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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN (1 JHN) 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
2 Cor C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13
2 Cor 12 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21
OET (OET-LV) For/Because if I_may_want to_boast, not I_will_be foolish, because/for the_truth I_will_be_speaking, but I_am_refraining, lest anyone to me may_count beyond what he_is_seeing in_me, or is_hearing of me.
OET (OET-RV) because even if I did want to boast, I wouldn’t be being foolish, because I would be speaking the truth. But I’ll refrain in case anyone reckons that I’m more than what they can see or hear about me.
In this section, Paul continued boasting, but now about a vision he received (12:1). He spoke of a man who had seen into heaven through a vision (12:2). He indicated in 12:7 that he was the man who had seen the vision. But he spoke of another man to avoid sounding as if he was boasting. He did not want people to stop honoring him because he had seen that vision. He was not sure whether his body had been taken to heaven or whether it was only a vision (12:3). In the vision he saw amazing things (12:4). He told the Corinthians that regarding himself, he would only boast of his weaknesses (12:5). He explained why he normally avoided speaking of that vision (12:6).
Paul told of a physical ailment and why he had it (12:7). He told them that he had prayed that God would heal it (12:8). But God had said that he would not heal it. He promised that his grace would be enough to help Paul in all that he did (12:9a). God said that having that physical ailment would help show that God’s power was working though Paul (12:9b). So Paul was glad to boast in this weakness (12:9c), because when he was weak, then God’s power was strong (12:9d). He explained why he was happy when trouble occurred (12:10).
Other examples for this section heading are:
Paul’s Vision and His Thorn (NIV)
Paul discovered that God’s grace was sufficient when he was weak
God’s grace and power shown through human weakness
Even if I wanted to boast,
For/But if I should decide to boast,
Let me explain, if I wanted to boast about my experiences,
12:6 begins with a Greek conjunction that is often translated as “for” or “because.” Here Paul explained why he could boast if he wanted to. For example:
For (NASB)
Let me explain,
Normally people boast about their strengths. Here, by contrast, Paul boasted about his weaknesses (12:5b–c). In some languages it is more natural to translate the contrast. For example:
But (NRSV)
In some languages it is more natural to allow the context to indicate the connection and omit the conjunction.
Even if I wanted to boast: This clause indicates that Paul might desire or decide to boast at some time. Other ways to translate this are:
If I wanted to boast (GNT)
then, if I do choose to boast (NJB)
But if I wish to boast (NRSV)
wanted to boast: Here Paul implied he could boast about things other than his weaknesses. This would include his visions, his deeds as an apostle, and so forth.
In some languages it may be more natural to add what Paul might boast about. For example:
wanted to boast about other things
wanted to boast about my strengths
wanted to boast about the things that show I am strong in the Lord
boast: This word refers to praising someone or saying how good someone is. Normally it is not proper for a believer to speak highly of himself. In this context Paul chose not to boast about himself, but he made it clear that if he did, he would be telling the truth. Other ways to translate this word are:
speak very highly about
praise
tell about how great/wonderful/good
See how you translated this word in 1:12 or 11:10.
I would not be a fool,
I would not speak like a fool,
I would not be foolish,
because I would be speaking the truth.
because I would tell the truth.
because I would be telling you what actually happened.
I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth: 12:6c is the reason for Paul not being a fool (12:6b). In some languages it is more natural to translate the reason before the result. For example:
I would be speaking the truth, so I would not be a fool
While it is foolish for a believer to boast about himself, because it is selfish to do that, it is even more foolish to boast untruthfully about what he has done. Paul implied here that the false teachers were fools because they lied when they boasted.
But I refrain,
But I avoid doing that,
But I prevent myself from such boasting,
I refrain: The verb refrain refers to not doing something. Here Paul would refrain from selfish boasting. If people would not clearly see what Paul would refrain from, you may want to explain in your translation. For example:
I refrain from boasting about myself
so no one will credit me with more
in order that no one will give too high of status to me,
so that no one would hold/regard my name/reputation too highly.
credit me with more: The Greek word that the BSB translates as credit me with more refers to considering someone to have high status. Paul did not want people to think that he was better or more important than other believers because he had visions and revelations. Other ways to translate this are:
have a higher opinion of me (GNT)
go too far in giving me high status
regard me beyond (NET)
than he sees in me or hears from me,
rather than giving me status based on what I do and say.
