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2 Coríntios 12

ARC · Chapter 12/13

1Em verdade que não convém gloriar-me; mas passarei ás visões e revelações do Senhor.

2Conheço um homem em Christo que ha quatorze annos (se no corpo não sei, se fóra do corpo não sei: Deus o sabe) foi arrebatado até ao terceiro céu.

3E sei que o tal homem (se no corpo, se fóra do corpo, não sei; Deus o sabe)

4Foi arrebatado ao paraiso; e ouviu palavras ineffaveis, de que ao homem não é licito fallar.

5De um tal me gloriarei eu, mas de mim mesmo não me gloriarei, senão nas minhas fraquezas.

6Porque, se quizer gloriar-me, não serei nescio, porque direi a verdade; porém deixo isto, para que ninguem cuide de mim mais do que em mim vê ou de mim ouve.

7E para que me não exaltasse pelas excellencias das revelações, foi-me dado um espinho na carne, a saber, um mensageiro de Satanaz para me esbofetéar, para que me não exalte.

8Á cerca do qual tres vezes orei ao Senhor para que se desviasse de mim.

9E disse-me: A minha graça te basta, porque o meu poder se aperfeiçoa na fraqueza. De boa vontade pois me gloriarei nas minhas fraquezas, para que em mim habite o poder de Christo.

10Pelo que sinto prazer nas fraquezas, nas injurias, nas necessidades, nas perseguições, nas angustias por amor de Christo. Porque quando estou fraco então sou forte.

11Fui nescio em gloriar-me; vós me constrangestes, porque eu devia ser louvado por vós, visto que em nada fui inferior aos mais excellentes apostolos; ainda que nada sou.

12Os signaes do meu apostolado foram effectuados entre vós com toda a paciencia, por signaes, prodigios e maravilhas.

13Porque, em que tendes vós sido inferiores ás outras egrejas, a não ser que eu mesmo vos não fui pesado? Perdoae-me este aggravo.

14Eis aqui estou prompto para terceira vez ir ter comvosco, e não vos serei pesado, pois que não busco o que é vosso, mas sim a vós; porque não devem os filhos enthesourar para seus paes, mas os paes para os filhos.

15E eu de muito boamente gastarei, e me deixarei gastar pelas vossas almas, ainda que, amando-vos cada vez mais, seja menos amado.

16Porém seja assim; eu não vos fui pesado, mas, sendo astuto, vos tomei com dolo.

17Porventura aproveitei-me de vós por algum d'aquelles que vos enviei?

18Roguei a Tito, e enviei com elle um irmão. Porventura Tito se aproveitou de vós? Não andámos porventura no mesmo espirito, sobre as mesmas pisadas?

19Cuidaes que ainda nos desculpamos comvosco? Fallamos em Christo perante Deus, e tudo isto, ó amados, para vossa edificação.

20Porque temo que, quando chegar, vos não ache taes quaes eu quizera, e eu seja achado de vós tal qual vós não quizereis: que de alguma maneira não haja pendencias, invejas, iras, porfias, detracções, mexericos, orgulhos, tumultos,

21Para que, quando fôr outra vez, o meu Deus me não humilhe para comvosco, e eu não chore por muitos d'aquelles que d'antes peccaram, e não se arrependeram da immundicia, e fornicação, e deshonestidade que commetteram.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul reluctantly recounts an extraordinary vision in which he was caught up to paradise, but balances that experience with the account of a 'thorn in the flesh' that kept him humble. He reaffirms that he would rather boast in his weaknesses, for in them the power of Christ is made perfect.

Explanation

Paul recounts an extraordinary mystical experience in the third person, perhaps out of humility, showing his discomfort with boasting even about genuine revelations. The “thorn in the flesh,” whose exact nature remains uncertain (physical suffering, personal opposition, or some other difficulty), is presented as something God allowed to prevent excessive pride, even though Paul asked three times for it to be removed. The divine response, “my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (v.9), has become one of the most comforting verses in the Bible for people facing persistent physical or emotional limitations. Today's application teaches that weaknesses and limitations are not necessarily obstacles to God's work, but can become the very place where his power is most clearly displayed.

