Study Desk

But my friends lowered me in a basket through a hole in the city wall. So I escaped from the governor.

I must continue to brag. It will do no good, but I will talk now about visions and revelations from the Lord.

I know a man in Christ who was taken up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. I do not know whether the man was in his body or out of his body, but God knows.

And I know that this man was taken up to paradise. I don't know if he was in his body or away from his body, but God knows. He heard things he is not able to explain, things that no human is allowed to tell.

I will brag about a man like that, but I will not brag about myself, except about my weaknesses.

But if I wanted to brag about myself, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. But I will not brag about myself. I do not want people to think more of me than what they see me do or hear me say.

But he said to me, "My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you." So I am very happy to brag about my weaknesses. Then Christ's power can live in me.

I have been talking like a fool, but you made me do it. You are the ones who should say good things about me. I am worth nothing, but those "great apostles" are not worth any more than I am!

It is clear I was not a burden to you, but you think I was tricky and lied to catch you.

You want proof that Christ is speaking through me. My proof is that he is not weak among you, but he is powerful.

It is true that he was weak when he was killed on the cross, but he lives now by God's power. It is true that we are weak in Christ, but for you we will be alive in Christ by God's power.

But I hope you will see that we ourselves have not failed the test.

We pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. It is not important to see that we have passed the test, but it is important that you do what is right, even if it seems we have failed.

We cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.

Really, there is no other Good News. But some people are confusing you; they want to change the Good News of Christ.

I did not get it from humans, nor did anyone teach it to me, but Jesus Christ showed it to me.

But God had special plans for me and set me apart for his work even before I was born. He called me through his grace

I did not go to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was. But, without waiting, I went away to Arabia and later went back to Damascus.

Titus was with me, but he was not forced to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.

But we did not give in to those false believers for a minute. We wanted the truth of the Good News to continue for you.