Bible Study 2 Corinthians 12: 1-21

 

A Commentary of the Book of 2 Corinthians

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: King James Version

Bible Study 2 Corinthians 12: 1-21

Text:

12 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 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. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 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. 7 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. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 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. 10 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. 11 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 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 13 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.

14 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. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18 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?

19 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. 20 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: 21 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.

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 1: “It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. “ 

After recounting his various hardships for the cause of Christ, Paul transitions to discussing the revelations and visions he received from the Lord. It is well-documented that the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus, yet Paul typically remains quite reserved regarding these personal encounters. Here, he provides an account of another such occurrence.

Verse 2: “ 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.”

The Lord Jesus referenced the birds of heaven, which occupy the lower atmospheric regions. Beyond this expanse lies the celestial realm containing the stars. However, this is distinct from the third heaven, which serves as the location of the divine throne of God. In providing a timeline for this event, Paul notes that his ascent into the third heaven took place fourteen years prior to the composition of this letter. This chronology suggests the experience occurred around the period of his initial missionary journey.

Verse 3: “And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)”

Paul remains non-dogmatic regarding the exact nature of this experience—whether he had truly passed away and was taken to heaven or had simply lost consciousness and received a vision. Since he does not take a definitive stance, it is appropriate that we refrain from being dogmatic as well.

Verse 4: “ how that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

While many would have authored lengthy, elaborate volumes or delivered extensive sermon series detailing such an extraordinary encounter, Paul provides only this brief account. His report is striking for its restraint; he conveys much while revealing very little. There is a total absence of descriptive flourish, self-promotion, or the glorification of man. This stands in sharp contrast to modern individuals who claim heavenly experiences and publish books for financial gain. Such people did not actually visit heaven; their primary motivation was profit.

Verse 5: “Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.”

Self-exaltation is absent from this account. The individual who ascended to the third heaven to hear words beyond human expression is identical to the man who escaped by being lowered in a basket through a wall.

Verse 6: “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.”

Paul intended for others to judge him solely through the direct evidence of his life and character.

Verse 7: “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.”

Numerous interpretations have been proposed regarding the identity of this “thorn,” ranging from a physical malady (“in the flesh”) to a tormenting spirit (“a messenger of Satan”), or perhaps the persistent opposition of Jewish antagonists. Despite centuries of theological discourse, no singular consensus has emerged among the hundreds of scholars who have examined the text. Consequently, the “thorn” in Paul’s life serves as a universal metaphor for the diverse trials encountered by believers; indeed, few who serve God are entirely exempt from some form of personal struggle, limitation, or external hostility. 

Verse 8: “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.”

In Paul's writings, "the Lord" typically serves as a reference to Christ rather than God the Father. While the majority of New Testament prayers are addressed to the Father, this specific instance highlights a prayer directed toward Christ.

Verse 9: “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.”

God achieves His objectives even while allowing the obstacles that appear to impede His servants to remain. In our fractured world, His grace fulfills His divine intent through human frailty. Paul likely drew lasting fortitude and hope from this divine assurance during his later trials.

Verse 10: “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.”

Paul possessed a spiritual clarity that allowed him to view his tribulations as grounds for celebration, recognizing that his hardships provided the space for Christ’s power to be fully manifest.

Verse 11: “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.”

Paul offers yet another apology, a recurring theme in his writings. Despite viewing himself as the least among the apostles, he asserts that he is in no way inferior to the most prominent of them, even while describing himself as "nothing". It seems that those who should have stood in his defense failed to do so, leaving him to justify his own position.

Verse 12: “Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.”

Specific charismatic endowments, known as sign gifts, were bestowed upon the apostles to provide divine authentication of their ministry. These included the capacity for physical healing, the restoration of life to the deceased, and the exercise of glossolalia—interpreted here not as ecstatic utterances, but as the ability to communicate in diverse human languages and regional dialects. During his travels through the Galatian region, Paul encountered approximately fifty distinct linguistic variations; remarkably, he was able to converse in each without prior formal study. This immediate proficiency was essential for the rapid dissemination of the Gospel across the Roman Empire. In contrast, contemporary missionaries and translators must dedicate years to rigorous linguistic acquisition. The manifestation of these "signs of an apostle" served as definitive empirical evidence of Paul's authoritative office and apostolic calling.

Verse 13: “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.”

The only way Paul could be seen as having treated the Corinthians unfairly was in his decision to avoid being a financial drain on them. Employing a bit of irony, he asked for their pardon regarding this specific "wrong."

Verse 14: “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.”

Paul's initial visit took place during his second missionary journey, while his second, though unrecorded, happened during his time in Ephesus. Unlike other preachers driven by personal gain, Paul did not pursue financial support from the Corinthians.

Verse 15: “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.”

Paul observes, "The more I love you, the less I am loved in return," which might strike one as a grievance. However, the Holy Spirit required that he focus his account not on the glories of his heavenly visions, but on the trials and heartbreaks he endured on earth.

Verse 16: “But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile.”

Paul addresses the possibility that his detractors viewed his lack of financial demand as a deceptive tactic. In response, he clarifies that he at no point used third parties to take advantage of the Corinthians.

Verse 17: “Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you?”

Paul prioritized the straightforward preaching of God's Word over sophisticated techniques. Rather than dispatching associates to profit from the Corinthians, he maintained a ministry of simplicity.

Verse 18: “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?”

Paul faced accusations from false apostles who claimed he sent assistants to gather the Jerusalem offering with the secret intent of embezzling funds for himself. These opponents branded him as a thief and a deceitful hypocrite, suggesting he was secretly taking money from the Corinthians despite his claims to the contrary. This allegation was particularly distressing for Paul, as it attacked the integrity of his close friends and associates. Incensed that such baseless fabrications could be taken seriously, Paul reminded the Corinthians that his representatives had never exploited them during previous visits concerning the collection. Ultimately, the facts showed that neither Paul nor his team had committed any form of fraud against the Corinthian church.

Verse 19: “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.”

In this passage, Paul reiterates that his speech is intended for the edification of the church and the glory of God rather than his own personal acclaim. He demonstrates a profound consciousness that his actions and writings are conducted entirely "before God in Christ".

Verse 20: “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:”

In this passage, the apostle identifies various transgressions frequently observed among those who profess religious faith. He categorizes debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, and tumults as deeply reprovable behaviors. While individuals committing these sins often resist correction, faithful ministers are called to provide necessary and sharp reproofs, both privately and publicly, regardless of whether they cause offense. Paul expressed significant grief over the possibility of discovering scandalous sins within the community that had not been properly addressed through repentance. He cautioned that such a discovery would lead to a period of profound lamentation and collective humiliation.

Verse 21: “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.”

Paul shares a deep, paternal connection with the church in Corinth, and he recognizes that returning to find certain members continuing in their rebellion would be a source of personal shame, much like the humiliation parents feel when their children misbehave.