2 Corinthians 12–13

12 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. †I will come to avisions and brevelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man cin Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: dGod knoweth;) esuch an one fcaught up to gthe third heaven. 3 *And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: dGod knoweth;) 4 How that he was fcaught up into hparadise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not ||ilawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet kof myself I will not glory, lbut in mine infirmities. 6 For though I would desire to glory, mI shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now nI forbear, lest any man should othink of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the brevelations, lthere was given to me pa thorn in the flesh, qthe messenger of rSatan to sbuffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord tthrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for umy strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore kwill I rather glory in my infirmities, that vthe power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore lI wtake pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in xznecessities, in ypersecutions, in zdistresses for Christ’s sake: afor when I am weak, then am I strong. 11 bI am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been ccommended of you: for din nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, ethough I be nothing. 12 Truly fthe signs of gan apostle were wrought among you hin all patience, fin isigns, and iwonders, and mighty deeds. 13 For jwhat is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that kI myself lwas not burdensome to you? forgive me mthis wrong.

14 Behold, nthe third time I am ready to come to you; and lI will not be burdensome to you: for oI seek not yours, but you: for pthe children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And qI will very gladly spend and be spent for †you; though rthe more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 16 But be it so, I did not sburden you: nevertheless, being tcrafty, I caught you with guile. 17 Did I umake a gain of you vby any of them whom I sent unto you? 18 wI desired Titus, and with him I sent xa brother. Did Titus umake a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in xxthe same steps?

19 yAgain, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? zwe speak before God in Christ: but we do aall things, dearly beloved, for your bedifying. 20 For I fear, lest, cwhen I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that cI shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be ddebates, denvyings, dwraths, dstrifes, ebackbitings, fwhisperings, swellings, gtumults: 21 And lest, hwhen I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many iwhich have sinned already, and have not repented of the juncleanness and jkfornication and jllasciviousness which they have committed.

13 This is athe third time I am coming to you. bIn the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established. 2 cI told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, athe second time; and being absent now I write to them dwhich heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that, if I come again, eI will not fspare: 3 Since ye seek ga proof of Christ hspeaking in me, iwhich to you-ward is not weak, but jis mighty kin you. 4 For lthough he was crucified through weakness, yet mhe liveth jby the power of God. For nwe also are weak ||in him, but we shall live with him jby the power of God toward you. 5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; oprove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that pJesus Christ is in you, except ye be qreprobates? 6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not qreprobates. 7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that rwe should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as qreprobates. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. 9 For we are glad, when swe are weak, and ye are strong: and this also we wish, even your tperfection. 10 Therefore I write these things being absent, ulest being present I should use wsharpness, according to xthe power which the Lord hath given me to xyedification, and not to xzdestruction.

11 Finally, brethren, farewell. aBe perfect, bbe of good comfort, cbe of one mind, dlive in peace; and the God eof love and fpeace shall be with you. 12 gGreet one another with an holy kiss. 13 hAll the saints salute you. 14 iThe grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and kthe communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

The second epistle to the Corinthians was written from Philippi, a city of aMacedonia, by bTitus and cLucas.