2 Corinthians 12
Expanded Bible
A Special Blessing in Paul’s Life
12 I must continue to ·brag [boast]. It will do no good, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ [C a believer] who was ·taken up [caught up; snatched away] to the third heaven [C the presence of God] fourteen years ago [C Paul is indirectly referring to himself]. I do not know whether the man was in his body or out of his body, but God knows.
7 So that I would not become too proud ·of the wonderful things that were shown to me [or because of these extraordinary revelations; C this phrase may be part of the previous sentence], a ·painful physical problem [L thorn in the flesh] was given to me. This problem was a messenger from Satan, sent to ·beat [torment; harrass; trouble] me and keep me from being too proud. 8 I ·begged [pleaded with] the Lord three times ·to take this problem away from [L that it might leave] me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is ·enough for you [sufficient for you; all you need]. ·When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you [L For (my) power is perfected in weakness].” So I am very happy to ·brag [boast] about my weaknesses. Then Christ’s power can ·live [reside; or rest] in me. 10 For this reason I am ·happy [pleased; content] when I have weaknesses, insults, ·hard times [times of need], ·sufferings [persecutions], and ·all kinds of troubles [distress] ·for [for the sake of] Christ. Because when I am weak, then I am truly strong.
Paul’s Love for the Christians
11 I have ·been talking like [L become] a fool, but you ·made me [compelled me to] do it. You are the ones who should ·say good things about [have commended] me. Even if I am ·worth nothing [L nothing], I am not at all inferior to those “·great [super-] apostles.”
12 ·When I was with you, I patiently did the things that prove I am an apostle [L The signs of an apostle were performed among you, with all patience/perseverance]—signs, wonders, and ·miracles [powerful deeds]. 13 In what way were you treated worse than the rest of the churches, except that I was not a burden to you? Forgive me for this ·wrong [injustice]!
14 [T Behold; L Look] I am now ready to visit you the third time [2:1, 3], and I will not be a burden to you. I want nothing from you, except you. [L For] Children should not have to save up to give to their parents. [L Rather,] Parents should save to give to their children. 15 So I ·am happy to [most gladly] ·give everything I have for you, even myself [L spend and be spent for your lives/souls]. If I love you more, will you love me less?
16 ·It is clear [Granting that; or Be that as it may] I was not a burden to you, but ·you think I was tricky and lied to catch you [L being so crafty, I took you by deceit!; C Paul is being sarcastic]. 17 Did I ·cheat [take advantage of] you by using any of the messengers I sent to you? [C The Greek question assumes a negative answer.] 18 I ·asked [urged; encouraged] Titus [2:13] to go to you, and I sent our brother with him [8:18, 22]. Titus did not cheat you, did he? ·No, you know that Titus and I did the same thing [L Did we not walk in the same footsteps…?] and with the same spirit.
19 ·Do you think we have been defending ourselves to you all this time [or All this time have you been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you]? We have been speaking in Christ and ·before [in the presence of] God, ·dear friends [beloved], and everything we do is to ·make you stronger [build you up]. 20 [L For] I am afraid that when I come, you will not be what I want you to be, and I will not be what you want me to be. I am afraid that among you there may be ·arguing [quarreling], jealousy, anger, selfish ·fighting [or ambition], ·evil talk [slander], gossip, ·pride [arrogance], and ·confusion [disorder]. 21 I am afraid that when I come to you again, my God will ·make me ashamed [or humble/humiliate me] before you. I may ·be saddened by [or mourn/grieve over] many of those who have sinned because they have not ·changed their hearts or turned [repented] from their ·impurity [uncleanness], sexual sins and the ·shameful things [debauchery; licentiousness] they have done.
