"For his letters," they say, "are severe and boisterous, but his bodily presence [is] feeble, and his speech amounts to nothing."

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ should be deprived of its power.

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, God was well pleased, through the foolishness of our preaching, to save those that believe.

And I, brothers, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, announcing to you the testimony of God.

And I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

with reference to which, when you read, you can understand my insight in the mystery of Christ,

and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you,

as also in all his letters, speaking in them about these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor falsifying the word of God, but by the disclosure of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience before God.

Knowing, therefore, the fear of the Lord, we persuade men; but we have been made known to God. And I also hope to have been made known in your consciences.

Receive us [in your hearts]. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have defrauded no one.

Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and miracles.