Caspar Milquetoast was a comic book character created by H.T. Webster in 1924. Over time, he was known as Johnny Milk Toast. The title of the comic strip was “The Timid Soul.” Microsoft Copilot describes Milquetoast as “A timid, meek, unassertive person.”
Older translations interpret the Greek term prautes as meek; newer translations use different terms because meek connotes weakness. This characterization persists regarding Christians. A good response is, “You try being a Christian.”
The Greek term, prautes, occurs eleven times in the New Testament, always referring to behavior toward others. It is one of the characteristics listed in the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal 5:23). In the same context, it is how spiritual Christians should treat “a man caught in any trespass” (Gal 6:1).
Paul, calling out bad behavior in the church at Corinth, sent individuals with stern letters of correction. He warned:
“What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod or with love and a spirit of gentleness (prautes) (1 Cor 4:21)?”
When Paul left Titus in Crete, he was to correct “many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers” (Titus 1:10). “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed” (Titus 1:16).
The correction involved:
Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be uncontentious, gentle (prautes), showing every consideration for all men (Titus 3:1-2).
When writing the encyclical to the churches in Asia Minor, Paul wrote:
I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness (prautes), with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph 4:1-3).
To Churches in the Lycus Valley, he wrote:
And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness (prautes), and patience, bearing with one another, and forgiving each other (Col 3:12-15).
To his young protégé he wrote:
And the Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness (prautes) correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 2:24-25).
James exhorts, “in humility (prautes) (Jas 1:21) receive the word implanted.” Again, wisdom is gentle (prautes) (Jas 3:13). Peter instructed believers to be ready to defend the faith with “gentleness (prautes) (1 Pe 3:15).”
My interpretation of prautes is:
“An outward gentleness based upon an inner strength that comes from being controlled by the Holy Spirit and being at peace with God and what He is doing in my life.” (DJB)