HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 1424
2 C O RIN T H I A N S 1 2
one husband—Christ. 3 But I fear that somehow
your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will
be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the
cunning ways of the serpent. 4 You happily put
up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they
preach a different Jesus than the one we preach,
or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one
you believed.
5 But I don’t consider myself inferior in any
way to these “super apostles” who teach such
things. 6 I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m
not lacking in knowledge. We have made this
clear to you in every possible way.
7 Was I wrong when I humbled myself and
honored you by preaching God’s Good News
to you without expecting anything in return?
8 I “robbed” other churches by accepting their
contributions so I could serve you at no cost.
9 And when I was with you and didn’t have
enough to live on, I did not become a financial
burden to anyone. For the brothers who came
from Macedonia brought me all that I needed.
I have never been a burden to you, and I never
will be. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me,
no one in all of Greece* will ever stop me from
boasting about this. 11 Why? Because I don’t love
you? God knows that I do.
12 But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are
looking for an opportunity to boast that their
work is just like ours. 13 These people are false
apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 But I
am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself
as an angel of light. 15 So it is no wonder that his
servants also disguise themselves as servants of
righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.
Paul’s Many Trials
16 Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk
like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you
would to a foolish person, while I also boast a
little. 17 Such boasting is not from the Lord, but
I am acting like a fool. 18 And since others boast
about their human achievements, I will, too.
19 After all, you think you are so wise, but you
enjoy putting up with fools! 20 You put up with
it when someone enslaves you, takes everything
you have, takes advantage of you, takes control
of everything, and slaps you in the face. 21 I’m
ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to
do that!
But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m
talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about
it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ?
I know I sound like a madman, but I have served
him far more! I have worked harder, been put
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in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.
24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me
thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten
with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was
shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and
a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many
long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers
and from robbers. I have faced danger from my
own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the
deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are
not.* 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring
many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and
thirsty and have often gone without food. I have
shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to
keep me warm.
28 Then, besides all this, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is
weak without my feeling that weakness? Who is
led astray, and I do not burn with anger?
30 If I must boast, I would rather boast about
the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the
Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I am not lying. 32 When I was
in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas
kept guards at the city gates to catch me. 33 I had
to be lowered in a basket through a window in
the city wall to escape from him.
Paul’s Vision and His Thorn in the Flesh
This boasting will do no good, but I must
go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions
and revelations from the Lord. 2 I* was caught
up to the third heaven fourteen years ago.
Whether I was in my body or out of my body,
I don’t know—only God knows. 3 Yes, only God
knows whether I was in my body or outside my
body. But I do know 4 that I was caught up* to
paradise and heard things so astounding that
they cannot be expressed in words, things no
human is allowed to tell.
5 That experience is worth boasting about,
but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about
my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would
be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t
want anyone to give me credit beyond what they
can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even
though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming
proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me
from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to
take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all
you need. My power works best in weakness.”
12
11:10 Greek Achaia, the southern region of the Greek
peninsula. 11:26 Greek from false brothers. 12:2 Greek
I know a man in Christ who. 12:3-4 Greek But I know such
a man, 4that he was caught up.