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SEPTEMBER 21
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the not know, or whether out of the body I do not
mouth of the deceitful know, God knows—such a one was caught up
3
Have opened against me; to the third heaven. And I know such a man—
They have spoken against me whether in the body or out of the body I do not
with a lying tongue. know, God knows— how he was caught up
4
3 They have also surrounded me with into Paradise and heard inexpressible words,
words of hatred, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of
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And fought against me without a cause. such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not
4 6
In return for my love they are my boast, except in my infirmities. For though I
accusers, might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I
But I give myself to prayer. will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone
5
Thus they have rewarded me evil for should think of me above what he sees me to
good, be or hears from me.
And hatred for my love. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure
by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in
Proverbs 25:25–26
the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Sa-
25
As cold water to a weary soul, tan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above mea-
So is good news from a far country. sure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with
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the Lord three times that it might depart from
A righteous man who falters before the 9
26
wicked me. And He said to me, “My grace is suffi-
Is like a murky spring and a polluted cient for you, for My strength is made perfect
well. in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will
rather boast in my infirmities, that the power
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of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take
25:26 murky spring. The righteous one who
sins muddies the water for the wicked who see
him and for whom he should serve as an 12:8 I pleaded…three times. Paul, longing
example of righteousness (Ps.17:5). for relief from this painful hindrance to his
ministry, went to his Lord, begging Him (the
use of the definite article with “Lord” shows
Paul’s prayer was directed to Jesus) to remove
2 Corinthians 12:1–21 it.The demons are only subject to His authority.
It is doubtless not profitable for me to The 3-fold repetition of Paul’s request parallels
12 boast. I will come to visions and revela- that of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32–41).
2
tions of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who Both Paul and Jesus had their requests denied,
but were granted grace to endure their ordeals.
fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do
12:9 My grace is sufficient for you.The pres-
ent tense of the verb translated “is sufficient”
reveals the constant availability of divine
12:2–4 Since it took place 14 years before the grace. God would not remove the thorn, as
writing of 2 Corinthians, the specific vision Paul had requested, but would continually
Paul relates cannot be identified with any inci- supply him with grace to endure it (1 Cor.
dent recorded in Acts. It probably took place 15:10; Phil. 4:13; Col. 1:29). My strength is
between his return to Tarsus from Jerusalem made perfect in weakness. The weaker the
(Acts 9:30) and the start of his missionary jour- human instrument, the more clearly God’s
neys (Acts 13:1–3). caught up to the third grace shines forth.
heaven…caught up into Paradise. Paul was
not describing two separate visions—“the pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs,
third heaven” and “Paradise” are the same
place (Rev. 2:7, which says the tree of life is in in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.
Paradise, with Rev. 22:14, which says it is in For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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heaven). The first heaven is the earth’s atmos- I have become a fool in boasting; you have
phere (Gen.8:2;Deut.11:11;1 Kin.8:35);the sec- compelled me. For I ought to have been com-
ond is interplanetary and interstellar space mended by you; for in nothing was I behind
(Gen. 15:5; Ps. 8:3; Is. 13:10); and the third the the most eminent apostles, though I am noth-
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abode of God (1 Kin.8:30;2 Chr.30:27;Ps.123:1). ing. Truly the signs of an apostle were accom-
plished among you with all perseverance, in
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