2 Corinthians 12:12

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.

Legacy Standard Bible
The signs of a true apostle were worked out among you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and miracles.

Simplified Cowboy Version
When I was with y'all, I showed y'all how handy I was. I proved I was a cowboy with signs, wonders, and miracles that could only come from God.

Bible in Basic English
Truly the signs of an Apostle were done among you in quiet strength, with wonders and acts of power.

Darby Translation
The signs indeed of the apostle were wrought among you in all endurance, signs, and wonders, and works of power.

Christian Standard Bible®
The signs of an apostle were performed with great endurance among you—not only signs but also wonders and miracles.

World English Bible
Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you, in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Weymouth's New Testament
The signs that characterize the true Apostle have been done among you, accompanied by unwearied fortitude, and by tokens and marvels and displays of power.

King James Version (1611)
Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signes and wonders, and mightie deeds.

Literal Translation
Truly the signs of the apostle were worked out among you in all patience, in miraculous signs, and in wonders, and by works of power.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
yet are ye tokens of an Apostle wrought amoge you, with all paciece, with signes, & with woders & with mightie dedes.

Mace New Testament (1729)
the marks indeed of an apostle I have shown among you by my extreme patience, by signs, and prodigies, and miracles.

Amplified Bible
The signs that indicate a genuine apostle were performed among you fully and most patiently—signs and wonders and miracles.

American Standard Version
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.

Revised Standard Version
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you in all patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
yet ye tokes of an apostle were wrought amoge you with all pacience: with signes and wonders and myghty dedes.

Update Bible Version
Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience, both by signs and wonders, and mighty works.

Webster's Bible Translation
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Young's Literal Translation
The signs, indeed, of the apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds,

New Century Version
When I was with you, I patiently did the things that prove I am an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles.

New English Translation
Indeed, the signs of an apostle were performed among you with great perseverance by signs and wonders and powerful deeds.

Berean Standard Bible
The true marks of an apostle-signs, wonders, and miracles-were performed among you with great perseverance.

Contemporary English Version
When I was with you, I was patient and worked all the powerful miracles and signs and wonders of a true apostle.

Complete Jewish Bible
The things that prove I am an emissary — signs, wonders and miracles — were done in your presence, despite what I had to endure.

English Standard Version
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The signes of an Apostle were wrought among you with all patience, with signes, and wonders, and great workes.

George Lamsa Translation
The miracles which the apostles have wrought I have wrought among you also in all patience, in signs, in wonders, and mighty deeds.

Hebrew Names Version
Truly the signs of an apostle were worked among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty works.

International Standard Version
The signs of an apostle were performed among you with utmost patience - signs, wonders, and works of power.Romans 15:18-19; 1 Corinthians 9:2; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 6:4; 11:6;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
The signs of the apostles I have wrought among you in all patience, and with mighty acts and miracles and with powers.

Murdock Translation
I wrought among you the signs of the legates, with all patience; and in prodigies, and in wonders, and in mighty deeds.

New King James Version
Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

New Living Translation
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.

New Life Bible
When I was with you, I proved to you that I was a true missionary. I did powerful works and there were special things to see. These things were done in the strength and power from God.

English Revised Version
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works.

New Revised Standard
The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, signs and wonders and mighty works.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The signs, indeed, of an apostle, were wrought out among you, in all endurance, - bothin signs, and wonders, and mighty works:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet the signs of my apostleship have been wrought on you, in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.

King James Version
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

Lexham English Bible
Indeed, the signs of an apostle have been done among you with all patient endurance, both signs and wonders and deeds of power.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you, in all patience, and signes, and wonders, and myghtie deedes.

Easy-to-Read Version
When I was with you, I patiently did the things that prove I am an apostle—signs, wonders, and miracles.

New American Standard Bible
The distinguishing marks of a true apostle were performed among you with all perseverance, by signs, wonders, and miracles.

Good News Translation
The many miracles and wonders that prove that I am an apostle were performed among you with much patience.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thouy Y am nouyt, netheles the signes of myn apostilhed ben maad on you, in al pacience, and signes, and grete wondris, and vertues.

