2 Corinthians 12

Chapter 12

Paul’s Vision

^1aBoasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and ^brevelations ¹of the Lord.

²I know a man ^ain Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, ^bGod knows—such a man was ^ccaught up to the ^dthird heaven.

³And I know how such a man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, ^aGod knows—

⁴was ^acaught up into ^bParadise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.

^5aOn behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my ^bweaknesses.

⁶For if I do wish to boast I will not be ^afoolish, ^bfor 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 ^arevelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a ^bthorn in the flesh, a ^cmessenger of Satan to ¹torment me—to keep me from exalting myself!

⁸Concerning this I implored the Lord ^athree times that it might leave me.

⁹And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for ^apower is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather ^bboast ¹about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

¹⁰Therefore ^aI am well content with weaknesses, with ¹insults, with ^bdistresses, with ^cpersecutions, with difficulties, ^dfor Christ’s sake; for ^ewhen I am weak, then I am strong.

¹¹I have become ^afoolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for ^bin no respect was I inferior to the ¹most eminent apostles, even though ^cI am a nobody.

¹²The ^1asigns ²of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and ³miracles.

¹³For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that ^aI myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me ^bthis wrong!

¹⁴Here ^afor this third time I am ready to come to you, and I ^bwill not be a burden to you; for I ^cdo not seek what is yours, but ^dyou; for ^echildren are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^fparents for their children.

¹⁵I will ^amost gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If ^bI love you more, am I to be loved less?

¹⁶But be that as it may, I ^adid not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I ^btook you in by deceit.

^17aCertainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I?

¹⁸I ^aurged ^bTitus to go, and I sent ^cthe brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not ¹conduct ourselves ²in the same ^dspirit and walk ^ein the same steps?

¹⁹All this time ¹you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, ^ait is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and ^ball for your upbuilding, ^cbeloved.

²⁰For I am afraid that perhaps ^awhen 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 ^bstrife, jealousy, ^cangry tempers, ^ddisputes, ^eslanders, ^fgossip, ^garrogance, ^hdisturbances;

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 ^asinned in the past and not repented of the ^bimpurity, ¹immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.