And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,
Ver. 18. Ye know] This the apostle speaketh, not out of vain glory or desire of popular applause, but partly for their imitation (all things in a minister should be eximious and exemplary), and partly to procure credit to his doctrine by setting forth the holiness of his life; since quod iussit, et gessit, as Bernard, nec verbis solum praedicavit, sed et exemplis, as Eusebius saith of Origen, he did what he taught; and his life was nothing else but a transcript of his sermons. This would be a real apology for him against the false apostles.