1 Go on I must, in this foolish ode to me. Although there is nothing to be gained by it, I will now move on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a certain man in union with the Messiah who fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; only God knows—was suddenly snatched up to the third heaven. 3 Yes, I know that this certain fellow—whether in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; only God knows— 4 was snatched up to Paradise and heard words too sacred to tell, things that no human being is allowed to speak. 5 On behalf of someone like that I will venture to speak in exalted terms, but on my own behalf I will not do so, except in regard to my weaknesses— 6 although if I did choose to speak of myself in that way, I wouldn’t really be acting like a fool, since it is the truth that I would be speaking. Even so, I refrain, lest anyone regard me more highly than what he sees in my example and message, especially in light of these extraordinary revelations. 7 That is why, to keep me from exalting myself, there was assigned to me a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to strike me with blow after blow, so that I wouldn’t exalt myself. 8 Concerning this I appealed to the Lord three times, begging him to take it away from me. 9 Yet he has said to me: “My gift is strong enough for you. Indeed, my power: It is in times of weakness that it is displayed in full strength.” It is with the greatest of delight, therefore, that I will speak in high and exalted terms of my weaknesses, rather than praying for them to be taken away, so that the Messiah’s power can be a shelter over me. 10 That is why I gladly accept weaknesses, insults, hardships, and persecutions and pressures for the sake of the Messiah. When I am weak, you see, then I am strong.

11 I have acted like a fool. You forced me into it! My credentials, you see, should have by you been defended, seeing as I am lagging behind those oh-so-outstanding “apostles” of yours in nothing at all, even though nothing at all is what I am. 12 The evidences of genuine apostleship were produced among you with the utmost endurance, along with signs and wonders and miracles. 13 Indeed, in what respect did I make you feel any less important than the other assemblies, aside from the fact that I myself didn’t become a financial burden to you? Please forgive me this crime! 14 Listen, I am now getting ready to pay you a third visit, and I’m still not going to receive financial help from you. It isn’t your possessions that I want, you see, but you yourselves. Children aren’t supposed to save up, after all, for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 As for me, I will spend what I have and be spent to the limit, most gladly, in order to help and serve you. If I love you more, am I on that account to be loved less?

16 All right, we are agreed, I wasn’t a financial burden to you. Still, crafty fellow that I am, it must have been by deceitful means that I got you into my clutches, right? Wrong. 17 The men I sent to you: Did I use any of them to swindle you? No! 18 When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our brother along with him, did Titus swindle you? Certainly not! It was with the same purity of motive that he and I conducted ourselves, was it not? We acted in the same manner, did we not?

19 Perhaps you’ve been thinking all this time that we’ve been speaking to you in defense of ourselves. No, it is as people accountable to God, in union with the Messiah, that we have been speaking, and everything, dear friends, is meant for your upbuilding. 20 I am afraid, you see, that when I arrive I may perhaps discover you not as I would like, and I, as a result, may be discovered by you not as you would like; that there will be strife, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and mob-like behavior; 21 that this next time when I arrive, my God will humble me with regard to you and I will mourn and lament over those who continue in the sinful things they were doing prior to my last visit and have refused to repent of the filthy and immoral and licentious things they have done.