2 Corinthians 12
Paul’s Vision
1 aBoasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and brevelations ▼▼ Or from
of the Lord. 2I know a man din Christ who fourteen years ago— whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, eGod knows— such a man was fcaught up to the gthird heaven. 3And I know how such a man— whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, hGod knows— 4was icaught up into jParadise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 5 kOn behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my lweaknesses. 6For if I do wish to boast I will not be mfoolish, nfor I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. A Thorn in the Flesh
7Because of the surpassing greatness of the orevelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a pthorn in the flesh, a qmessenger of Satan to ▼▼ Lit beat
torment me— to keep me from exalting myself! 8Concerning this I implored the Lord sthree times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for tpower is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather uboast ▼▼ Lit in
about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore wI am well content with weaknesses, with ▼▼ Or mistreatment
insults, with ydistresses, with zpersecutions, with aadifficulties, abfor Christ’s sake; for acwhen I am weak, then I am strong. 11I have become adfoolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for aein no respect was I inferior to the ▼▼ Or super-apostles
most eminent apostles, even though agI am a nobody. 12The ▼▼ Or attesting miracles
,
aisigns ▼▼ Lit of the apostle
of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by ▼▼ Or attesting miracles
signs and wonders and ▼▼ Or works of power
miracles. 13For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that amI myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me anthis wrong! 14Here aofor this third time I am ready to come to you, and I apwill not be a burden to you; for I aqdo not seek what is yours, but aryou; for aschildren are not responsible to save up for their parents, but atparents for their children. 15I will aumost gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If avI love you more, am I to be loved less? 16But be that as it may, I awdid not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I axtook you in by deceit. 17 ay Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18I azurged baTitus to go, and I sent bbthe brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ▼▼ Lit walk
conduct ourselves ▼▼ Or by the same Spirit
in the same bespirit and walk bfin the same steps? 19All this time ▼▼ Or have you been thinking...?
you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, bhit is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and biall for your upbuilding, bjbeloved. 20For I am afraid that perhaps bkwhen I come I may find you to be not what I wish and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be blstrife, jealousy, bmangry tempers, bndisputes, boslanders, bpgossip, bqarrogance, brdisturbances; 21I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have bssinned in the past and not repented of the btimpurity, ▼▼ I.e. sexual immorality
immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.
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