New American Standard Bible 1995

2 Corinthians 12

Paul’s Vision

1BoastingΚαυχᾶσθαιKauchasthaiG2744is necessaryδεῖ,deiG1163,thoughμέν,menG3303it is not profitableσυμφέρονsumpheronG4851;but I will goἐλεύσομαιeleusomaiG2064on to visionsὀπτασίαςoptasiasG3701andrevelationsἀποκαλύψειςapokalupseisG602of the Lordκυρίου.¶kuriouG2962.

2I knowG3609a manἄνθρωπονanthrōponG444in ChristΧριστῷChristōG5547who fourteenδεκατεσσάρων,dekatessarōnG1180yearsἐτῶνetōnG2094agoπρὸproG4253--whetherεἴτεeiteG1535in the bodyσώματιsōmatiG4983I do not knowG3609,orεἴτεeiteG1535out of the bodyσώματοςsōmatosG4983I do not knowG3609,GodθεὸςtheosG2316knowsG3609--suchG5108a manτοιοῦτονtoioutonG5108wascaughtἁρπαγένταharpagentaG726up to thethirdτρίτουtritouG5154heavenοὐρανοῦ.ouranouG3772.

3And I knowG3609howG3609suchτοιοῦτονtoioutonG5108a manἄνθρωπον,anthrōponG444--whetherεἴτεeiteG1535in the bodyσώματιsōmatiG4983orεἴτεeiteG1535apartχωρὶςchōrisG5565from the bodyσώματος,sōmatosG4983I do not knowG3609,GodθεὸςtheosG2316knowsG3609--

4wascaughtἡρπάγηhērpagēG726up intoParadiseπαράδεισονparadeisonG3857and heardἤκουσενēkousenG191inexpressibleἄρρηταarrētaG731wordsῥήματαrhēmataG4487,whichἃhaG3739a manἀνθρώπῳanthrōpōG444is not permittedἐξὸνexonG1832to speakλαλῆσαι.lalēsaiG2980.

5On behalfὑπὲρhuperG5228of suchG5108a manτοιούτουtoioutouG5108I will boastκαυχήσομαι,kauchēsomaiG2744;but on my ownG1683behalfὑπὲρhuperG5228I will not boastκαυχήσομαιkauchēsomaiG2744,exceptG1508in regard to myweaknessesἀσθενείαιςastheneiaisG769.

6For ifἐὰνeanG1437I do wishθελήσωthelēsōG2309to boastκαυχήσασθαι,kauchēsasthaiG2744I will not befoolishἄφρων·aphrōnG878,for I will be speakingG3004the truthἀλήθειανalētheianG225;but I refrainφείδομαιpheidomaiG5339from this,soG3361that noG3361oneG5100will creditλογίσηταιlogisētaiG3049me with moreG5228thanG5228he seesβλέπειblepeiG991inme orἢēG2228hearsἀκούειakoueiG191from me.

A Thorn in the Flesh

7Because of the surpassingG5236greatnessG5236of therevelationsἀποκαλύψεων.¶apokalupseōnG602,for thisG1352reasonG1352,to keepμὴmēG3361me from exaltingὑπεραίρωμαι,huperairōmaiG5229myself, there was givenἐδόθηedothēG1325me athornσκόλοψskolopsG4647in the fleshσαρκί,sarkiG4561, amessengerἄγγελοςangelosG32of SatanσατανᾶsatanaG4567totormentκολαφίζῃkolaphizēG2852me--to keepμὴmēG3361me from exaltingὑπεραίρωμαι.huperairōmaiG5229myself!

8ConcerningὑπὲρhuperG5228thisτούτουtoutouG3778I imploredπαρεκάλεσαparekalesaG3870the LordκύριονkurionG2962threeτρὶςtrisG5151timesG5151that it might leaveἀποστῇapostēaG868me.

9And He has saidG3004to me,“My graceχάριςcharisG5485is sufficientἀρκεῖarkeiG714for you, forpowerδύναμιςdunamisG1411is perfectedτελεῖται.teleitaiG5055in weaknessἀσθενείᾳastheneiaG769.”MostG2234gladlyG2234,thereforeοὖνounG3767,I will ratherμᾶλλονmallonG3123boastκαυχήσομαιkauchēsomaiG2744aboutG1722my weaknessesἀσθενείαιςastheneiaisG769,soἵναinaG2443that the powerδύναμιςdunamisG1411of ChristΧριστοῦ.ChristouG5547may dwellἐπισκηνώσῃepiskēnōsēG1981in me.

10ThereforeδιὸdioG1352I amG2106wellG2106contentG2106with weaknessesἀσθενείαις,astheneiaisG769, withinsultsὕβρεσιν,hubresinG5196, withdistressesἀνάγκαις,anagkaisG318, withpersecutionsδιωγμοῖςdiōgmoisG1375, withdifficultiesστενοχωρίαις,stenochōriaisG4730,for Christ’sΧριστοῦ·ChristouG5547sakeὑπὲρhuperG5228; forwhenὅτανhotanG3752I amG770weakἀσθενῶasthenōG770,thenτότεtoteG5119I amεἰμι.¶eimiG1510strongδυνατόςdunatosG1415.

