English · ASV

2 Corinthians 12

Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Paul's Vision and Revelation 1–6

1
I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. ​
2
I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven. ​
3
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth),
4
how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. ​
5
On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses.
6
For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me.

The Thorn in the Flesh 7–10

7
And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. ​
8
Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. ​
9
And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ​
10
Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Apostolic Credentials Defended 11–13

11
I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing. ​
12
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works. ​
13
For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong. ​

Planning the Third Visit 14–21

14
Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. ​
15
And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?
16
But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile. ​
17
Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you?
18
I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? ​
19
Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you. In the sight of God speak we in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. ​
20
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; ​
21
lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Corinthians 12

Verse 1

visions and revelations of the Lord — 'Expedient' is sumphero, the word of 1 Cor 12:7, 'to profit withal'; glorying brings Paul no profit, though he is driven to it. Optasia, a vision, is the word of 'the heavenly vision' (Acts 26:19), and apokalupsis, revelation, is what his gospel came by (Gal 1:12). They are 'of the Lord': he is their giver.

Verse 2

caught up to the third heaven — Paul speaks of himself as 'a man in Christ', and does not claim to know whether 'in the body' or 'out of the body': 'God knoweth'. Harpazo, to seize and carry off, is the verb of Philip 'caught away' (Acts 8:39) and of believers 'caught up together' (1 Thess 4:17). Verse 4 tells the same event as being 'caught up into paradise'.

Verse 4

paradise — Paradeisos occurs three times in the New Testament: here, in 'To day shalt thou be with me in paradise' (Luke 23:43), and in 'the paradise of God' where the tree of life stands (Rev 2:7). 'Unspeakable' is arrhetos, found only here, and 'it is not lawful' for a man to repeat the words: Paul reports no content.

Verse 7

a thorn in the flesh — Skolops, a stake or splinter, occurs only here. Israel was warned that nations left in the land would be 'pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides' (Num 33:55). 'Buffet' (kolaphizo) is the verb for the blows struck at Christ (Matt 26:67). It was 'given' to keep Paul from being 'exalted above measure' (huperairomai), said at both ends of the verse.

Verse 8

I besought the Lord thrice — 'Besought' is parakaleo, the verb translated 'I beseech' in 1 Cor 16:15. Three times is the number of Christ's prayer in Gethsemane, when he 'prayed the third time, saying the same words' (Matt 26:44). The answer follows in v.9, and it is grace, not removal.

Verse 9

My grace is sufficient for thee — 'Sufficient' is arkeo; 'strength' is dynamis, power, which 'is made perfect' (teleo, brought to completion) in 'weakness' (astheneia). 'Rest upon me' is episkenoo, to spread a tent over, found only here. Paul's own summary is 1 Cor 15:10, 'by the grace of God I am what I am'.

Verse 11

the very chiefest apostles — The same phrase as in 11:5, 'not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles'. 'Behind' is hustereo, the verb translated 'lacked' in 1 Cor 12:24. The foolishness is in the glorying, which the Corinthians forced by not commending him. 'Though I be nothing' goes with 1 Cor 15:9, 'the least of the apostles'.

Verse 12

the signs of an apostle — 'Signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds' are semeion, teras and dynamis, the three words of Heb 2:4, 'signs and wonders, and with divers miracles', and of Rom 15:19, 'mighty signs and wonders'. Patience (hupomone) comes first among them, as in 6:4, 'in much patience, in afflictions'.

Verse 13

I myself was not burdensome to you — Katanarkao, to weigh heavily on, occurs only here and in 11:9 ('chargeable') and 12:14. Paul had refused support at Corinth so as not to 'hinder the gospel of Christ' (1 Cor 9:12). 'Forgive me this wrong' is irony: charizomai, to give freely, is the verb from charis, grace.

Verse 14

the third time I am ready to come — He repeats this in 13:1, 'This is the third time I am coming to you'. 'Seek' is zeteo: 'I seek not yours, but you'. 'Lay up' is thesaurizo, the verb of 1 Cor 16:2, 'lay by him in store'. His standing as their father is the one he claimed in 1 Cor 4:15, 'in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel'.

Verse 16

being crafty, I caught you with guile — 'Be it so' grants the charge for the sake of argument, which he then answers (vv.17–18). Panourgos, crafty, occurs only here; its noun is the 'craftiness' of 4:2, 'not walking in craftiness'. Dolos, guile, is the word of 1 Thess 2:3, 'nor in guile'.

Verse 18

walked we not in the same steps? — Ichnos, a footprint, is the word of Rom 4:12, 'walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham', and 1 Pet 2:21. 'Make a gain' is pleonekteo, to take advantage, as in 7:2, 'we have defrauded no man'. Titus's asking and the brother's sending are told in 8:6, 16–18.

Verse 19

we excuse ourselves — Apologeomai, to speak in defence, is the verb of 'what ye shall answer' (Luke 12:11) and of Paul's defence before Agrippa (Acts 26:1–2). The reason is not self-protection: 'we speak before God in Christ', and 'for your edifying', oikodome, the word of 1 Cor 14:26, 'Let all things be done unto edifying'.

Verse 20

debates, envyings, wraths, strifes — Four of the eight words stand also among 'the works of the flesh' in Gal 5:20: 'variance, emulations, wrath, strife'. 'Backbitings' (katalalia) recurs only in 1 Pet 2:1, and 'whisperings' and 'swellings' occur only here. 'Tumults' is akatastasia, the 'confusion' of 1 Cor 14:33.

Verse 21

bewail many which have sinned already — 'Bewail' is pentheo, to mourn, the verb of 1 Cor 5:2, 'have not rather mourned'. Proamartano, to have sinned before, occurs only here and in 13:2. 'Uncleanness', 'fornication' and 'lasciviousness' are named together in Gal 5:19. 'Humble' is tapeinoo: Paul fears being brought low among them by what he finds.