In the ministry, Paul had some principles that governed his conduct.  These were his personal rules of conduct, which ministers today would do well to emulate.

As a result of his ministry principles, Paul was:

Gentle – v.7 – as a nurse cherisheth her children – just like the Lord Jesus [2 Cor  10:1] – the servant of the Lord must be gentle, 2 Tim 2:24; wisdom is gentle, Jas 3:17; and the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness, Gal 5:22.

Loving – v.8 – affectionately desirous … ye were dear unto us – he loved them in spite of the fact that he wasn’t always loved to the same degree in return, 2 Cor 12:15.

Sacrificial – v.8 – he was willing to impart his own soul to them – 2 Cor 12:15 – the Lord Jesus was also Phil 2:5-8.

Self-supporting – v.9 – he made tents to support himself so that he would not be chargeable to this church and to the Corinthians Acts 18:1-3, 1 Cor 9:14-18 –  nevertheless, he could have been supported by them but he did not want them to get the idea that he was after their money rather than their souls.

Single-minded – v.9 – he had one aim and that was to preach the gospel – 1 Cor 9:19-23, 2 Cor 4:5 – Jesus was the same way Lk 4:43.

Unblameable – v.10 – he maintained a pure testimony be living a holy and just life – of the qualifications for bishops that he gave to Timothy, “blameless” was the first item on the list, 1 Tim 3:2 – Jesus, of course, was sinless and nobody could convince him of sin.

Fatherly – v.11 – not like “father” priest, but rather like their spiritual father for having begotten them through the gospel, 1 Cor 4:14-15 – they were his spiritual children in the Lord [2 Cor 12:14] and as such he treated them the same way a biological father treats his own children – he exhorted them [emphatically urged them like a coach does his athletes], he comforted them [in a way that a father does which is different than a mother’s comfort], and he charged them [like a military commander].