2 Corinthians
12
- I must go on boasting. Although
there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the
Lord.
- I know a man in Christ who
fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body
or out of the body I do not know--God knows.
- And I know that this man--whether
in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows
--
- was caught up to paradise. He
heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
- I will boast about a man like
that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
- Even if I should choose to boast,
I would not be a fool, 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.
- To keep me from becoming
conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a
thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
- Three times I pleaded with the
Lord to take it away from me.
- But he said to me, "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will
boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest
on me.
- That is why, for Christ's sake, I
delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in
difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- I have made a fool of myself, 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," even though I am nothing.
- The things that mark an
apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great
perseverance.
- How were you inferior to the
other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong
!
- Now I am ready to visit you for
the third time, 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, but parents for their children.
- So I will very gladly spend for
you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you
love me less ?
- Be that as it may, I have not
been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery
!
- Did I exploit you through any of
the men I sent you ?
- I urged Titus to go to you and I
sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in
the same spirit and follow the same course ?
- Have you been thinking all along
that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight
of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your
strengthening.
- For I am afraid that when I come
I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me
to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger,
factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
- I am afraid that when I come
again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have
sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery
in which they have indulged.
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