2 Corinthians 12 (KJV) - Bible Truth Library

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2 Corinthians 12

2 Cor. 12:1 KJV (With Strong’s)

It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. βI will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.

For I will.

More on:

Glory,

Visions

Cross References

1-8: For commending of his apostleship, though he might glory of his wonderful revelations,

9-10: yet he rather chooses to glory of his infirmities;

11-13: blaming them for forcing him to this vain boasting.

14-19: He promises to come to them again; but yet altogether in the affection of a father;

20-21: although he fears he shall to his grief find many offenders, and public disorders there.

expedient.

2 Cor. 8:10• ¹⁰And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. (2 Cor. 8:10)

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John 16:7• ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (John 16:7)

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John 18:14• ¹⁴Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. (John 18:14)

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1 Cor. 6:12• ¹²All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Cor. 6:12)

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1 Cor. 10:23• ²³All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not. (1 Cor. 10:23)

to glory.

2 Cor. 12:11• ¹¹I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. (2 Cor. 12:11)

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2 Cor. 11:16‑30• ¹⁶I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
¹⁷That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
¹⁸Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
¹⁹For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.
²⁰For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
²¹I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
²²Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
²³Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
²⁴Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
²⁵Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
²⁶In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
²⁷In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
²⁸Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
³⁰If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. (2 Cor. 11:16‑30)

I will come.

Gr. For I will come.

visions.

2 Cor. 12:7• ⁷And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. (2 Cor. 12:7)

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Num. 12:6• ⁶And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. (Num. 12:6)

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Ezek. 1:1‑28• ¹Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
²In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
³The word of the Lord came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was there upon him.
⁴And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
⁵Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
⁶And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
⁷And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.
⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
⁹Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
¹⁰As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
¹¹Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
¹²And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
¹³As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
¹⁴And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
¹⁵Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
¹⁶The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
¹⁷When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
¹⁸As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
¹⁹And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
²⁰Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
²¹When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
²²And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
²³And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
²⁴And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
²⁵And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
²⁶And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
²⁷And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
²⁸As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake. (Ezek. 1:1‑28)

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Ezek. 11:24• ²⁴Afterwards the spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me. (Ezek. 11:24)

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Dan. 10:5‑10• ⁵Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz:
⁶His body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
⁷And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.
⁸Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.
⁹Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground.
¹⁰And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. (Dan. 10:5‑10)

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Joel 2:28‑29• ²⁸And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
²⁹And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. (Joel 2:28‑29)

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Acts 9:10‑17• ¹⁰And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
¹²And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
¹³Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem:
¹⁴And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
¹⁵But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
¹⁶For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
¹⁷And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost. (Acts 9:10‑17)

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Acts 18:9• ⁹Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: (Acts 18:9)

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Acts 22:17‑21• ¹⁷And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance;
¹⁸And saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.
¹⁹And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
²⁰And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.
²¹And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. (Acts 22:17‑21)

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Acts 23:11• ¹¹And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. (Acts 23:11)

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Acts 26:13‑19• ¹³At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.
¹⁴And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
¹⁵And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
¹⁶But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
¹⁷Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
¹⁸To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
¹⁹Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: (Acts 26:13‑19)

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Gal. 1:12• ¹²For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. (Gal. 1:12)

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Gal. 2:2• ²And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. (Gal. 2:2)

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1 John 5:20• ²⁰And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

J. N. Darby Translation

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

W. Kelly Translation

I must needs boast; though it be not profitable, yet I willa come unto visions and revelations of [the] Lord.

WK Translation Notes

The more ancient MSS. support the text above rather than the T. R. "It is expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come . . ."