.