It is necessary to ^aboast, though nothing is gained by it; but I will go on to visions and ^brevelations of the Lord. 2 I know a ¹man ^ain Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, only ^bGod knows—such a man was ^ccaught up to the ^2dthird heaven. Luke 23:43 3 And I know that such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, only ^aGod knows— 4 was ^acaught up into ^1bParadise and heard inexpressible words which man is not permitted to speak words too sacred to tell. 5 ^aOn behalf of such a man and his experiences I will boast; but in my own behalf I will not boast, except in regard to my ^bweaknesses. 6 If I wish to boast, I will not be ^afoolish, ^bbecause I will be speaking the truth. But I abstain from it, so that no one will credit me with more than is justified by what he sees in me or hears from me.

7 Because of the surpassing greatness and extraordinary nature of the ^arevelations which I received from God, for this reason, to keep me from thinking of myself as important, a ^bthorn in the flesh was given to me, a ^cmessenger of Satan, to torment and harass me—to keep me from exalting myself! Job 2:6 8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord ^athree times that it might leave me; 9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation; for My ^apower is being perfected and is completed and shows itself most effectively in your weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly ^bboast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may completely enfold me and may dwell in me. 10 So ^aI am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with ^bdistresses, with ^cpersecutions, and with ^ddifficulties, ^efor the sake of Christ; for ^fwhen I am weak in human strength, then I am strong truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength.

11 Now I have become ^afoolish; you have forced me by questioning my apostleship. Actually I should have been commended by you instead of being treated disdainfully, for ^bI was not inferior to those ¹super-apostles, even if ^cI am nobody. 12 The ^asigns that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles. 13 For in what respect were you treated as inferior to the rest of the churches, except for the fact that ^aI did not burden you with my financial support? Forgive me for doing you ^bthis injustice!

14 Now ^afor the third time I am ready to visit you. I ^bwill not burden you financially, because I ^cdo not want what is yours not your money or your possessions, but ^dyou. For ^echildren are not responsible to save up for their parents, but ^fparents for their children. 15 But I will ^avery gladly spend my own resources and be utterly spent for your souls. If ^bI love you greatly, am I to be loved less by you? 16 But be that as it may, I ^adid not burden you with my support. But some say that I was sly and ^btook you by trickery. 17 ^aDid I take advantage of you or make any money off you through any of the messengers I sent you? Certainly not! 18 I ^aurged ^bTitus to go, and I sent ^cthe brother with him. Titus did not take advantage of you, did he? No! Did we not conduct ourselves in the same ^dspirit and walk ^ein the same steps? Of course!

19 All this time you have been thinking that we are merely defending ourselves to you. ^aIt is in the sight of God that we have been speaking as one in Christ; and ^beverything, ^cdearly beloved, is to strengthen you spiritually. 20 For I am afraid that perhaps ^awhen I come I may find you not to be as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish—that perhaps there may be ^bstrife, jealousy, ^cangry tempers, ^ddisputes, ^eslander, ^fgossip, ^garrogance and ^hdisorder; 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have ^asinned in the past and not repented of the ^bimpurity, sexual immorality and decadence which they formerly practiced.