I want people’s opinion of me to be based on only what I have done and said.
than he sees in me or hears from me: These words indicate that Paul wanted people to think of him based only on what he did and said. Other ways to translate this are:
you have as a result of what you have seen me do and heard me say (GNT)
he sees and hears me to be (NJB)
I want people’s opinion of me to be based only on what I have done and said
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-words-phrases
γὰρ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐάν Γάρ θελήσω καυχήσασθαι οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων ἀλήθειαν γάρ ἐρῶ φείδομαι δέ μή τὶς εἰς ἐμέ λογίσηται ὑπέρ ὅ βλέπει μέ ἤ ἀκούει ἐξ ἐμοῦ)
Here, the word For introduces a further explanation of what Paul said in the previous verse ([12:5](../12/05.md)). He wishes to say that he could properly boast about the man who ascended to heaven, since that man is himself. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a different word or phrase that introduces further explanation. Alternate translation: [Now] or [Indeed,]
Note 2 topic: grammar-connect-condition-contrary
ἐὰν & θελήσω καυχήσασθαι, οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων, ἀλήθειαν γὰρ ἐρῶ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐάν Γάρ θελήσω καυχήσασθαι οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων ἀλήθειαν γάρ ἐρῶ φείδομαι δέ μή τὶς εἰς ἐμέ λογίσηται ὑπέρ ὅ βλέπει μέ ἤ ἀκούει ἐξ ἐμοῦ)
Paul is making a conditional statement that sounds hypothetical, but he already knows that the condition is not true. He has decided that he will not boast. However, he wants to speak about what would be true if he did actually boast. Use a natural form in your language for introducing a condition that the speaker knows is not true. Alternate translation: [were I actually to desire to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἀλήθειαν
˓the˒_truth
If your language does not use an abstract noun for the idea of truth, you could express the same idea in another way. Alternate translation: [what is true]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
φείδομαι
˱I˲_˓am˒_refraining
Paul is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You could supply these words from earlier in the sentence if it would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [I refrain from boasting]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
εἰς ἐμὲ λογίσηται ὑπὲρ
to (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐάν Γάρ θελήσω καυχήσασθαι οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων ἀλήθειαν γάρ ἐρῶ φείδομαι δέ μή τὶς εἰς ἐμέ λογίσηται ὑπέρ ὅ βλέπει μέ ἤ ἀκούει ἐξ ἐμοῦ)
Here, the phrase think more of me refers to how people can think a person is greater or more powerful than they actually are. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a word or phrase that makes this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [would consider me to be greater than] or [would think more highly of me than]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὃ βλέπει με, ἢ ἀκούει ἐξ ἐμοῦ
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ἐάν Γάρ θελήσω καυχήσασθαι οὐκ ἔσομαι ἄφρων ἀλήθειαν γάρ ἐρῶ φείδομαι δέ μή τὶς εἰς ἐμέ λογίσηται ὑπέρ ὅ βλέπει μέ ἤ ἀκούει ἐξ ἐμοῦ)
Here Paul refers to what people can observe him doing and saying. He wants people to think about him only based on what they see him doing and hear him saying. If it would be helpful in your language, you could make this idea more explicit. Alternate translation: [what he sees me do or hears me say] or [what he knows about my deeds and words]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / gendernotations
βλέπει
˱he˲_˓is˒_seeing
Although the term he is masculine, Paul is using the word in a generic sense that includes both men and women. If it would be helpful in your language, you could use a phrase that makes this clear. Alternate translation: [he or she]
12:1-7 Paul’s accusers at Corinth leveled the charge that Paul did not have ecstatic spiritual experiences. He was no mystic, they said, but a plain person with no impressive gift (see 10:10). So even though Paul’s authority did not come from visions and revelations from the Lord, he reveals his secret that he did, in fact, have such experiences.
OET (OET-LV) For/Because if I_may_want to_boast, not I_will_be foolish, because/for the_truth I_will_be_speaking, but I_am_refraining, lest anyone to me may_count beyond what he_is_seeing in_me, or is_hearing of me.
OET (OET-RV) because even if I did want to boast, I wouldn’t be being foolish, because I would be speaking the truth. But I’ll refrain in case anyone reckons that I’m more than what they can see or hear about me.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.