11I have becomeΓέγοναGegonaG1096foolishἄφρωνaphrōnG878;you yourselvesG4771compelledἠναγκάσατε.ēnagkasateG315me. ActuallyG1063I shouldὤφειλονōpheilonG3784have been commendedσυνίστασθαι·sunistasthaiG4921by you, forin noG3762respectG3762was I inferiorὑστέρησαhusterēsaG5302to themostG5244eminentG5244apostlesἀποστόλων,apostolōnG652,evenκαὶkaiG2532thoughεἰeiG1487I amεἰμι.eimiG1510a nobodyG3762.

12ThesignsσημεῖαsēmeiaG4592of a true apostleἀποστόλουapostolouG652were performedκατειργάσθηkateirgasthēG2716amongG1722you with allπάσῃpasēG3956perseveranceὑπομονῇ,hupomonēaG5281, bysignsσημείοιςsēmeioisG4592and wondersτέρασινterasinG5059andmiraclesδυνάμεσιν.dunamesinG1411.

13For in whatτίtiG5101respect were you treatedG2274as inferiorG2274to the restλοιπὰςloipasG3062of the churchesἐκκλησίας,ekklēsiasG1577,exceptG1508thatI myselfαὐτὸςautosG846did not become a burdenκατενάρκησαkatenarkēsaG2655to you? ForgiveχαρίσασθέcharisastheG5483methisταύτην.¶tautēnG3778wrongἀδικίανadikianG93!

14HereἸδοὺIdouG2400for thisτοῦτοtoutoG3778thirdτρίτονtritonG5154timeG5154I amἔχωechōG2192readyἑτοίμωςhetoimōsG2093to comeἐλθεῖνeltheinG2064to you, and Iwill not be a burdenκαταναρκήσωkatanarkēsōG2655to you; for Ido not seekζητῶzētōG2212what is yoursG4771, but you; forchildrenτέκναteknaG5043are not responsibleὀφείλειopheileiG3784to saveθησαυρίζεινthēsaurizeinG2343up for theirparentsγονεῦσινgoneusinG1118, butparentsγονεῖςgoneisG1118for theirchildrenτέκνοις·teknoisG5043.

15I willmostG2234gladlyG2234spendδαπανήσωdapanēsōG1159and be expendedἐκδαπανηθήσομαιekdapanēthēsomaiG1550for your soulsψυχῶνpsuchōnG5590.IfεἰeiG1487I loveἀγαπῶνagapōnG25you moreG4057,am I to be lovedἀγαπῶμαι.agapōmaiG25lessG2269?

16But be that as it may, Idid not burdenκατεβάρησαkatebarēsaG2599you myselfἐγὼegōG1473;neverthelessἀλλ᾽all᾽G235,craftyπανοῦργοςpanourgosG3835fellow that I am, Itookἔλαβον.elabonG2983you in by deceitδόλῳdolōG1388.

17CertainlyI have not takenG4122advantageG4122of you throughδι᾽di᾽G1223anyτιναtinaG5100of those whomὧνhōnG3739I have sentἀπέσταλκαapestalkaG649to you, have I?

18IurgedπαρεκάλεσαparekalesaG3870TitusΤίτονTitonG5103to go,and I sentσυναπέστειλαsunapesteilaG4882the brotherἀδελφόν·adelphonG80with him. TitusΤίτος;TitosG5103did not takeG4122anyG4122advantageG4122of you, did he? Did we notconductG4043ourselvesG4043in the sameαὐτῷautōG846spiritπνεύματιpneumatiG4151and walkin the sameαὐτοῖςautoisG846stepsἴχνεσιν;¶ichnesinG2487?

19AllG3819thisG3819timeG3819you have been thinkingδοκεῖτεdokeiteG1380that we are defendingἀπολογούμεθα.apologoumethaG626ourselves to you. Actually,it is in the sightκατέναντιkatenantiG2713of GodθεοῦtheouG2316that we have been speakingλαλοῦμεν.laloumenG2980in ChristΧριστῷChristōG5547; andallπάντα,pantaG3956for your upbuildingοἰκοδομῆς.oikodomēsG3619,belovedἀγαπητοί,agapētoiG27.

20For I amG5399afraidG5399that perhapsπωςpōsG4458when I comeἐλθὼνelthōnG2064I may findεὕρωheurōG2147you to be not whatοἵουςoiousG3634I wishθέλωthelōG2309and may be foundεὑρεθῶheurethōG2147by you to be not whatοἷονhoionG3634you wishθέλετε,theleteG2309;that perhapsπωςpōsG4458there will bestrifeἔρις,erisG2054,jealousyζῆλος,zēlosG2205,angryG2372tempersG2372,disputesἐριθείαι,eritheiaiG2052,slandersκαταλαλιαί,katalaliaiG2636,gossipψιθυρισμοί,psithurismoiG5587,arroganceφυσιώσεις,phusiōseisG5450,disturbancesἀκαταστασίαι,akatastasiaiG181;

21I am afraid that when I comeἐλθόντοςelthontosG2064againπάλινpalinG3825my GodθεόςtheosG2316may humiliateταπεινώσῃtapeinōsēG5013me beforeπρὸςprosG4314you, and I may mournπενθήσωpenthēsōG3996over manyπολλοὺςpollousG4183of thoseG3588who havesinnedG4258in the pastG4258and not repentedμετανοησάντωνmetanoēsantōnG3340of theimpurityἀκαθαρσίᾳakatharsiaG167,immoralityπορνείᾳporneiaG4202and sensualityἀσελγείᾳaselgeiaG766whichᾗhēG3739they have practicedἔπραξαν.¶epraxanG4238.

Paul’s Vision

A Thorn in the Flesh

Commentaries on 2 Corinthians 12