Fun facts

  • The reference to the 'third heaven' (v.2) reflects a cosmology common in first-century Judaism, which sometimes described multiple heavenly levels, the highest being the place of God's direct presence.
  • Scholars throughout history have proposed various theories about Paul's 'thorn in the flesh,' including eye problems, epilepsy, or chronic migraines, but the biblical text deliberately leaves it unspecified, allowing it to be applied to different kinds of personal suffering.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. 2 Coríntios 12:1He acknowledges that continuing to boast brings no benefit, but decides to tell about it anyway: an extraordinary spiritual experience, visions and revelations he received from the Lord.
  2. 2 Coríntios 12:2Paul speaks of himself in the third person, “a man in Christ,” describing a mystical experience of being caught up to “the third heaven,” a Jewish way of describing the highest place, God's presence. He himself isn't sure whether it happened in the body or out of it.
  3. 2 Coríntios 12:3He repeats, almost word for word, the uncertainty from the previous verse about whether the experience was physical or spiritual — Paul genuinely doesn't know, and states this twice.
  4. 2 Coríntios 12:4He describes the destination of this mystical experience as “paradise,” where he heard words he can't even repeat, because it isn't permitted for a human being to speak of them.
  5. 2 Coríntios 12:5He decides to boast about this extraordinary experience indirectly (speaking of “such an one” in the third person), but insists again that, of himself, he only wants to boast about his own weaknesses.
  6. 2 Coríntios 12:6He explains why he doesn't share more details of the vision: even though he has real grounds to boast without exaggerating, he'd rather be judged by what people see and hear from him in practice, not by spiritual experiences impossible to verify.
  7. 2 Coríntios 12:7The phrase “a thorn in the flesh” is one of the most debated expressions in the Bible. Paul never says exactly what it was — some suggest a physical ailment, others an opponent or temptation — only that it was painful enough for him to ask three times for God to remove it.
  8. 2 Coríntios 12:8He tells how he asked God three times for that “thorn in the flesh,” mentioned in the previous verse, to be removed from him.
  9. 2 Coríntios 12:9The answer Paul receives, “My grace is sufficient for thee,” becomes the summary of his whole defense in these chapters: he'd rather boast in his weaknesses because that's where it becomes clear that the power at work in him comes from God, not from himself.
  10. 2 Coríntios 12:10After receiving God's answer in the previous verse (“My grace is sufficient for thee”), Paul says he learned to take pleasure in weaknesses and persecutions, because it's in weakness that he feels most strengthened by Christ.
  11. 2 Coríntios 12:11He acknowledges that talking so much about himself made him “a fool” in boasting, but blames the Corinthians themselves for forcing this situation, since they should have defended Paul instead of leaving him to defend himself alone.
  12. 2 Coríntios 12:12He recalls that he already proved his apostleship through concrete signs, performed among the Corinthians with great patience — miracles and wonders that confirm his apostolic authority.
  13. 2 Coríntios 12:13He asks, with irony, in what way the Corinthians were treated worse than other churches — except that Paul didn't charge them for his support — and offers an “ironic” apology for this one “wrong.”
  14. 2 Coríntios 12:14Paul prepares for his third visit to Corinth and reinforces that he doesn't want their money, comparing himself to a parent who provides for children, not the other way around.
  15. 2 Coríntios 12:15He declares his complete readiness to spend himself, literally and emotionally, for the Corinthians, even while recognizing, with some sadness, that the more he loves them, the less he seems to be loved in return.
  16. 2 Coríntios 12:16He answers another possible accusation: that, even without charging directly, he had used some kind of cunning to take advantage of them in a disguised way.
  17. 2 Coríntios 12:17He challenges the Corinthians to point out any concrete case where he or anyone he sent took financial advantage of them.
  18. 2 Coríntios 12:18He calls on Titus himself as a witness: he asks whether Titus, whom he sent, took advantage of the Corinthians, and reminds them that the two always acted with the same spirit and method.
  19. 2 Coríntios 12:19He clarifies that everything he's said isn't a disguised self-defense, but a statement made before God, in Christ, with the sole purpose of building up the Corinthians.
  20. 2 Coríntios 12:20He reveals his real fear before the visit: not finding the Corinthians as he would like, and being found by them in a way they wouldn't like — he fears quarrels, envy, wrath, gossip, and disorder in the church.
  21. 2 Coríntios 12:21He fears an even greater personal humiliation before God, upon finding Corinthians who sinned before and haven't repented of sexual immorality and dishonesty.

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