or because of these surpassingly great revelations.(A) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,(B) a messenger of Satan,(C) to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.(D) But he said to me, “My grace(E) is sufficient for you, for my power(F) is made perfect in weakness.(G)(H) Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

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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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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.

Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

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The Thorn in the Flesh

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a (A)thorn in the flesh was given to me, (B)a messenger of Satan to [a]buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. (C)Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly (D)I will rather boast in my infirmities, (E)that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

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Notas al pie

  1. 2 Corinthians 12:7 beat