--- title: "2 Corinthians 12 - Study King James Bible with calvins commentary on the bible" description: "Read 2 Corinthians 12 with calvins commentary on the bible commentary. 1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (w" image: "/_app/immutable/assets/missing.C7wGMEZ6.jpg" url: "https://realbiblebelievers.com/study/calvins-commentary-on-the-bible/2-corinthians/12" --- [ Read](/kjv/2-corinthians/12)[ Commentary](/study/2-corinthians/12)[ Interlinear](/interlinear/2-corinthians/12) Audio 1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but *now* I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me *to be*, or *that* he heareth of me. 7 And 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. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 11 I 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. 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds. 13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except *it be* that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong. 14 Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. 16 But be it so, I did not burden you: nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 17 Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? 18 I desired Titus, and with *him* I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? *walked we* not in the same steps? 19 Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but *we do* all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying. 20 For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and *that* I shall be found unto you such as ye would not: lest *there be* debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults: 21 *And* lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and *that* I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed. [2 Corinthians 11](/study/2-corinthians/11) [2 Corinthians 13](/study/2-corinthians/13) ## Commentary To verse 1 **1.***It is not expedient for me to glory* Now, when as it were in the middle of the course, he restrains himself from proceeding farther, and in this way he most appropriately reproves the impudence of his rivals and declares that it is with reluctance, that he engages in this sort of contest with them. For what a shame it was to scrape together from every quarter commendations, or rather to go a-begging for them, that they might be on a level with so distinguished a man! As to the latter, he admonishes them by his own example, that the more numerous and the more excellent the graces by which any one of us is distinguished, so much the less ought he to think of his own excellence. For such a thought is exceedingly dangerous, because, like one entering into a labyrinth, the person is immediately dazzled, so as to be too quick-sighted in discerning his gifts, (877) while in the mean time he is ignorant of himself. Paul is afraid, lest this should befall him. The graces conferred by God are, indeed, to be acknowledged, that we may be aroused, — *first*, to gratitude for them, and *secondly,* to the right improvement of them; but to take occasion from them to boast — *that* is what cannot be done without great danger. *For I will come* (878) *to visions.* “I shall not creep on the ground, but will be constrained to mount aloft. Hence I am afraid, lest the height of my gifts should hurry me on, so as to lead me to forget myself.” And certainly, if Paul had gloried ambitiously, he would have fallen headlong from a lofty eminence; for it is humility alone that can give stability to our greatness in the sight of God. Between *visions* and *revelations* there is this distinction — that a *revelation* is often made either in a dream, or by an oracle, without any thing being presented to the eye, while a*vision* is scarcely ever afforded without a *revelation,* or in other words, without the Lord’s discovering what is meant by it. (879) (877) “Ses dons et graces;” — “His gifts and graces.” (878) “*I will come* Marg ‘*For* I will’ Our Translators have omitted (γὰρ), *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), *for*, is used in [John 7:41](/kjv/john/7/41), ‘Shall *then* (μὴ γὰρ) Christ come out of Galilee?’ [Acts 8:31](/kjv/acts/8/31), ‘How can I *then* (τῶς γὰρ) except some man should guide me?’” — *Barnes. Granville Penn* renders the passage as follows: “Must I needs boast? It is not good indeed, yet I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.” This rendering he adopts, as corresponding with the reading of the *Vat.* and most ancient MS. Καυχᾶσθαι δεῖ οὐ συμφέρον μὲν ἐλεύσομαι δὲ εἰς ὀπτασίας καὶ ἀποκαλύψεις Κυρίου — *Ed.* (879) “C’est qu’il signfie en ce qui s’est presente a nous;” — “What he intends in what is presented to our view.” “*Visions* ” (ὀπτασίας) — *symbolical* representations of spiritual and celestial things, in which matters of the deepest importance are exhibited to the eve of the mind by a variety of emblems, the nature and properties of which serve to illustrate those spiritual things. — *Revelations* (ἀποκαλύψεις) — *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.” — *Dr A. 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