Paul uses this question to acknowledge something that the people may have been thinking. He does this so that he can assure them that it is not true. AT: "Perhaps you think that all of this time we have been defending ourselves to you." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-rquestion]])
Paul speaks of God knowing everything Paul does as if God were physically present and observed everything Paul said and did. AT: "Before God" or "With God as witness" or "In the presence of God" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])
"to strengthen you." Paul speaks of knowing how to obey God and desiring to obey him as if it were physical growth. AT: "so that you would know God and obey him better" (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/translate/figs-metaphor]])