New American Standard Bible 1995
2 Corinthians 12:2-21
2I know a man 1in Christ who fourteen years ago--whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, 2God knows--such a man was 3caught up to the 4third heaven. 3And I know how such a man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, 5God knows-- 4was 6caught up into 7Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak. 58On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my 9weaknesses. 6For if I do wish to boast I will not be 10foolish, 11for 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. 7Because of the surpassing greatness of the 12revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a 13thorn in the flesh, a 14messenger of Satan to 15torment me--to keep me from exalting myself! 8Concerning this I implored the Lord 16three times that it might leave me. 9And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for 17power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather 18boast 19about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10Therefore 20I am well content with weaknesses, with 21insults, with 22distresses, with 23persecutions, with 24difficulties, 25for Christ’s sake; for 26when I am weak, then I am strong.
11I have become 27foolish; you yourselves compelled me. Actually I should have been commended by you, for 28in no respect was I inferior to the 29most eminent apostles, even though 30I am a nobody. 12The 3132signs 33of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by 34signs and wonders and 35miracles. 13For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except that 36I myself did not become a burden to you? Forgive me 37this wrong!
14Here 38for this third time I am ready to come to you, and I 39will not be a burden to you; for I 40do not seek what is yours, but 41you; for 42children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but 43parents for their children. 15I will 44most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If 45I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16But be that as it may, I 46did not burden you myself; nevertheless, crafty fellow that I am, I 47took you in by deceit. 1748Certainly I have not taken advantage of you through any of those whom I have sent to you, have I? 18I 49urged 50Titus to go, and I sent 51the brother with him. Titus did not take any advantage of you, did he? Did we not 52conduct ourselves 53in the same 54spirit and walk 55in the same steps?
19All this time 56you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Actually, 57it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ; and 58all for your upbuilding, 59beloved. 20For I am afraid that perhaps 60when 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 61strife, jealousy, 62angry tempers, 63disputes, 64slanders, 65gossip, 66arrogance, 67disturbances; 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 68sinned in the past and not repented of the 69impurity, 70immorality and sensuality which they have practiced.
Notes
- 1. 2 Corinthians 12:2 Rom 16:7 ↩
- 2. 2 Corinthians 12:2 2 Cor 11:11 ↩
- 3. 2 Corinthians 12:2 Ezek 8:3; Acts 8:39; 2 Cor 12:4; 1 Thess 4:17; Rev 12:5 ↩
- 4. 2 Corinthians 12:2 Deut 10:14; Ps 148:4; Eph 4:10; Heb 4:14 ↩
