2 Corinthians 12:1

THE MESSAGE

You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we're at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations.

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Legacy Standard Bible
It is necessary to boast, though it is not profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Ok, that's enough of that. I could go on and on, but I guess I need to tell y'all about what God showed me and told me.

Bible in Basic English
As it is necessary for me to take glory to myself, though it is not a good thing, I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Darby Translation
Well, it is not of profit to me to boast, for I will come to visions and revelations of [the] Lord.

Christian Standard Bible®
Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

World English Bible
It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Surely it is not expedient for me to boast: yet I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Weymouth's New Testament
I am compelled to boast. It is not a profitable employment, but I will proceed to visions and revelations granted me by the Lord.

King James Version (1611)
It is not expedient for me, doubtlesse, to glory, I wil come to visions and reuelations of the Lord.

Literal Translation
Really, to boast is not profitable to me, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
It profiteth me nothinge (no doute) to boaste. Neuertheles I wil come to ye visions and reuelacions off the LORDE.

Mace New Testament (1729)
Have not I reason to glory? for now I shall mention my visions and revelations from the Lord.

Amplified Bible
It is necessary to boast, though nothing is gained by it; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

American Standard Version
I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Revised Standard Version
I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
It is not expediet for me (no dout to reioyce. Neverthelesse I will come to visions and revelacios of ye lorde.

Update Bible Version
I must surely glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Webster's Bible Translation
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Young's Literal Translation
To boast, really, is not profitable for me, for I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

New Century Version
I must continue to brag. It will do no good, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord.

New English Translation
It is necessary to go on boasting. Though it is not profitable, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

Berean Standard Bible
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to gain, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

Contemporary English Version
I have to brag. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I must brag about the visions and other things that the Lord has shown me.

Complete Jewish Bible
I have to boast. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

English Standard Version
I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Geneva Bible (1587)
It is not expedient for me no doubt to reioyce: for I will come to visions and reuelations of the Lorde.

George Lamsa Translation
BOASTING is proper, but there is no advantage in it, and I prefer to relate the visions and revelations of our LORD.

Hebrew Names Version
It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. For I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

International Standard Version
I must boast, although it does not do any good. I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.

Etheridge Translation
I might boast, but it is not expedient; for I come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Murdock Translation
Glorying must be, but it is not profitable: so I proceed to visions and revelations of our Lord.

New King James Version
It is doubtless [fn] not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:

New Living Translation
This boasting will do no good, but I must go on. I will reluctantly tell about visions and revelations from the Lord.

New Life Bible
I have to talk about myself, even if it does no good. But I will keep on telling about some things I saw in a special dream and that which the Lord has shown me.

English Revised Version
I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

New Revised Standard
It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
To be boasting, is needful, - it is not, indeed, profitable, yet will I come to visions and revelations of the Lord: -

Douay-Rheims Bible
If I must glory (it is not expedient indeed) but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

King James Version
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Lexham English Bible
It is necessary to boast; it is not profitable, but I will proceed to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
It is not expedient doubtles, for me to glorie, I wyl come to visions & reuelations of the Lorde.

Easy-to-Read Version
There is more that I have to say about myself. It won't help, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord.

New American Standard Bible
Boasting is necessary, though it is not beneficial; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

Good News Translation
I have to boast, even though it doesn't do any good. But I will now talk about visions and revelations given me by the Lord.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If it bihoueth to haue glorie, it spedith not; but Y schal come to the visiouns and to the reuelaciouns of the Lord.

Contextual Overview

¹You've forced me to talk this way, and I do it against my better judgment. But now that we're at it, I may as well bring up the matter of visions and revelations that God gave me. For instance, I know a man who, fourteen years ago, was seized by Christ and swept in ecstasy to the heights of heaven. I really don't know if this took place in the body or out of it; only God knows. I also know that this man was hijacked into paradise—again, whether in or out of the body, I don't know; God knows. There he heard the unspeakable spoken, but was forbidden to tell what he heard. This is the man I want to talk about. But about myself, I'm not saying another word apart from the humiliations. ⁶ If I had a mind to brag a little, I could probably do it without looking ridiculous, and I'd still be speaking plain truth all the way. But I'll spare you. I don't want anyone imagining me as anything other than the fool you'd encounter if you saw me on the street or heard me talk. ⁷Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

expedient: 2 Corinthians 8:10, John 16:7, John 18:14, 1 Corinthians 6:12, 1 Corinthians 10:23

to glory: 2 Corinthians 12:11, 2 Corinthians 11:16-30

I will come: Gr. For I will come

visions: 2 Corinthians 12:7, Numbers 12:6, Ezekiel 1:1-28, Ezekiel 11:24, Daniel 10:5-10, Joel 2:28, Joel 2:29, Acts 9:10-17, Acts 18:9, Acts 22:17-21, Acts 23:11, Acts 26:13-19, Galatians 1:12, Galatians 2:2, 1 John 5:20

