2 Corinthians 12–13 | Day 32

2 Corinthians 12 (NIV 1984)

¹ I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
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 to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
⁵ I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
⁶ Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, 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 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
⁸ Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 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 in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
¹¹ I have made a fool of myself, 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,” even though I am nothing.
¹² I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles.
¹³ So I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
¹⁴ I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

2 Corinthians 13 (NIV 1984)

¹ This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”
² I have warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my earlier visits, so that when I come again I will not be severe in my punishment.
³ Since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me, who is not weak but is powerful, I am afraid that when I come I may not be strong enough to deal with you.
⁴ For he [Christ] was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by God’s power.
⁵ Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
⁶ I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.
⁷ Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.
⁸ For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
⁹ We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored.
¹⁰ This is why I write these things when I am away from you, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
¹¹ Finally, brothers, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
¹² Greet one another with a holy kiss.
¹³ All God’s people here send their greetings.
¹⁴ May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.