¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.^{(A) 16} Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.^{(B) 17} And these signs^(C) will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;^(D) they will speak in new tongues;^{(E) 18} they will pick up snakes^(F) with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on^(G) sick people, and they will get well.”

¹⁶ Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.^(A)

Paul’s Vision and His Thorn

12 I must go on boasting.^(A) Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations^(B) from the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ^(C) who fourteen years ago was caught up^(D) to the third heaven.^(E) Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.^{(F) 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^(G) to paradise^(H) 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.^{(I) 6} Even if I should choose to boast,^(J) I would not be a fool,^(K) 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.^(L) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(M) a messenger of Satan,^(N) to torment me. ⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.^{(O) 9} But he said to me, “My grace^(P) is sufficient for you, for my power^(Q) is made perfect in weakness.^(R)”^(S) 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^(T) in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships,^(U) in persecutions,^(V) in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.^(W)

Paul’s Concern for the Corinthians

¹¹ I have made a fool of myself,^(X) but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,”^[a](Y) even though I am nothing.^(Z)