- 5. 2 Corinthians 12:3 2 Cor 11:11 ↩
- 6. 2 Corinthians 12:4 Ezek 8:3; Acts 8:39; 2 Cor 12:2; 1 Thess 4:17; Rev 12:5 ↩
- 7. 2 Corinthians 12:4 Luke 23:43 ↩
- 8. 2 Corinthians 12:5 2 Cor 12:1 ↩
- 9. 2 Corinthians 12:5 1 Cor 2:3; 2 Cor 12:9f ↩
- 10. 2 Corinthians 12:6 2 Cor 5:13; 11:16f; 12:11 ↩
- 11. 2 Corinthians 12:6 2 Cor 7:14 ↩
- 12. 2 Corinthians 12:7 2 Cor 12:1 ↩
- 13. 2 Corinthians 12:7 Num 33:55; Ezek 28:24; Hos 2:6 ↩
- 14. 2 Corinthians 12:7 Job 2:6; Matt 4:10; 1 Cor 5:5 ↩
- 15. 2 Corinthians 12:7 Lit beat ↩
- 16. 2 Corinthians 12:8 Matt 26:44 ↩
- 17. 2 Corinthians 12:9 1 Cor 2:5; Eph 3:16; Phil 4:13 ↩
- 18. 2 Corinthians 12:9 1 Cor 2:3; 2 Cor 12:5 ↩
- 19. 2 Corinthians 12:9 Lit in ↩
- 20. 2 Corinthians 12:10 Rom 5:3; 8:35 ↩
- 21. 2 Corinthians 12:10 Or mistreatment ↩
- 22. 2 Corinthians 12:10 2 Cor 6:4 ↩
- 23. 2 Corinthians 12:10 2 Thess 1:4; 2 Tim 3:11 ↩
- 24. 2 Corinthians 12:10 2 Cor 6:4 ↩
- 25. 2 Corinthians 12:10 2 Cor 5:15, 20 ↩
- 26. 2 Corinthians 12:10 2 Cor 13:4 ↩
- 27. 2 Corinthians 12:11 2 Cor 5:13; 11:16f; 12:6 ↩
- 28. 2 Corinthians 12:11 1 Cor 15:10; 2 Cor 11:5 ↩
- 29. 2 Corinthians 12:11 Or super-apostles ↩
- 30. 2 Corinthians 12:11 1 Cor 3:7; 13:2; 15:9 ↩
- 31. 2 Corinthians 12:12 Or attesting miracles ↩
- 32. 2 Corinthians 12:12 John 4:48; Rom 15:19; 1 Cor 9:1 ↩
- 33. 2 Corinthians 12:12 Lit of the apostle ↩
- 34. 2 Corinthians 12:12 Or attesting miracles ↩
- 35. 2 Corinthians 12:12 Or works of power ↩
- 36. 2 Corinthians 12:13 1 Cor 9:12, 18; 2 Cor 11:9; 12:14 ↩
- 37. 2 Corinthians 12:13 2 Cor 11:7 ↩
- 38. 2 Corinthians 12:14 2 Cor 1:15; 13:1, 2 ↩
- 39. 2 Corinthians 12:14 1 Cor 9:12, 18; 2 Cor 11:9; 12:13 ↩
- 40. 2 Corinthians 12:14 1 Cor 10:24, 33 ↩
- 41. 2 Corinthians 12:14 1 Cor 9:19 ↩
- 42. 2 Corinthians 12:14 1 Cor 4:14f; Gal 4:19 ↩
- 43. 2 Corinthians 12:14 Prov 19:14; Ezek 34:2 ↩
- 44. 2 Corinthians 12:15 Rom 9:3; 2 Cor 1:6; Phil 2:17; Col 1:24; 1 Thess 2:8; 2 Tim 2:10 ↩
- 45. 2 Corinthians 12:15 2 Cor 11:11 ↩
- 46. 2 Corinthians 12:16 2 Cor 11:9 ↩
- 47. 2 Corinthians 12:16 2 Cor 11:20 ↩
- 48. 2 Corinthians 12:17 2 Cor 9:5 ↩
- 49. 2 Corinthians 12:18 2 Cor 8:6 ↩
- 50. 2 Corinthians 12:18 2 Cor 2:13 ↩
- 51. 2 Corinthians 12:18 2 Cor 8:18 ↩
- 52. 2 Corinthians 12:18 Lit walk ↩
- 53. 2 Corinthians 12:18 Or by the same Spirit ↩
- 54. 2 Corinthians 12:18 1 Cor 4:21 ↩
- 55. 2 Corinthians 12:18 Rom 4:12 ↩
- 56. 2 Corinthians 12:19 Or have you been thinking...? ↩
- 57. 2 Corinthians 12:19 Rom 9:1; 2 Cor 2:17 ↩
- 58. 2 Corinthians 12:19 Rom 14:19; 2 Cor 10:8; 1 Thess 5:11 ↩
- 59. 2 Corinthians 12:19 Heb 6:9 ↩
- 60. 2 Corinthians 12:20 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Cor 2:1-4 ↩
- 61. 2 Corinthians 12:20 1 Cor 1:11; 3:3 ↩
- 62. 2 Corinthians 12:20 Gal 5:20 ↩
- 63. 2 Corinthians 12:20 Rom 2:8; 1 Cor 11:19 ↩
- 64. 2 Corinthians 12:20 Rom 1:30; James 4:11; 1 Pet 2:1 ↩
- 65. 2 Corinthians 12:20 Rom 1:29 ↩
- 66. 2 Corinthians 12:20 1 Cor 4:6, 18; 5:2 ↩
- 67. 2 Corinthians 12:20 1 Cor 14:33 ↩
- 68. 2 Corinthians 12:21 2 Cor 13:2 ↩
- 69. 2 Corinthians 12:21 1 Cor 6:9, 18; Gal 5:19; Col 3:5 ↩
- 70. 2 Corinthians 12:21 I.e. sexual immorality ↩
Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Commentaries