2 Corinthians 12:1-21 (NLT)
1 This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord.
2 I was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether I was in my body or out of my body, I don’t know—only God knows.
3 Yes, only God knows whether I was in my body or outside my body. But I do know
4 that I was caught up to paradise and heard things so astounding that they cannot be expressed in words, things no human is allowed to tell.
5 That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses.
6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message,
7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.
9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.
10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
11 You have made me act like a fool. You ought to be writing commendations for me, for I am not at all inferior to these “super apostles,” even though I am nothing at all.
12 When I was with you, I certainly gave you proof that I am an apostle. For I patiently did many signs and wonders and miracles among you.
13 The only thing I failed to do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a financial burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!
14 Now I am coming to you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you. I don’t want what you have—I want you. After all, children don’t provide for their parents. Rather, parents provide for their children.
15 I will gladly spend myself and all I have for you, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.
16 Some of you admit I was not a burden to you. But others still think I was sneaky and took advantage of you by trickery.
17 But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you?
18 When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did Titus take advantage of you? No! For we have the same spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way.
19 Perhaps you think we’re saying these things just to defend ourselves. No, we tell you this as Christ’s servants, and with God as our witness. Everything we do, dear friends, is to strengthen you.
20 For I am afraid that when I come I won’t like what I find, and you won’t like my response. I am afraid that I will find quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly behavior.
21 Yes, I am afraid that when I come again, God will humble me in your presence. And I will be grieved because many of you have not given up your old sins. You have not repented of your impurity, sexual immorality, and eagerness for lustful pleasure.
Among the Corinthians, a kind of “validation by popularity” had begun to determine whose teaching seemed legitimate. Paul sees that the believers are shifting their loyalty from him to other impressive speakers—teachers who, though polished and influential, weakened the impact of Paul’s original message. Even though Paul’s revelation from God is unmatched and he never used the gospel for personal gain, the Corinthians had moved their attention away from being transformed through identification with Christ and toward the entertaining, ear-pleasing words of these new influencers.
Paul certainly feels the sting of personal rejection, but his deeper concern is the spiritual condition of the people. If their new fascination leads them to live no differently than the world they came from, then all his labor for them would seem wasted. Instead of blaming his weaknesses for their shift in loyalty, Paul reframes those weaknesses as the very places where God’s power has been most visible. Where Paul was unimpressive, God was strong. In appealing for their renewed trust, Paul’s aim isn’t personal affirmation—it’s that the life of Christ would once again be evident in them.
When we seek to influence those God has entrusted to us, it’s tempting to compare ourselves with the “big names,” or to be swayed by their popularity, platforms, or methods. We might feel pressure to compete, or to measure ourselves by outward success. But there is another, better source of influence—the presence and power of the Spirit.
Rather than being shaped by the noise and spectacle of the world, there is a place near the Master where our weaknesses become strengths. In that place, His power works through us in ways human ability never could. Our passion for people shouldn’t lead us to insecurity or imitation; instead, it should anchor us more deeply in God’s calling. We can only lead others where we ourselves are going. And in God’s reality, things are rarely as they appear on the surface.
It is far better to be captivated by the Spirit’s revelation and strength than to chase the fleeting currents of popularity. Only what is drawn from His presence brings lasting transformation.