Reciprocal: Numbers 24:4 - saw Proverbs 25:27 - so Isaiah 1:1 - vision Ezekiel 11:1 - the spirit Ezekiel 40:2 - the visions Daniel 7:1 - visions Hosea 12:10 - multiplied Acts 11:5 - in a Acts 12:9 - wist not Acts 16:9 - a vision Acts 26:16 - in the Romans 4:2 - he hath Romans 15:17 - whereof 1 Corinthians 14:6 - revelation 1 Corinthians 15:8 - he was 2 Corinthians 5:12 - give 2 Corinthians 11:30 - must Ephesians 1:17 - revelation

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you."

Genesis 12:10
Then a famine came to the land. Abram went down to Egypt to live; it was a hard famine. As he drew near to Egypt, he said to his wife, Sarai, "Look. We both know that you're a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you they're going to say, ‘Aha! That's his wife!' and kill me. But they'll let you live. Do me a favor: tell them you're my sister. Because of you, they'll welcome me and let me live."

Genesis 15:7
God continued, "I'm the same God who brought you from Ur of the Chaldees and gave you this land to own."

Nehemiah 9:7
You're the one, God , the God who chose Abram And brought him from Ur of the Chaldees and changed his name to Abraham. You found his heart to be steady and true to you and signed a covenant with him, A covenant to give him the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, and the Amorites, The Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites, —to give it to his descendants. And you kept your word because you are righteous.

Hebrews 11:8
By an act of faith, Abraham said yes to God's call to travel to an unknown place that would become his home. When he left he had no idea where he was going. By an act of faith he lived in the country promised him, lived as a stranger camping in tents. Isaac and Jacob did the same, living under the same promise. Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

It is not expedient doubtless for me to glory,.... Though it was lawful for him to glory, and was necessary in the present circumstances of things, in vindication of himself, and to preserve the Corinthians from being carried away with the insinuations of the false apostles; and so for the honour and interest of Christ and the Gospel; yet it was not expedient on some other accounts, or profitable and serviceable to himself; he might find that it tended to stir up pride, vanity, and elation of mind in him, and might be interpreted by others as proud boasting and vain glorying; wherefore he chose to drop it, and pass on to another subject; or rather though it was not expedient to proceed, yet, before he entirely quitted it, he thought it proper to say something of the extraordinary appearances of God unto him. Some copies, and the Vulgate Latin version, read, "if there was need of glorying, it is not indeed expedient"; the Syriac version, "there is need of glorying, but it is not expedient"; and the Arabic version, "neither have I need to glory, nor is it expedient for me: I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord"; such as the Lord had made to him, and not man; and which were not the fruit of his own fancy, or the delusions of Satan; but were from the Lord Jesus Christ, and his glory. The apostle might very well speak of "visions" or heavenly appearances, since he was favoured with many; his conversion was owing to a vision or appearance of Christ to him, whom he saw with his bodily eyes, and heard him speaking to him, and which he calls "the heavenly vision"; at another time when at Troas, a vision appeared to him in the night, and a man of Macedonia stood and prayed him to come over and help them; and when at Corinth the Lord spoke to him by a vision, and bid him not be afraid, but go on preaching the Gospel, because he had much people there to be brought in through his ministry: and as for revelations, besides what are ordinary and common to all believers, he had extraordinary ones; the Gospel and the scheme of it, the knowledge of the several particular doctrines of it, were not attained to by him in the common way, but he had them by the revelation of Jesus Christ; the several mysterious parts of it, particularly that of the calling of the Gentiles, to which might be added, the change that will be upon the living saints at Christ's second coming, were made known to him by revelation; and sometimes in this extraordinary way he was directed to go to such or such a place, as at a certain time he went up to Jerusalem by "revelation", where he was to do or suffer many things for the sake of Christ: though he had no revelation of anything that was different from, and much less contrary to the Gospel, and as it was preached by the other apostles; for there was an entire agreement between him and them in their ministry; see Galatians 2:2, and these visions and revelations were for his instruction, direction, and encouragement in the ministration of the Gospel; and being of an extraordinary nature, were suitable to those extraordinary times, and not to be expected in an ordinary way, nor is there any need of them now; besides, these were visions and revelations of the Lord, and not the effects of enthusiasm, and a warm imagination, nor diabolical delusions, or the pretensions and cheats of designing men; and were for the confirmation and establishment of the Gospel, and not to countenance a new scheme, or introduce a new dispensation; wherefore all visions and revelations men pretend to, which are for such a purpose, are to be despised and rejected.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is not expedient - It is not well; it does not become me. This may either mean that he felt and admitted that it did not become him to boast in this manner; that there was an impropriety in his doing it though circumstances had compelled him, and in this sense it is understood by nearly, or quite, all expositors; or it may be taken ironically. “Such a man as I am ought not to boast. So you say, and so it would seem. A man who has done no more than I have; who has suffered nothing; who has been idle and at ease as I have been, ought surely not to boast. And since there is such an evident impropriety in my boasting and speaking about myself, I will turn to another matter, and inquire whether the same thing may not be said about visions and revelations. I will speak, therefore, of a man who had some remarkable revelations, and inquire whether he has any right to boast of the favors imparted to him.” This seems to me to be the probable interpretation of this passage.

