Now I, Paul, appeal to you with the gentleness and kindness of Christ— though I realize you think I am timid in person and bold only when I write from far away.

我保罗，就是与你们见面的时候是谦卑的，不在你们那里的时候向你们是勇敢的，如今亲自藉着基督的温柔、和平劝你们。

我—保罗与你们见面的时候是温和的，不在你们那里的时候向你们是勇敢的，如今亲自藉着基督的温柔和慈祥劝你们。

我—保罗与你们见面的时候是温和的，不在你们那里的时候向你们是勇敢的，如今亲自藉着基督的温柔和慈祥劝你们。

你们以为我在你们中间的时候很温和，不在你们中间的时候却很严厉。如今，我保罗以基督的谦卑和温柔亲自劝你们：

我保罗与你们见面的时候是谦卑的，不在你们那里的时候，却是放胆的。现在我亲自以基督的谦逊温柔劝你们，

我保罗与你们面对面的时候是卑微的，不在你们那里的时候向你们却是大胆的。现在我亲自以基督的温柔与谦和恳求你们：

我－保羅，就是與你們見面的時候是謙卑的，不在你們那裏的時候向你們是勇敢的，如今親自藉着基督的溫柔、和平勸你們。

我－保羅與你們見面的時候是溫和的，不在你們那裏的時候向你們是勇敢的，如今親自藉着基督的溫柔和慈祥勸你們。

我－保羅與你們見面的時候是溫和的，不在你們那裏的時候向你們是勇敢的，如今親自藉着基督的溫柔和慈祥勸你們。

你們以為我在你們中間的時候很溫和，不在你們中間的時候卻很嚴厲。如今，我保羅以基督的謙卑和溫柔親自勸你們：

我保羅與你們見面的時候是謙卑的，不在你們那裡的時候，卻是放膽的。現在我親自以基督的謙遜溫柔勸你們，

我保羅、以基督的柔和與溫良、親自勸你們——我，我這個在你們中間和你們面對面時「謙卑（！）」，而不同在時「放膽（！）」的——有人以為我們是憑着肉體行事，我以為我必須以自信之心大膽懲治這種人——我甚至於求你們、不要讓我於和你們同在時有這樣自信之心而放膽。

我保羅與你們面對面的時候是卑微的，不在你們那裡的時候向你們卻是大膽的。現在我親自以基督的溫柔與謙和懇求你們：

我保羅晤對則卑、暌違則勇者、以基督之溫柔和平勸爾、

余保羅、即之也溫、望之儼然、學基督之溫柔寛裕勸爾、

我保羅與爾覿面時為謙卑、與爾相離時為勇敢、我因基督之溫柔寛裕勸爾、

茲者我葆樂本人、欲憑基督之溫柔謙恭、有所求於爾焉。頗聞人言、予與爾相處、晤時則恭、暌時則踞。

By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you— I, Paul, who am“ timid” when face to face with you, but“ bold” toward you when away!

Christ is humble and free of pride. Because of this, I make my appeal to you. I, Paul, am the one you call“ shy” when I am face to face with you. But when I am away from you, you think I am“ bold” toward you.

I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ— I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!—

Now I, Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ— I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent.

Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ— I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!

Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ— who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

Now I Paul myself entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am of good courage toward you:

Now I, Paul, make a personal appeal to you by the gentleness and graciousness of Christ— I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent.

Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence[ am] base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ( I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!)–

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Christ, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

For some say,“ Paul’s letters are demanding and forceful, but in person he is weak, and his speeches are worthless!”

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you.

He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice— the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

I came to you in weakness— timid and trembling.

Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

“ Tell the people of Jerusalem,‘ Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

Even so, I have been bold enough to write about some of these points, knowing that all you need is this reminder. For by God’s grace,

That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses.

Well, I am begging you now so that when I come I won’t have to be bold with those who think we act from human motives.

Here is my greeting in my own handwriting— Paul.If anyone does not love the Lord, that person is cursed. Our Lord, come!

So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead,“ Come back to God!”

I, John, am your brother and your partner in suffering and in God’s Kingdom and in the patient endurance to which Jesus calls us. I was exiled to the island of Patmos for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus.

The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:“ He was led like a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.

I have the highest confidence in you, and I take great pride in you. You have greatly encouraged me and made me happy despite all our troubles.

Here is my greeting in my own handwriting— Paul. I do this in all my letters to prove they are from me.

I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too“ weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about— I’m talking like a fool again— I dare to boast about it, too.

I have already warned those who had been sinning when I was there on my second visit. Now I again warn them and all others, just as I did before, that next time I will not spare them.I will give you all the proof you want that Christ speaks through me. Christ is not weak when he deals with you; he is powerful among you.Although he was crucified in weakness, he now lives by the power of God. We, too, are weak, just as Christ was, but when we deal with you we will be alive with him and will have God’s power.

And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying,“ I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.”

In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe inspiring deeds!

Dear friends, I warn you as“ temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.

But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me— Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.

Our dedication to Christ makes us look like fools, but you claim to be so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are so powerful! You are honored, but we are ridiculed.

He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone.He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.

As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it.

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold.

He will not fight or shout or raise his voice in public.He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.

Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.

Surely you remember that I was sick when I first brought you the Good News.

even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.Each time he said,“ My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am.