2 Corinthians 12:9

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2 Corinthians 12:7–11 · Berean Standard Bible

7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. So to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

9 But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.

10 That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

11 I have become a fool, but you drove me to it. In fact, you should have commended me, since I am in no way inferior to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.

Greek words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

2 Corinthians 12:10

That is why, for the sake of Christ, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 3:5

Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.

2 Corinthians 3:6

And He has qualified us as ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

Exodus 3:11

But Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

Exodus 3:12

“I will surely be with you,” God said, “and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”

Exodus 4:10

“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”

Exodus 4:11

And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

Exodus 4:12

Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

Exodus 4:13

But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

Exodus 4:14

Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

Exodus 4:15

You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.

Deuteronomy 33:25

May the bolts of your gate be iron and bronze, and may your strength match your days.”

Deuteronomy 33:26

“There is none like the God of Jeshurun, who rides the heavens to your aid, and the clouds in His majesty.

Deuteronomy 33:27

The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He drives out the enemy before you, giving the command, ‘Destroy him!’

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 43:2

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.

Jeremiah 1:6

“Ah, Lord GOD,” I said, “I surely do not know how to speak, for I am only a child!”

Jeremiah 1:7

But the LORD told me: “Do not say, ‘I am only a child.’ For to everyone I send you, you must go, and all that I command you, you must speak.

Jeremiah 1:8

Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 1:9

Then the LORD reached out His hand, touched my mouth, and said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

Matthew 10:19

But when they hand you over, do not worry about how to respond or what to say. In that hour you will be given what to say.

Matthew 10:20

For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

Luke 21:15

For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it.

1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not in vain. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Colossians 1:28

We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

Colossians 1:29

To this end I also labor, striving with all His energy working powerfully within me.

1 Timothy 1:14

And the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 4:16

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Psalms 8:2

From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.

Isaiah 35:3

Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!

Isaiah 35:4

Say to those with anxious hearts: “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance. With divine retribution He will come to save you.”

Isaiah 40:29

He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.

Isaiah 40:30

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 41:13

For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.

Isaiah 41:14

Do not fear, O worm of Jacob, O few men of Israel. I will help you,” declares the LORD. “Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 41:15

Behold, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.

Isaiah 41:16

You will winnow them, and a wind will carry them away; a gale will scatter them. But you will rejoice in the LORD; you will glory in the Holy One of Israel.

Daniel 10:16

And suddenly one with the likeness of a man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and said to the one standing before me, “My lord, because of the vision, I am overcome with anguish, and I have no strength.

Daniel 10:17

How can I, your servant, speak with you, my lord? Now I have no strength, nor is any breath left in me.”

Daniel 10:18

Again the one with the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me.

Daniel 10:19

“Do not be afraid, you who are highly precious,” he said. “Peace be with you! Be strong now; be very strong!” As he spoke with me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

Ephesians 3:16

I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,

Philippians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

Colossians 1:11

being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have full endurance and patience, and joyfully

Hebrews 11:34

quenched the raging fire, and escaped the edge of the sword; who gained strength from weakness, became mighty in battle, and put foreign armies to flight.

2 Corinthians 12:15

And for the sake of your souls, I will most gladly spend my money and myself. If I love you more, will you love me less?

Matthew 5:11

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.

Matthew 5:12

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

2 Corinthians 12:5

I will boast about such a man, but I will not boast about myself, except in my weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 11:30

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

2 Kings 2:15

When the sons of the prophets who were facing him from Jericho saw what had happened, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed down to the ground before him.

Isaiah 4:5

Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud of smoke by day and a glowing flame of fire by night. For over all the glory there will be a canopy,

Isaiah 4:6

a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and the rain.

Isaiah 11:2

The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.”

Matthew 28:18

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.

Matthew 28:20

and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

1 Peter 4:13

But rejoice that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed at the revelation of His glory.

1 Peter 4:14

If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.