People's New Testament It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 12:1 Paul's Revelations and Thorn in the Flesh
SUMMARY OF II CORINTHIAN 12: Visions and Revelations. Caught Up into Paradise. The Thorn in the Flesh. God's Answer to Prayer. Weakness Made Strength. The Signs of the Apostle. Coming Now the Third Time to Corinth. Paul's Unselfish Course at Corinth. It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. It was distasteful for him to speak on himself, and he could only do it when compelled by the disparagement of adversaries. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. Supernatural things revealed to the spiritual eye and divine truths revealed to the human spirit. I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 12:2 I knew a man in Christ. Know, as in the Revised Version, not knew. He knows the man and could name him, since the man was himself. See 2Co 12:7.
Above fourteen years ago this man was caught up, etc. This letter was written A.D. 57 The being caught up was then in A.D. 43 This is about the time that Paul was at Antioch with Barnabas, or at Tarsus (Ac 9:29,30). It could not have been at conversion, for that was about twenty years earlier than A.D. 57, nor could it be the trance in the temple for that was too late (Ac 22:17). Whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell. A person could then be caught up, see and hear, without his body, in Paul's view. Hence the human spirit is not material. The third heaven. A Jewish expression for that heaven which was beyond (1) the air, and (2) beyond the sun and stars; the secret place of the Almighty. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 12:3 I knew such a man. Know, as in the Revised Version. Why does he not use the first person? Because it would seem more like he was glorying in his own exaltation.
How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 12:4 He was caught up into paradise. Paradise and the third heaven (2Co 12:2) evidently mean the same. The term applied to a blessed abode beyond the life in Lu 23:43 Re 2:7.
Heard unspeakable words. Words that would be neither right nor possible to reveal in human speech. Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 12:5 Of such one will I glory. One so favored had ground for boasting.
Yet of myself I will not glory. While he glories of such an one, if he glories of himself it will be in his weaknesses. But of himself personally he will not glory, save in my infirmities. See PNT 2Co 11:30. For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 12:6 For though I would desire to glory, I should not be a fool. He could declare things truthfully that would show that his boast was not empty vanity.
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 12:7 Lest I should be exalted, etc. This verse shows that 2Co 12:2 refers to himself.
There was given me a thorn in the flesh. Generally supposed to be some painful physical infirmity. See Ga 4:13,14. The messenger of Satan. All physical evils are due to sin and hence are ascribed to Satan. This thorn was (1) in the flesh; (2) it buffeted or assailed him; (3) it was permitted to prevent undue exaltation, hence must have been humiliating. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 12:8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice. Prayed thrice that the thorn might be removed.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 12:9 My grace is sufficient for thee. The Lord answered his prayer, not by removing the thorn, but by giving grace to bear it, and by the assurance that Paul's sense of weakness, caused by it, fitted him to receive the divine strength.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities. Because his infirmities fit him to enjoy the power that Christ bestows. What was true of Paul is true of every saint. It is when we feel our weakness that God strengthens us. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure, etc. The unparalleled distress, sufferings and persecutions, described in 2Co 11:24-27, even give him pleasure
for when I am weak, then am I strong. Because they bring him to a sense of his helplessness and then God makes him strong. I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. 12:11 I am become a fool in glorying. As he looks back on what he has written he finds that he has done what he condemned as a folly, commended himself.
Ye have compelled me. Compelled to; a thing that ought not to have been necessary, for the Corinthians ought to have commended him. Behind the very chiefest apostles. The false teachers who had claimed at Corinth to be leading apostles. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you. While preaching at Corinth he demonstrated his apostleship.
For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. 12:13 What is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, etc.? They had enjoyed every privilege of the most highly favored churches, and, perhaps, complained that he had preached without charge to them. See notes on 2Co 11:7-12.
Forgive me this wrong. If this was a wrong, he asked forgiveness. Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 12:14 The third time I am ready to come to you. Then he had been there twice before; once when he founded the church; once while preaching at Ephesus, of which visit Acts gives no account. See PNT 2Co 2:1.
And I will not be burdensome to you. As before, he will maintain himself this third time. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, etc. As parents do with children, so will he, their spiritual father, do. He does not ask them to provide for him, while he feeds them the bread of life. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 12:15 I will very gladly spend and be spent for you. As a loving father, he will gladly spend and be spent for them; even without the return of his love.
But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 12:16 But be it so, I did not burden you, etc. It was charged that even if he did not burden them, there was guile about it, and in some other way he would secure their substance.
Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 12:17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? By any of the messengers or helpers I sent you? Did they demand anything?
I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? 12:18 I desired Titus. He sent Titus and another brother, but they asked no gain.
Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. 12:19 Think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? He must guard against a misapprehension. He is not defending himself before a human bar.
We speak before God in Christ. He speaks as before God. We do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. Says what will tend to edify them. His only object is to build them up. For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: 12:20 For I fear lest when I come, etc. He has been led to speak because he feared, unless he spoke plainly, that when he came he would have to rebuke severely on account of sins which he enumerates.
Debates, etc. The sins here given are those that belong to a divided state. And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. 12:21 And lest... my God will humble me among you. Lest he be humiliated by the prevalence of sensual sins also. The uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness. The sins here named are the peculiar Gentile sins which he has rebuked so severely in both epistles. The People's New Testament by B.W. Johnson [1891] Bible Hub |
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