2 Corinthians 12:2-10
The Message
Strength from Weakness
12 1-5 You’ve forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we’re at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don’t know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I’m not saying another word apart from the humiliations.
6 If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I’d still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I’ll spare you. I don’t want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you’d encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk.
7-10 Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn’t get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan’s angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn’t think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it’s all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.
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2 Corinthians 12:2-10
New International Version
2 I know a man in Christ(A) who fourteen years ago was caught up(B) to the third heaven.(C) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.(D) 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up(E) to paradise(F) and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.(G) 6 Even if I should choose to boast,(H) I would not be a fool,(I) because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations.(J) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,(K) a messenger of Satan,(L) to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.(M) 9 But he said to me, “My grace(N) is sufficient for you, for my power(O) is made perfect in weakness.(P)”(Q) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight(R) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,(S) in persecutions,(T) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.(U)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
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