Strength in Humility

12 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
2 Co 12:1–6
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Strength in Humility
Paul resists boasting in his extraordinary visions, recognizing that such pride would detract from the Gospel. Instead, he highlights his weaknesses, allowing Christ’s power to shine through. This humility mirrors the message of the cross, where God’s strength was revealed in Christ’s suffering and death. We often face the temptation to find our value in achievements or spiritual experiences. Yet the cross reminds us that our worth is not in what we do but in what Christ has done for us. His victory was won through seeming weakness, His death on the cross, and this paradox is the heart of our faith. In our own lives, God works through our weaknesses and trials to display His grace. Like Paul, we can humbly trust that Christ’s power is made perfect in us, not through boasting in ourselves but through boasting in the Lord and His redeeming love.