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2 Corinthians 12:1. It is not good for me to boast, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. “It does me no good to boast: for I will come in visions and revelations of the Lord.” Telling this is not useful to me, but it is useful to you. Therefore, in order to benefit you, I am forced to say something that I do not consider useful for myself. 2 Corinthians 12:2. I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago (whether in the body - I don’t know, or out of the body - I don’t know: God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. 2 Corinthians 12:3. And I know about such a person (I just don’t know - in the body or outside the body: God knows) 2 Corinthians 12:4. That he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words that cannot be uttered by man. 2 Corinthians 12:5. I can boast of such a man; I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses. “Before the age of fourteen, a person knew about Christ: if in the body, we do not know, if apart from the body, we do not know, God knows: he was caught up to the third heaven. And we know no such thing as man, whether in the body or apart from the body, God knows: for he was caught up into paradise, and hearing unspeakable verbs, which a man should not speak. I will boast about such things; I will not boast about myself, only about my weaknesses.” The Apostle saw many revelations, as he himself says; “I will come,” he said, “in the visions and revelations of the Lord”; but, being forced, he told only one thing, and attributed it to another person; for he says: “I know man”; but this is not I myself. He determines the time, letting them know that he is forced to talk about this for their sake, because for fourteen years he did not express what he was worthy to see. And this: “until the third heaven,” as some claimed, The Apostle said about the third part of the distance between earth and heaven, to which he was raptured, and heard indescribable verbs, which “man should not fly, the Apostle did not say: “hear,” but: “verb.” For if it were impossible for a person to hear, how could he hear? But the Apostle heard, but did not dare to retell them. And others say that “verbs” are the things themselves, because the Apostle saw the beauty of paradise, the faces of the saints in it and the all-harmonious voice of hymns. All this is known exactly by the one who saw it, and we will move on to the interpretation of the next in order. 2 Corinthians 12:6. However, if I want to boast, I will not be unreasonable, because I will tell the truth; but I restrain myself so that no one thinks about me more than what he sees in me or hears from me. “Even if I want to boast, I will not be mad: I will speak the truth.” since the Apostle repeatedly called himself crazy, so that no one would consider what he was saying to be false, he necessarily showed the truth of it. “I am merciful, lest anyone grieve for me any more than he sees me or hears anything from me.” Therefore, I’m afraid to say everything, lest someone form an opinion about me that is greater than about a person. For so it was in Lycaonia; They recognized him as God and intended to sacrifice oxen, but the Apostle, tearing his clothes, taught himself what his nature was (Acts 14:15). 2 Corinthians 12:7. And so that I would not be exalted by the extraordinary revelations, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, the angel of Satan, to depress me so that I would not become exalted. “And for the many revelations, let me not be arrogant, let me not be proud of myself, let me not be proud of the dirty trick of the flesh, the angel of Satan, who does dirty tricks on me.” The Apostle again showed that he had been granted many revelations. Therefore, he says, the Lord, thinking about my benefit, gave me all kinds of temptations as my lot, thus curbing my opinion of myself and not allowing me to conceive anything exorbitant. “The angel of Satan” called insults, insults, and popular uprisings; this is stated more clearly in subsequent words. 2 Corinthians 12:8. Three times I prayed to the Lord to remove him from me. 2 Corinthians 12:9. But the Lord said to me: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me. “For this I prayed to the Lord three times, that He would depart from me: and I said: My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” The Apostle showed the weakness of nature, for he says: “I asked for deliverance from temptations.” He also showed consolation from the Lord, for he said that an abundant donation of grace is sufficient for consolation. And the weakness and patience of those who preach clearly show the power of what is preached. “Sweetly, I will boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” He explained what he called “the angel of Satan”; but, so that no one would think that this weakness is a physical defect, he expressed this more clearly. 2 Corinthians 12:10. Therefore, I am content in weaknesses, in insults, in needs, in persecutions, in oppressions for Christ’s sake, for when I am weak, then I am strong. “In the same way I will find grace in weaknesses, in annoyances, in troubles, in exiles, in tribulations according to Christ: for when I am weak, then I am strong.” And he did not say: “I endure,” but: “I am pleased,” that is, I rejoice, am glad, complacently accept what comes my way, because imaginary weakness gives me true strength. Having stated this thus, he added: 2 Corinthians 12:11. I have reached the point of foolishness in boasting; you forced me to do this. You should praise me, for I lack nothing against the highest Apostles, although I am nothing. 