2 Corinthians 12
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
12 It is necessary dei for me to continue boasting kauchaomai. Though men it is not ou profitable sympherō, I will go on erchomai · de to eis visions optasia and kai revelations apokalypsis from the Lord kyrios. 2 I know oida a man anthrōpos in en Christ Christos who fourteen dekatessares years etos ago pro— whether eite in en the body sōma I do not ou know oida or eite apart from ektos the ho body sōma I do not ou know oida, only ho God theos knows oida— such a man toioutos was caught up harpazō · ho to heōs the third tritos heaven ouranos. 3 And kai I know oida that · ho this toioutos man anthrōpos— whether eite in en the body sōma or eite apart chōris from the ho body sōma I do not ou know oida, only ho God theos knows oida— 4 that hoti he was caught up harpazō into eis · ho paradise paradeisos and kai heard akouō unspeakable arrētos words rhēma which hos are not ou permitted for a man anthrōpos to utter laleō. 5 On behalf of hyper · ho this man toioutos I will boast kauchaomai, but de on my own emautou behalf hyper I will not ou boast kauchaomai, except ei mē in en my ho weakness astheneia. 6 For gar even if ean I should choose thelō to boast kauchaomai, I would not ou be eimi foolish aphrōn, because gar I would be telling legō the truth alētheia. But de I refrain from pheidomai this, so that no mē one tis will give credit logizomai to eis me egō beyond hyper what hos he sees blepō in me egō or ē he hears akouō from ek me egō, 7 especially kai because of the ho extraordinary hyperbolē character of my ho revelations apokalypsis. Therefore dio in order that hina I should not mē become conceited hyperairō, there was given didōmi to me egō a thorn skolops in the ho flesh sarx, a messenger angelos of Satan Satanas to hina torment kolaphizō me egō, that hina I should not mē become conceited hyperairō. 8 Three times tris I pleaded with parakaleō the ho Lord kyrios about hyper this houtos, that hina it would leave aphistēmi me egō. 9 But kai he said legō to me egō, “ My egō grace charis is sufficient arkeō for you sy, · ho for gar my ho power dynamis is fulfilled teleō in en weakness astheneia.” Therefore oun I will most mallon gladly hēdeōs boast kauchaomai in en · ho my egō weaknesses astheneia, in order that hina the ho power dynamis of ho Christ Christos may dwell episkēnoō in epi me egō. 10 For this reason dio I am content eudokeō with en weaknesses astheneia, with en insults hybris, with en hardships anankē, with en persecutions diōgmos and kai difficulties stenochōria for the sake hyper of Christ Christos; for gar whenever hotan I am weak astheneō, then tote I am eimi strong dynatos.
11 I am acting like ginomai a fool aphrōn, but you hymeis drove anankazō me egō to it. I egō ought opheilō to be commended synistēmi by hypo you hymeis, for gar in no way oudeis am I inferior hystereō to the ho “ super-apostles hyperlian apostolos”— even kai though ei I am eimi nothing oudeis. 12 The ho marks sēmeion of ho an apostle apostolos were done katergazomai among en you hymeis with en all pas persistence hypomonē, along with te signs sēmeion and kai wonders teras and kai powerful dynamis deeds . 13 For gar in what tis way were eimi you less favored than hyper the ho rest loipos of the churches ekklēsia, except ei mē that hoti I egō myself autos was not ou a burden katanarkaō to you hymeis? Forgive charizomai me egō · ho this houtos injustice adikia! 14 Look idou, for the houtos third triton time I am echō ready hetoimōs to come erchomai to pros you hymeis, and kai I will not ou be a burden katanarkaō, because gar I am not ou seeking zēteō what ho you hymeis have , but alla you hymeis. For gar children teknon ought opheilō not ou · ho save up thēsaurizō for their ho parents goneus, but alla the ho parents goneus for the ho children teknon. 15 I egō · de will most gladly hēdeōs spend dapanaō and kai be spent ekdapanaō on behalf hyper of · ho your hymeis souls psychē. If ei I love agapaō you hymeis more perissoterōs, am I to be loved agapaō less hēssōn? 16 But de be that as it may eimi, I egō did not ou burden katabareō you hymeis; yet alla being hyparchō crafty panourgos, I took lambanō you hymeis in lambanō by deceit dolos! 17 I did pleonekteō not mē take advantage of pleonekteō you hymeis through dia anyone tis I sent apostellō to pros you hymeis, did I? 18 I urged parakaleō Titus Titos to visit you and kai I sent synapostellō the ho brother adelphos with him. Titus Titos did not mēti take advantage pleonekteō of you hymeis, did he? Did we peripateō not ou conduct ourselves peripateō in the ho same autos spirit pneuma? Did we ichnos not ou behave ichnos in the ho same autos way ?
19 Have you been thinking dokeō all along palai that hoti we are defending ourselves apologeomai to you hymeis? We are speaking laleō before katenanti God theos as those in en Christ Christos; · ho and de all pas that we do, dear friends agapētos, is for hyper · ho your hymeis upbuilding oikodomē. 20 For gar I am afraid phobeomai that perhaps mē pōs when I come erchomai I may find heuriskō you hymeis not ou as hoios I would wish thelō, and that I kagō may be found heuriskō by you hymeis not ou as hoios you would wish thelō; perhaps mē pōs there will be strife eris, jealousy zēlos, flaring anger thumos, selfish ambition eritheia, backbiting katalalia, gossiping psithurismos, conceit physiōsis, disorder akatastasia. 21 I am afraid that when erchomai I egō come erchomai, my egō God theos may again palin humble tapeinoō me egō · ho before pros you hymeis, and kai that I will mourn pentheō for many polys who ho have sinned earlier proamartanō and kai have not mē repented metanoeō of epi the ho impurity akatharsia, · kai sexual porneia immorality , and kai debauchery aselgeia in which hos they indulged prassō.
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