2 Corinthians 12
12
Sufficient Grace
1Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions # 12:1 Lk 1:22 and revelations # 12:1 1Pt 4:13 of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who was caught up # 12:2 1Th 4:17 to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. 3I know that this man — whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know; God knows — 4was caught up into paradise # 12:4 Lk 23:43 and heard inexpressible words, which a human being is not allowed to speak. 5I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.
6For if I want to boast, I wouldn’t be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. # 12:6 Ps 119:142; Jn 8:14; 14:6; 2Co 11:10; 1Jn 5:20; 3Jn 3 But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, 7especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh # 12:7 Nm 33:55; Ezk 28:24; Php 3:3 was given to me, a messenger of Satan # 12:7 Mt 4:1,10; Ac 13:10 to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power # 12:9 Mk 5:30; Lk 1:35; 6:19; Ac 19:11; 2Co 13:4; Rv 11:17 is perfected in weakness.” # 12:9 Is 40:29–31; 1Co 2:5; Php 4:13
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. # 12:10 Mt 5:11–12; Rm 5:3; 2Co 13:4 For when I am weak, then I am strong. # 12:10 Eph 6:10
Signs of an Apostle
11I have been a fool; you forced it on me. You ought to have commended me, since I am not in any way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. # 12:11 Gl 6:3 12The signs # 12:12 Heb 2:4 of an apostle # 12:12 Ac 1:2; Jd 17 were performed with unfailing endurance among you, including signs and wonders # 12:12 Mk 13:22 and miracles. # 12:12 Ac 19:11 13So in what way are you worse off than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me for this wrong!
Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians
14Look, I am ready to come to you this third time. # 12:14 Ac 18; 2Co 2:1; 13:1 I will not burden you, since I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children ought not save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. # 12:15 Lit for your souls, or for your lives,# 12:15 2Co 1:6; Php 2:17; Col 1:24; 1Th 2:8; 2Tm 2:10 If I love you more, am I to be loved less? 16Now granted, I did not burden # 12:16 1Th 2:7 you; yet sly as I am, I took you in by deceit! # 12:16 Ps 10:7 17Did I take advantage of you by any of those I sent you? 18I urged Titus # 12:18 Ti 1:4 to go, and I sent the brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit # 12:18 Ps 51:12 and in the same footsteps?
19Have you been thinking all along that we were defending ourselves to you? No, in the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up. # 12:19 1Co 14:3–4 20For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and you may not find me to be what you want. Perhaps there will be quarreling, # 12:20 Ti 3:9 jealousy, # 12:20 Jms 3:14 angry outbursts, selfish ambitions, # 12:20 Rm 2:8 slander, # 12:20 1Pt 2:1 gossip, arrogance, and disorder. # 12:20 1Co 14:33,40 21I fear that when I come my God will again # 12:21 Or come again my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented # 12:21 Ac 3:19 of the moral impurity, sexual immorality, # 12:21 1Th 4:3 and sensuality # 12:21 Mk 7:21–22 they practiced.
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
2 Corinthians 12
12
1It is necessary for me to boast, nothing gained by it, yet I now come to marot (visions) and chazonot (revelations) of Adoneinu. 2I have da'as of a man in Moshiach arba esreh shanah (fourteen years) before, whether in or out of the basar I do not have da'as, Hashem knows — such a man was snatched up and raptured to the raki'a haShlishi of Shomayim. 3And I have da'as that such a man, whether in or out of the basar I do not have da'as, Hashem knows, 4That he was caught away into Gan-Eden and heard inexpressible devarim which to utter such words Bnei Adam have no heter (permit). 5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on behalf of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.#12:5 2C 11:30 6But if I desire to boast, I will not be a yold (fool)#12:6 2C 10:8; 11:16 for I will speak HaEmes; but I spare you, lest anyone gives me credit beyond what he sees in me or hears in me. 7Therefore, lest I should be too exalted especially by the excess of my chazonot, there was given to me a kotz (thorn, splinter) in my basar, a malach of HaSatan, for the purpose of using his fists on me,#12:7 Job 2:6 lest I should be too exalted.#12:7 Num 33:55 8I davened shalosh pe'amim, calling upon Adoneinu that it might depart from me. 9And HaAdon said to me, “My Chesed is ad kahn (sufficient for the purpose, enough) for you, for My ko'ach (power) is perfected in weakness.” With lev samei'ach therefore will I boast in my weaknesses that the gevurah of Moshiach might be a shelter over me.#12:9 1Kgs 19:12 10Therefore, I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in tzoros on behalf of Moshiach; for whenever I am weak, then the gibbor (strong man) am I!#12:10 Pp 4:11,13
11I have been a yold! You forced me. For I ought to be commended by you, for in nothing I was behind the most groise (eminent) Shlichim,#12:11 2C 11:5 even if I am nothing. 12Indeed the otot (signs) of the Shliach of Moshiach were brought about among you in all savlanut (patience), both by otot and moftim and gevurot.#12:12 Ro 15:19 13For in what have you been short-changed compared to the rest of Moshiachʼs Kehillot, except that I myself was not a burden on you?#12:13 2C 11:9 Do pardon me this slight!
14Hinei, this is the pa'am shlishit I am ready to come to you,#12:14 2C 13:1 and I will not be a burden; for I seek not yours but you, for yeladim ought not to lay up for their horim (parents), but horim for their yeladim.#12:14 Prov 19:14 15But with simcha I will expend and be utterly expended for the nefashot (souls) of you.#12:15 Pp 2:17 If more abundantly I have ahavah for you, are you to have less ahavah for me? 16But let the matter of my being a burden on you be as it may, some say, “Crafty jack that I am, I took you by ormah (cunning).”#12:16 Gn 3:1 17Now I didn't take advantage of any of you through anyone I sent to you, did I? 18I urged Titos to go, and I sent with him the Ach b'Moshiach;#12:18 2C 8:6,16-18 Titos didn't take advantage of you, did he? Did we not walk our derech by the same Ruach Hakodesh? We did not march out of step, did Titos and I?
19All along have you been thinking that we are making a hitstaddekut (defense, apology) before you? No, before Hashem in Moshiach we speak! Everything we do, Chaverim, is for the sake of your chozek (strength) and edification! 20For I fear lest efsher (perhaps) when I come I may not find you as I wish#12:20 2C 2:1-4 and that you may not find me as you wish; I fear lest efsher there be merivah (strife), kinah (jealousy), ka'as (anger), machalokot (divisions), lashon hora (evil speech), ga'avah (conceit), commotions; 21Lest when I come again Hashem Elohai may make me anav (humble) before you, and I should have agmat nefesh over many of the ones who committed averos before,#12:21 2C 13:2 and have not made teshuva from the tumah (uncleanness) and zenut (fornication) and debauchery which they practiced.
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
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