{Some ancient authorities read Now to glory is not expedient, but i will come &c.}I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven.
And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth),
how that he was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses.
For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me.
And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the {Some ancient authorities read revelations—wherefore, that &c.}revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a {Or, stake}thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may {Or, cover me Greek: spread a tabernacle over me. See Revelation 7:15.}rest upon me.
Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind {Or, those preeminent apostles}the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all {Or, stedfastness}patience, by signs and wonders and {Greek: powers.}mighty works.
For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong.
Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden 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.
And I will most gladly spend and be {Greek: spent out.}spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less?
But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile.
Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you?
I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not {Or, by the same Spirit}in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?
{Or, Think ye…you?}Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you. In the sight of God speak we in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying.
For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would, and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, {Or, disorders}tumults;
lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.
Querverweise zu 2. Korinther 12,1 2Kor 12,1
And herein I give my judgment: for this is expedient for you, who were the first to make a beginning a year ago, not only to do, but also to will.
I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind {Or, those preeminent apostles}the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing.
And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the {Some ancient authorities read revelations—wherefore, that &c.}revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a {Or, stake}thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is expedient for you that I go away; for if I go not away, the {Or, Advocate Or, Helper Greek: Paraclete.}Comforter will not come unto you; but if I go, I will send him unto you.
I say again, Let no man think me foolish; but if ye do, yet as foolish receive me, that I also may glory a little.
That which I speak, I speak not after the Lord, but as in foolishness, in this confidence of glorying.
Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.
For ye bear with the foolish gladly, being wise yourselves.
For ye bear with a man, if he bringeth you into bondage, if he devoureth you, if he taketh you captive, if he exalteth himself, if he smiteth you on the face.
I speak by way of disparagement, as though we had been weak. Yet whereinsoever any is bold (I speak in foolishness), I am bold also.
Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day have I been in the deep;
in journeyings often, in perils of rivers, in perils of robbers, in perils from my {Greek: race. Compare Acts 7:19.}countrymen, in perils from the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
{Or, Besides the things which I omit Or, Besides the things that come out of course}Besides those things that are without, there is that which presseth upon me daily, anxiety for all the churches.
Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is caused to stumble, and I burn not?
If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things that concern my weakness.
And he said, Hear now my words: if there be a prophet among you, I Jehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream.
Now Caiaphas was he that gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the {Hebrew: captivity.}captives by the river Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin's captivity,
the word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Jehovah was there upon him.
And I looked, and, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud, with a fire {Or, flashing continually}infolding itself, and a brightness round about it, and out of the midst thereof {Or, as amber to look upon}as it were glowing {Or, amber}metal, out of the midst of the fire.
And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man;
and every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings.
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like burnished brass.
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings thus:
their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle.
{Or, And thus were their faces; and their wings were &c.}And their faces and their wings were separate above; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches: the fire went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, one wheel upon the earth beside the living creatures, for each of the four faces thereof.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto a beryl: and they four had one likeness; and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel {Hebrew: in the mist of.}within a wheel.
When they went, they went {Hebrew: on their four sides.}in their four directions: they turned not when they went.
As for their {Or, felloes}rims, they were high and dreadful; and they four had their rims full of eyes round about.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was the spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up {Or, over against}beside them; for the spirit {Or, of life}of the living creature was in the wheels.
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up {Or, over against}beside them: for the spirit {Or, of life}of the living creature was in the wheels.
And over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of a firmament, like the terrible {Or, ice}crystal to look upon, stretched forth over their heads above.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two which covered {Or, for them}on this side, and every one had two which covered {Or, for them}on that side, their bodies.
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a noise of tumult like the noise of a host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
And there was a voice above the firmament that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.
And 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 a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above.
And I saw as it were glowing metal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about {Or, it}him.
As 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 Jehovah. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any.
And the Spirit lifted me up, and brought me in the vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.
All things are lawful; but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful; but not all things {Greek: build up.}edify.
I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with pure gold of Uphaz:
his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as flaming torches, and his arms and his feet like unto burnished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.
And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision; for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves.
So 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.
Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I fallen into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.
And, behold, a hand touched me, which {Or, set me tottering upon &c.}set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.
{[Chapter 3:1 in Hebrew]}And 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:
and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my Spirit.
Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said unto him in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus: for behold, he prayeth;
and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.
But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem:
and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call upon thy name.
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a {Greek: vessel of election.}chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel:
for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake.
And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mayest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit.
And the Lord said unto Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace:
And it came to pass, that, when I had returned to Jerusalem, and while I prayed in the temple, I fell into a trance,
and saw him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; because they will not receive of thee testimony concerning me.
And I said, Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:
and when the blood of Stephen thy witness was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting, and keeping the garments of them that slew him.
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee forth far hence unto the Gentiles.
And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
at midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me.
And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying unto me in the Hebrew language, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against {Greek: goads.}the goad.
And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
But arise, and stand upon thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things {Many ancient authorities read which thou hast seen.}wherein thou hast seen me, and of the things wherein I will appear unto thee;
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom I send thee,
to open their eyes, {Or, to turn them}that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins and an inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith in me.
Wherefore, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
For neither did I receive it from {Or, a man}man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.
And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before them who {Or, are}were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we 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.