For they say,"His lettersare weightyand strong,but his personalpresenceis unimpressiveand his speechcontemptible."
Then Mosessaidto the LORD,"Please,Lord,I have neverbeen eloquent,neitherrecentlynorin timepast,norsinceYou have spokento Your servant;for I am slowof speechand slowof tongue."
Then I said,"Alas,LordGOD!Behold,I do not knowhow to speak,BecauseI am a youth."
For Christdid not sendme to baptize,but to preach the gospel,not in clevernessof speech,sothat the crossof Christwould not be made void.
For sincein the wisdomof Godthe worldthroughits wisdomdid not [come to] knowGod,Godwas well-pleasedthroughthe foolishnessof the message preachedto savethosewho believe.
NowI, Paul,myselfurgeyou by the meeknessand gentlenessof Christ--I whoam meekwhen face to facewith you, but boldtowardyou when absent!
Let sucha personconsiderthis,that whatwe are in wordby letterswhen absent,such persons[we are] alsoin deedwhen present.
for I do not wish to seemas ifI would terrifyyou by my letters.
To [my] shameI [must] saythat we have been weak[by comparison]. But in whateverrespect anyone[else] is bold--I speakin foolishness--I amjustas boldmyself.
But evenifI am unskilledin speech,yetI am not [so] in knowledge;in fact,in everywaywe have made [this] evidentto you in all things.
sinceyou are seekingfor proofof the Christwho speaksin me, and whois not weaktowardyou, but mightyin you.