2 Corinthians 12 There is nothing to be gained by this sort of thing, but as I am obliged to boast, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Moffatt⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ There is nothing to be gained by this sort of thing, but as I am obliged to boast, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. ² I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. In the body or out of the body? That I do not know: God knows. ³ I simply know that in the body or out of the body (God knows which) ⁴ this man was caught up to paradise and heard sacred secrets which no human lips can repeat. ⁵ Of an experience like that I am prepared to boast, but not of myself personally — not except as regards my weaknesses. ⁶ (If I did care to boast of other things, I would be no 'fool,' for I would have a true tale to tell; however, I abstain from that — I want no one to take me for more than he can see in me or make out from me.) ⁷ My wealth of visions might have puffed me up, so I was given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan to rack me and keep me from being puffed up; ⁸ three times over I prayed the Lord to make it leave me, ⁹ but he told me, "It is enough for you to have my grace: it is in weakness that [my] power is fully felt." So I am proud to boast of all my weakness, and thus to have the power of Christ resting on my life. ¹⁰ It makes me satisfied, for Christ's sake, with weakness, insults, trouble, persecution, and calamity; for I am strong just when I am weak. ¹¹ Now this is playing the fool! But you forced me to it, instead of coming forward yourselves and vouching for me. That was what I deserved; for, 'nobody' as I am, I am not one whit inferior to these precious 'apostles.' ¹² You had all the miracles that mark an apostle done for you fully and patiently — miracles, wonders, and deeds of power. ¹³ Where were you inferior to the rest of the churches? — unless in this, that your apostle did not choose to make himself a burden to you. Pray pardon me this terrible wrong! ¹⁴ Here am I all ready to pay you my third visit. And I will not be a burden to you; I want yourselves and not your money. Children have not to put money by for their parents; that is what parents do for their children. ¹⁵ And for your souls I will gladly spend my all and be spent myself. Am I to be loved the less because I love you more than others? ¹⁶ But let that pass, you say; I was not a burden to you, no, but I was clever enough to dupe you with my tricks? Was I? ¹⁷ Did I make something out of you by any of my messengers? ¹⁸ I asked Titus to go, and with him I sent our brother. Titus did not make anything out of you, did he? And did not I act in the same spirit as he did? Did I not take the very same steps? ¹⁹ You think all this time I am defending myself to you? No, I am speaking in Christ before the presence of God, and speaking every word, beloved, in order to build you up. ²⁰ For I am afraid I may perhaps come and find you are not what I could wish, while you may find I am not what you could wish; I am afraid of finding quarrels, jealousy, temper, rivalry, slanders, gossiping, arrogance, and disorder — ²¹ afraid that when I come back to you, my God may humiliate me before you, and I may have to mourn for many who sinned some time ago and yet have never repented of the impurity, the sexual vice, and the sensuality which they have practised.