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.

有人以为我是凭着血气行事，我也以为必须用勇敢待这等人；求你们不要叫我在你们那里的时候，有这样的勇敢。

有人认为我们是凭着血气行事，我认为必须敢于对付这等人；我但求在那里的时候，不必这样勇敢。

有人认为我们是凭着血气行事，我认为必须敢于对付这等人；我但求在那里的时候，不必这样勇敢。

我去的时候，请不要逼我这样严厉地对待你们，我的严厉是用来对付那些说我凭血气行事的人。

求你们使我在你们那里的时候，不要满有自信地放胆对你们，我认为要以这样的自信，勇敢地对付那些以为我们是照着世俗的标准（“世俗的标准”原文作“肉体”）行事的人。

我请求，当我在你们那里的时候，我不需要大胆自信；我本来打算用这样的勇气来对付那些人——他们把我们看做是顺着肉体行事的。

有人以為我是憑着血氣行事，我也以為必須用勇敢待這等人；求你們不要叫我在你們那裏的時候，有這樣的勇敢。

有人認為我們是憑着血氣行事，我認為必須敢於對付這等人；我但求在那裏的時候，不必這樣勇敢。

有人認為我們是憑着血氣行事，我認為必須敢於對付這等人；我但求在那裏的時候，不必這樣勇敢。

我去的時候，請不要逼我這樣嚴厲地對待你們，我的嚴厲是用來對付那些說我憑血氣行事的人。

求你們使我在你們那裡的時候，不要滿有自信地放膽對你們，我認為要以這樣的自信，勇敢地對付那些以為我們是照著世俗的標準（“世俗的標準”原文作“肉體”）行事的人。

我請求，當我在你們那裡的時候，我不需要大膽自信；我本來打算用這樣的勇氣來對付那些人——他們把我們看做是順著肉體行事的。

有以我為依血氣而行者、我決意以勇待之、求爾勿使我於晤對時、以待若人者待爾、

勿使我近時儼然、蓋有謂我純以血氣行事者、我意當儼然待之、

且求爾勿使我就爾之時、亦有勇敢、蓋有人謂我乃按血氣而行者、我亦思必勇敢自信、毅然以待之、

予今求爾毋使我晤爾時、不得不勇於敢為、用懲以凡夫俗子視吾者。

I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.

I am coming to see you. Please don’t make me be as bold as I expect to be toward some people. They think that I live the way the people of this world live.

I beg of you that when I am present I may not have to show boldness with such confidence as I count on showing against some who suspect us of walking according to the flesh.

I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are living according to the flesh.

I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I intend to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.

But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

yea, I beseech you, that I may not when present show courage with the confidence wherewith I count to be bold against some, who count of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

I beg you that when I am present I will not need to be bold with the confidence by which I plan to challenge certain people who think we are behaving in an unspiritual way.

But I beseech[ you], that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.

now I ask that when I am present I may not have to be bold with the confidence that( I expect) I will dare to use against some who consider us to be behaving according to human standards.

Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

I am writing this to you before I come, hoping that I won’t need to deal severely with you when I do come. For I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.

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.

You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil— the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures,idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division,envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self control. There is no law against these things!Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there.Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don’t want what you have— I want you. After all, children don’t provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children.I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery.But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you?When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No! For we have the same spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way.Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. No, we tell you this as Christ’s servants, and with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you.For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.

Some of you have become arrogant, thinking I will not visit you again.But I will come— and soon— if the Lord lets me, and then I’ll find out whether these arrogant people just give pretentious speeches or whether they really have God’s power.For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.Which do you choose? Should I come with a rod to punish you, or should I come with love and a gentle spirit?

And when I was with you and didn’t have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone. For the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you, and I never will be.As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, no one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this.Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows that I do.But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours.These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.