2 Corinthians 12:12. The signs of the Apostle appeared before you in all manner of patience, signs, wonders and powers. “It is senseless to boast”: and explains the reason for this. “You nudist me,” that is, by believing the slander against me; for this is evident in the following words. “I should never praise you.” In you I had to have my defenders and witnesses to my way of life. “The Apostle has lost nothing more than his superiors”: he again moderated his praise and, having endured great labor before everyone, did not dare to simply equate himself with the apostles, but said that he was in no way inferior to them, and again returned to his own prudence. “Even if I am nothing. For the signs of the Apostles were wrought in you with all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works.” Do not keep me in mind, but follow the work of grace, because you have become witnesses of apostolic dignity and become spectators of spiritual witness. It is excellent that he preferred patience to signs, because it is much more valuable than the success of the will. 2 Corinthians 12:13. For what do you lack in comparison to the other churches, except that I myself have not been a burden to you? Forgive me for this guilt. “What is there, you have lost it more than other churches, except as if I myself were not cold for you.” What spiritual gift did you not receive from us? Can you reproach us only for the fact that we did not receive a physical service from you? Then, as if chuckling, he asks. “Give me this untruth.” I admit that I am wrong in this, and I apologize. But so that others do not think again that he is saying this as a reproach and has the intention of getting it from them, he promises to maintain this intention for the future. 2 Corinthians 12:14. Behold, for the third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not burden you, for I am not looking for yours, but for you. It is not the children who should gather wealth for their parents, but the parents for their children. “Behold, the third is ready to come to you, and I will not give you the cold.” Then he softens this harsh word: “I am not looking for yours, but for you.” He uses an expression that shows natural relationships. “The child should not be the parent of acquiring property, but the parent should be the child.” I don’t want money, but I covet your souls, for I know that fathers always gather wealth for their children, and I promise to do something more before fathers by nature. 2 Corinthians 12:15. I will willingly spend my time and exhaust myself for your souls, despite the fact that, loving you extremely, I am loved less by you. “I will be dependent on your souls for sweetness,” that is, I will give myself for you. “Even though I love you too much, I love you less.” Accusation is also connected with pleasing, for he both saddened them, accusing them of stinginess of love, and rejoiced them, showing his strongest love for them. 2 Corinthians 12:16. Let us suppose that I myself did not burden you, but, being cunning, took from you with cunning. 2 Corinthians 12:17. But did I benefit from anything from you through any of those whom I sent to you? 2 Corinthians 12:18. I begged Titus and sent one of the brothers with him: Has Titus taken advantage of anything from you? Were we not acting in the same spirit? Didn't we go the same way? “Be that I am not a burdensome to you; but a treacherous one who accepts your flattery. What food did you get from those sent to you for extortion? I begged Titus, and his brother’s envoys with him: did Titus covet food from you? Is it not the same spirit that we walk in? Isn’t it the same feet?” But perhaps someone will say that, having used cunning, when he was with you, he did not take anything from you, but accepted your alms through those whom he sent to you. Therefore, tell me the truth: which of those we sent, Titus or anyone else, took advantage of the power given to the preachers? The Apostle called alms extortion, because it is natural for a person who gives against his will, even if he has paid the debt, to think that they are taking from him extortionately. So having said this in denunciation of the false apostles, he shows the Corinthians his teaching dignity. 2 Corinthians 12:19. Don’t you still think that we are only making excuses for you? We speak before God, in Christ, and all this, beloved, is for your edification. “Do you still think that we are giving you an answer?” Perhaps, says the Apostle, you will regard justification as a sign of baseness. “Before God, we speak about Christ.” But we say this with God as witness, enlightened by the commandments of the Lord Christ. For this: about “Christ” means: According to the laws of Christ; this is the law of Christ: “If you then bring your gift to the altar and remember that one, because your brother has something for you: leave your gift before the altar and go first and humble yourself with your brother, and then come and bring your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24); and again: “So yes.” Your light will shine before men, so that they may see your good deeds, and they will glorify your Father who is in heaven.” The Apostle says the same thing here. “Everything, beloved, is about your creation”; whether we humiliate ourselves or speak sublimely, whether we accuse or praise, we do everything for your benefit. 2 Corinthians 12:20. For I am afraid that when I come, I will not find you as I do not want you to be, and so that you will not find me as you do not want me to be: so that you will not find strife, envy, anger, quarrels, slander, gossip, pride, unrest among you. “I’m afraid that as soon as the food comes, I will find you if I don’t want it, and I will find it for you, but you don’t want it.” He says what he doesn’t want for them “Let there be no zeal, envy, rage, retaliation, slander, whispering, arrogance, disorder.” The Apostle accused the Corinthians of this in his First Epistle. 2 Corinthians 12:21. so that again, when I come, my God will not humiliate me from you and so that I will not mourn for many who sinned before and did not repent of the uncleanness, fornication and lewdness that they did. “Let my God come and humble me before you, and let me weep for many who have sinned before and have not repented of uncleanness and fornication and the adultery that I have committed.” The apostle called the iniquity of the Corinthians his humility, confirming what he had said before: “Who faints, and does not faint? Who is tempted, and I am not relieved?” (2 Cor. 11:29) He said that he would mourn not just those who sinned, but those who, after sin, did not use the medicines of repentance. Thus, the apostolic teaching clearly exposes the arrogance of Novatus. You might be interested in: