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2 Corinthians 12

Paul's Vision

1

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

2

I 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.

3

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

4

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

5

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

6

For 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

7

Because 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!

8

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

9

And 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.

10

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

11

I 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.

12

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

13

For 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!

14

Here  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.

15

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

16

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

17

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

18

I  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?

19

All 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.

20

For 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;

21

I 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.



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(Produced: Sat Dec 22 11:24:25 2007)

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