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1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
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2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows.
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3 And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows--
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4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.
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5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
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6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
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7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
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8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
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9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
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10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
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11 I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing.
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12 The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance.
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13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
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14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children.
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15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?
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16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery!
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17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you?
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18 I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?
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19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.
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20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
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21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
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