Contextual Overview

¹¹Well, now I've done it! I've made a complete fool of myself by going on like this. But it's not all my fault; you put me up to it. You should have been doing this for me, sticking up for me and commending me instead of making me do it for myself. You know from personal experience that even if I'm a nobody, a nothing, I wasn't second-rate compared to those big-shot apostles you're so taken with. All the signs that mark a true apostle were in evidence while I was with you through both good times and bad: signs of portent, signs of wonder, signs of power. Did you get less of me or of God than any of the other churches? The only thing you got less of was less responsibility for my upkeep. Well, I'm sorry. Forgive me for depriving you. ¹⁴Everything is in readiness now for this, my third visit to you. But don't worry about it; you won't have to put yourselves out. I'll be no more of a bother to you this time than on the other visits. I have no interest in what you have—only in you. Children shouldn't have to look out for their parents; parents look out for the children. I'd be most happy to empty my pockets, even mortgage my life, for your good. So how does it happen that the more I love you, the less I'm loved? ¹⁶And why is it that I keep coming across these whiffs of gossip about how my self-support was a front behind which I worked an elaborate scam? Where's the evidence? Did I cheat or trick you through anyone I sent? I asked Titus to visit, and sent some brothers along. Did they swindle you out of anything? And haven't we always been just as aboveboard, just as honest? ¹⁹ I hope you don't think that all along we've been making our defense before you, the jury. You're not the jury; God is the jury—God revealed in Christ—and we make our case before him. And we've gone to all the trouble of supporting ourselves so that we won't be in the way or get in the way of your growing up. ²⁰I do admit that I have fears that when I come you'll disappoint me and I'll disappoint you, and in frustration with each other everything will fall to pieces—quarrels, jealousy, flaring tempers, taking sides, angry words, vicious rumors, swelled heads, and general bedlam. I don't look forward to a second humiliation by God among you, compounded by hot tears over that crowd that keeps sinning over and over in the same old ways, who refuse to turn away from the pigsty of evil, sexual disorder, and indecency in which they wallow.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Corinthians 4:2, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, 2 Corinthians 11:4, 2 Corinthians 11:6, Romans 15:18, Romans 15:19, 1 Corinthians 1:5-7, 1 Corinthians 9:2, 1 Corinthians 14:18

Reciprocal: Acts 5:12 - by Acts 21:19 - by 1 Corinthians 1:1 - an 1 Corinthians 1:6 - was 1 Corinthians 9:1 - I not an 2 Corinthians 11:5 - I was not 2 Corinthians 11:23 - I am 2 Corinthians 12:11 - for in 2 Corinthians 13:3 - which Galatians 3:5 - worketh

Cross-References

Genesis 12:8
He moved on from there to the hill country east of Bethel and pitched his tent between Bethel to the west and Ai to the east. He built an altar there and prayed to God .

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 20:11
Abraham said, "I just assumed that there was no fear of God in this place and that they'd kill me to get my wife. Besides, the truth is that she is my half sister; she's my father's daughter but not my mother's. When God sent me out as a wanderer from my father's home, I told her, ‘Do me a favor; wherever we go, tell people that I'm your brother.'"

Genesis 26:7
The men of the place questioned him about his wife. He said, "She's my sister." He was afraid to say "She's my wife." He was thinking, "These men might kill me to get Rebekah, she's so beautiful."

1 Samuel 27:1
David thought to himself, "Sooner or later, Saul's going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to Philistine country. Saul will count me a lost cause and quit hunting me down in every nook and cranny of Israel. I'll be out of his reach for good."

Proverbs 29:25
The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.

Matthew 10:28
"Don't be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There's nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you,.... Not only the doctrine which he preached, the power that attended it, and the success it met with among them, were clear signs and evident proofs of his being sent by Christ; not only they themselves, who were converted under his ministry, were testimonials and seals of his apostleship, but also the many other wonderful works done by him confirmed the same, and showed him to be an apostle, and that he was not a whit behind, but equal to the chiefest of them: nor does he refer them to signs that were wrought by him, among others, and in other places, which were many; but to those which they themselves were witnesses of, and therefore might and ought to have spoken of them in defence of him; and in order to stop the mouths of the false apostles, a particular enumeration of these signs follows:

in all patience; it is one sign, and what is here mentioned in the first place of an apostle and minister of Christ, that he patiently bears all injuries and indignities, reproaches, persecutions, and all manner of afflictions, for Christ's sake and the Gospel's; and this the apostle did; and had he not been sent by Christ, it is not reasonable to imagine that he would have exposed himself to so many evils and dangers; or would have bore with so much patience the ill usage of men, and particularly the unkindness and ingratitude he met with at Corinth; but he took all patiently, having their good and the glory of Christ at heart:

in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds; meaning preternatural and miraculous performances; such as raising the dead, healing the sick, cleansing lepers, casting out devils, speaking with divers tongues, and the like, which were confirming evidences of apostleship; so

נסין וגבורין, "wonders and powers", or "mighty deeds", are mentioned together by the Jews i, as the same things.

i Zohar in Exod. fol. 96. 2. & 97. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Truly the signs of an apostle - Such miracles as the acknowledged apostles worked. Such “signs” or evidences that they were divinely commissioned; see the Mark 16:17 note; Acts 2:22 note; Romans 15:19 note.

Were wrought among you - That is, by me; see the note, 1 Corinthians 9:2.

In all patience - I performed those works notwithstanding the opposition which I met with. I patiently persevered in furnishing the evidence of my divine commission. There was a succession of miracles demonstrating that I was from God, notwithstanding the unreasonable opposition which I met with, until I convinced you that I was called to the office of an apostle.

In signs and wonders - In working miracles; compare note, Acts 2:22. What these miracles at Corinth were, we are not distinctly informed. They probably, however, were similar to those performed in other places, in healing the sick, etc.; the most benevolent as it was one of the most decisive proofs of the divine power.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 12:12. The signs of an apostle were wrought among you — Though I have been reputed as nothing, I have given the fullest proof of my Divine mission by various signs, wonders, and miracles, and by that patience which I have manifested towards you: though I had power from God to inflict punishment on the transgressors, I have in every case forborne to do it. Is the man nothing who wrought such miracles among you?