To glory - To boast; 2Co 10:8, 2 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 11:10. One of the charges which they alleged against him was, that he was given to boasting without any good reason. After the enumeration in the previous chapter of what he had done and suffered, he says that this was doubtless very true. Such a man has nothing to boast of.

I will come - Margin, “For I will.” Our translators have omitted the word (γὰρ gar) for in the text, evidently supposing that it is a mere expletive. Doddridge renders it, “nevertheless.” But it seems to me that it contains an important sense, and that it should be rendered by then. “Since it is not fit that I should glory, then I will refer to visions, etc. I will turn away then from that subject, and come to another.” Thus, the word (γὰρ gar) is used in John 7:41. “Shall then μὴ γὰρ mē gar Christ come out of Galilee?” Acts 8:31. “How can I then τὼ tō; γὰρ gar except some man should guide me?” see also Acts 19:35; Romans 3:3; Philippians 1:18.

To visions - The word “vision” is used in the Scriptures often to denote the mode in which divine communications were usually made to people. This was done by causing some scene to appear to pass before the mind as in a landscape, so that the individual seemed to see a representation of what was to occur in some future period. It was usually applied to prophecy, and is often used in the Old Testament; see my note on Isaiah 1:1, and also on Acts 9:10. The vision which Paul here refers to was that which he was permitted to have of the heavenly world; 2 Corinthians 12:4. He was permitted to see what perhaps no other mortal had seen, the glory of heaven.

And revelations of the Lord - Which the Lord had made. Or it may mean manifestations which the Lord had made of himself to him. The word rendered “revelations” means properly an “uncovering” (ἀποκάλυψις apokalupsis, from ἀποκαλύπτω apokaluptō, to uncover), and denotes a removal of the veil of ignorance and darkness, so that an object may be clearly seen; and is thus applied to truth revealed, because the obscurity is removed and the truth becomes manifest.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XII.

St. Paul mentions some wonderful revelations which he had

received from the Lord, 1-5.

He speaks of his suffering in connection with these

extraordinary revelations, that his character might be

duly estimated, 6.

That he might not be too much exalted, a messenger of Satan is

sent to buffet him; his prayer for deliverance, and the Divine

answer, 7-9.

He exults in sufferings and reproaches, and vindicates his

apostleship, 10-13.

Promises to come and visit them, 14, 15.

Answers some objections, 16-18.

And expresses his apprehensions that when he visits them he

shall find many evils and disorders among them, 19-21.

NOTES ON CHAP. XII.

Verse 2 Corinthians 12:1. It is not expedient for me — There are several various readings on this verse which are too minute to be noticed here; they seem in effect to represent the verse thus: "If it be expedient to glory, (which does not become me,) I will proceed to visions," c. The plain meaning of the apostle, in this and the preceding chapter, in reference to glorying is, that though to boast in any attainments, or in what God did by him, was in all possible cases to be avoided, as being contrary to the humility and simplicity of the Gospel yet the circumstances in which he was found, in reference to the Corinthian Church, and his detractors there, rendered it absolutely necessary; not for his personal vindication, but for the honour of the Gospel, the credit of which was certainly at stake.

I will come to visions — οπτασιας. Symbolical representations of spiritual and celestial things, in which matters of the deepest importance are exhibited to the eye of the mind by a variety of emblems, the nature and properties of which serve to illustrate those spiritual things.

Revelations — αποκαλυψεις. A manifestation of things not before known, and such as God alone can make known, because they are a part of his own inscrutable counsels.