2 CORINTHIANS 12
Verses 1-13
v1 It is not good to be proud. But I need to tell you about visions and revelations of the Lord. v2 I know a man in Christ who, 14 years ago, went up to the highest heaven. I do not know whether it was an actual physical experience or not. Only God knows. v3 And I know that this man v4 went up to Paradise. (Whether it was an actual physical experience or not, I do not know. Only God knows.) There, he heard things that human words cannot express. These were things that a man must not speak. v5 I will be proud about a man like that. I will not be proud about myself. I will only be proud about the things that show my weakness. v6 Even if I chose to be proud, I would not be a fool. Unlike a fool, I would be speaking the truth. But I shall stop. I do not want anyone to have a higher opinion of me than he has already. My words and actions are enough to inform you about me.
v7 God allowed me to suffer very bad physical pain. This stopped me from becoming too proud because of the wonderful things that I saw. This was a messenger from Satan to cause me trouble. v8 I asked the Lord 3 times to take the pain away from me. v9 But he said to me ‘My free goodness is all that you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.’ Therefore, I am happy to boast about my weakness so that Christ’s power may protect me. v10 So, because I love Christ, I rejoice in weaknesses. I rejoice in hurtful things that people say. I rejoice when I suffer. I rejoice in cruel treatment for what I believe. I rejoice in difficulties. Because when I am weak, then I am strong.
v11 My words were foolish because you forced me to write such things. You should have recommended me. I am not at all inferior to these men although I am nothing. They call themselves ‘superior apostles’. v12 But God patiently performed the signs, wonders and miracles that mark out a real apostle among you. v13 Perhaps you think that I treated you in an inferior way to the other churches. The only thing that I did not do was to ask you for money. Forgive me if this was wrong!
Commentary
Paul’s opponents said that they had a lot of visions and other spiritual experiences. They wanted to know if Paul had any such experiences. These would prove that he was an apostle. Paul describes an experience that he had 14 years earlier. He does not want to say that he himself had this experience. He did not remember how this experience happened. He does not tell us about what happened. It was something that he could not explain. Perhaps it was an event that he could not explain in human language. Paul does not want to be proud about this experience. It was not the proof that God had sent him. That is what his opponents would have said. They wanted people to consider them by their experiences. The proof that Christ has sent Paul was not his experience 14 years earlier. It was in Paul’s words and actions while he was with them.
Paul was not proud because God gave him a very bad physical pain. But Paul may not actually mean a pain in his body. ‘The word means something sharp and painful that sticks deeply in the flesh. You cannot get it out. We do not know what this was. It was like every Christian’s experience of some physical or psychological problem. God gave him this to keep him humble and therefore fruitful in his service.’ (Hughes) It was a messenger from Satan. God allowed Satan to attack Paul in this way. God had allowed him to attack Job in a similar way. Paul prayed three times for God to remove this pain. God told him that his free goodness was all that Paul needed. We may pray that God will set us free from such troubles. Sometimes he does not because they can keep us closer to Christ. We can know his power working by our weakness. It protects us like a shelter.
Paul reminds them that God did signs and wonders and miracles. These showed he was an apostle. He was not inferior to the men who called themselves ‘superior apostles’ at Corinth. The only way that he treated Corinth differently from other churches was this. He did not ask them for money. He was sorry if he was unfair about this!
Verses 14-21
v14 Now I am preparing to visit you for the third time. I am still not intending to ask you for any help. I want you, not your money. After all, children should not have to provide for their parents. Parents should provide for their children. v15 I will be glad to spend all that I have. In fact, I will even give myself for you. Do not love me less when I love you so much! v16 But you say that I was deceitful. I did not accept your money. You say that I had a clever scheme to cheat you. v17 I sent several people to you. v18 But they did not cheat you. I sent Titus to visit you and I sent our friend with him. Titus did not use you for his own profit. And you know this. We both have the same reasons for our actions. And we both behave in the same way.
v19 You already think that we are defending ourselves to you. But we are speaking in God’s sight as Christ’s people. We do everything, dear friends, so that you may become strong. v20 Soon, I shall come to you. But I worry that you may disappoint me. Or, that I may disappoint you. I am afraid there may be quarrels, jealousy, and anger. Or there may be groups that oppose each other. There may be people who speak lies or gossip about other people. You might be proud. There may be a lack of control. v21 Then God would cause me again to be humble because of you. I weep about those who have still not repented. They did sins in the past. But they have not repented of their evil lives, their sexual sin and their immoral behavior.
Commentary
Paul tells them that he was preparing for a third visit. He tells them why he did not want to accept help from them. They thought that he wanted their money. They thought that he was cheating them in order to make a profit. Titus had collected money. But they thought that Paul had taken some of this money. Paul denied this. Parents should help their children. Children should not help their parents, he says. He is like their father in Christ. He would spend all his money and his strength to help them. He reminds them that neither he nor Titus had used them to make a profit. Both had wanted to help them.
Paul was not defending himself as he would in a court with the Christians at Corinth as judges. They were his dear friends, and his aim was to encourage them. But he was afraid that they might disappoint him. He makes a list of the sins that they had practiced in the past. Perhaps these sins would still be there when he came. If so, he warns them that he would be very severe towards them. He would also be very sad if they were like that. And he would be ashamed.
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