¹But now I’m going to go back to bragging, even though there’s nothing to be gained by it. I’m going to talk about visions and revelations from the Lord.

²I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven 14 years ago. I don’t know whether his body was taken up or not—only God knows.

^3-4But I do know that this man was taken up into paradise, whether he was in his body or out of it—only God knows that. He heard things there that can’t be put into words, things that no human is allowed to repeat.

⁵I’ll brag about a man like that, but I won’t brag about myself. I’ll only brag about how weak I am.

⁶Even if I did decide to brag, that wouldn’t make me a fool, because I’d be telling the truth. But I don’t brag, so that no one will think more of me than they should based on what I say and do.

⁷God has shown me amazing and wonderful things, but people shouldn’t think more of me because of those. In fact, so that I wouldn’t become overly proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me.

⁸I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me.

⁹But he told me, “My grace is all you need, because my power is made perfect in weakness.” So I will gladly brag all the more about how weak I am, so that Christ’s power can rest on me.

¹⁰That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, insults, hard times, attacks, and difficulties. For when I’m weak, that’s when I’m strong.

¹¹I’ve made a fool of myself, but you forced me to. You should have been the ones to praise me. I’m not the least bit inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I’m nothing.

¹²While I was with you, I demonstrated the signs of a true apostle with great endurance, including signs, wonders, and miracles.

¹³How did I treat you worse than any of the other churches? The only difference was that I didn’t make you pay for anything. Forgive me for that wrong!

¹⁴Now I’m ready to visit you for the third time. I’m not going to be a burden to you, because I don’t want what you have. What I really want is you. After all, children shouldn’t have to save up for their parents. Parents should save up for their children.

¹⁵So I’ll be very happy to spend everything I have for you. I will even spend myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

¹⁶But in any case, I haven’t caused you any expense. But being so clever, I’ve caught you by tricking you! Or so you think!

¹⁷Did I take advantage of you through any of the men I sent to you?

¹⁸I asked Titus to go to you, and I sent our brother with him. Titus didn’t take advantage of you, did he? Weren’t he and I guided by the same Spirit to do the very same kinds of things?

¹⁹All this time, have you been thinking that I’ve been speaking up for myself? No, I’ve been speaking with God as my witness, as a believer in Christ. Dear friends, everything I do is to help you become stronger.

²⁰I’m afraid that when I come I won’t find you as I want you to be, and you won’t find me as you want me to be. I’m afraid that there will be arguing, jealousy, fits of anger, selfish ambition, insults, gossip, arrogance, and disorder.

²¹I’m afraid that when I come my God will humble me before you. I’ll be grieved about many who have sinned earlier and who haven’t turned away from the impurity, sexual sin, and wild living that they’ve gotten involved in.