2 Corinthians 12

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12I must go on boasting.^r Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^s from the Lord. ²I know a man in Christ^t who fourteen years ago was caught up^u to the third heaven.^v Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{w 3}And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—⁴was caught up^x to paradise^y and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. ⁵I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.^{z 6}Even if I should choose to boast,^a I would not be a fool,^b because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, ⁷or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^c Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^d a messenger of Satan,^e to torment me. ⁸Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{f 9}But he said to me, “My grace^g is sufficient for you, for my power^h is made perfect in weakness.ⁱ”^j Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^k in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^l in persecutions,^m in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.ⁿ

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹I have made a fool of myself,^o but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^ap even though I am nothing.^{q 12}I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.^{r 13}How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you?^s Forgive me this wrong!^t

¹⁴Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,^u and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,^v but parents for their children.^{w 15}So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well.^x If I love you more,^y will you love me less? ¹⁶Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you.^z Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! ¹⁷Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? ¹⁸I urged^a Titus^b to go to you and I sent our brother^c with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

¹⁹Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God^d as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends,^e is for your strengthening.^{f 20}For I am afraid that when I come^g I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be.^h I fear that there may be discord,ⁱ jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,^j slander,^k gossip,^l arrogance^m and disorder.^{n 21}I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved^o over many who have sinned earlier^p and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery^q in which they have indulged.