¹³ As you know, it was because of an illness^(A) that I first preached the gospel to you,

³ I came to you^(A) in weakness^(B) with great fear and trembling.^(C)

⁷ 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. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(D) 9} 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. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight^(I) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(J) in persecutions,^(K) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(L)

No Other Gospel

⁶ I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called^(A) you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel^(B)—

³⁰ If I must boast, I will boast^(A) of the things that show my weakness.^(B)

⁶ I may indeed be untrained as a speaker,^(A) but I do have knowledge.^(B) We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.

¹⁰ For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive^(A) and his speaking amounts to nothing.”^(B)

⁴ For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness,^(A) yet he lives by God’s power.^(B) Likewise, we are weak^(C) in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him^(D) in our dealing with you.

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia^(A) and Galatia,^(B) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.^(C)