2 Corinthians 12

Summary

 

2 Corinthians 12 provides insights into Paul's personal experiences, particularly a vision and a thorn in the flesh. Paul emphasizes the power of Christ in weakness and defends his apostleship while expressing concern for the Corinthians' spiritual condition.

 

1. Paul's Vision and the Thorn in the Flesh (2 Corinthians 12:1-6): Paul speaks of a man—likely referring to himself—caught up to the third heaven, experiencing extraordinary visions and revelations from the Lord. However, he acknowledges the need to boast cautiously about such experiences. Paul mentions a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, sent to torment him, and how he pleaded with the Lord three times for its removal.
2. Christ's Power in Weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10): In response to Paul's request for the removal of the thorn in the flesh, the Lord tells him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Paul then declares that he will boast all the more gladly of his weaknesses, for it is in weakness that the power of Christ dwells. He recognizes that when he is weak, he is strong in the strength of Christ.
3. Concern for the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 12:11-21): Paul expresses his concern that the Corinthians might be led astray by false apostles. He defends his actions, boasting not in his visions but in his weakness and the signs and wonders that confirm his apostleship. He expresses a fear that when he visits them again, he may find them not as he wishes, with divisions, strife, and other sins still present among them.

 

 

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