26. Indeed, he greatly missed all of you and was distressed because you heard that he had been ill.
27. In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief.
28. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you can rejoice and I can be free from anxiety.
29. So welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him,
30. since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me.