SEV Biblia, Chapter 12:1
¶ Cierto no me es conveniente gloriarme; mas vendr a las visiones y a las revelaciones del Seor.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 2 Corinthians 12:1
Verse 1. It is not expedient for me] There are several various readings on this verse which are too minute to be noticed here; they seem in effect to represent the verse thus: "If it be expedient to glory, (which does not become me,) I will proceed to visions," &c. The plain meaning of the apostle, in this and the preceding chapter, in reference to glorying is, that though to boast in any attainments, or in what God did by him, was in all possible cases to be avoided, as being contrary to the humility and simplicity of the Gospel; yet the circumstances in which he was found, in reference to the Corinthian Church, and his detractors there, rendered it absolutely necessary; not for his personal vindication, but for the honour of the Gospel, the credit of which was certainly at stake. I will come to visions] optasiav? Symbolical representations of spiritual and celestial things, in which matters of the deepest importance are exhibited to the eye of the mind by a variety of emblems, the nature and properties of which serve to illustrate those spiritual things.
Revelations] apokaluyeiv? A manifestation of things not before known, and such as God alone can make known, because they are a part of his own inscrutable counsels.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. It is not expedient doubtless for me to glory , etc..] Though it was lawful for him to glory, and was necessary in the present circumstances of things, in vindication of himself, and to preserve the Corinthians from being carried away with the insinuations of the false apostles; and so for the honour and interest of Christ and the Gospel; yet it was not expedient on some other accounts, or profitable and serviceable to himself; he might find that it tended to stir up pride, vanity, and elation of mind in him, and might be interpreted by others as proud boasting and vain glorying; wherefore he chose to drop it, and pass on to another subject; or rather though it was not expedient to proceed, yet, before he entirely quitted it, he thought it proper to say something of the extraordinary appearances of God unto him. Some copies, and the Vulgate Latin version, read, if there was need of glorying, it is not indeed expedient; the Syriac version, there is need of glorying, but it is not expedient; and the Arabic version, neither have I need to glory, nor is it expedient for me: I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord; such as the Lord had made to him, and not man; and which were not the fruit of his own fancy, or the delusions of Satan; but were from the Lord Jesus Christ, and his glory. The apostle might very well speak of visions or heavenly appearances, since he was favoured with many; his conversion was owing to a vision or appearance of Christ to him, whom he saw with his bodily eyes, and heard him speaking to him, and which he calls the heavenly vision; at another time when at Troas, a vision appeared to him in the night, and a man of Macedonia stood and prayed him to come over and help them; and when at Corinth the Lord spoke to him by a vision, and bid him not be afraid, but go on preaching the Gospel, because he had much people there to be brought in through his ministry: and as for revelations, besides what are ordinary and common to all believers, he had extraordinary ones; the Gospel and the scheme of it, the knowledge of the several particular doctrines of it, were not attained to by him in the common way, but he had them by the revelation of Jesus Christ; the several mysterious parts of it, particularly that of the calling of the Gentiles, to which might be added, the change that will be upon the living saints at Christ's second coming, were made known to him by revelation; and sometimes in this extraordinary way he was directed to go to such or such a place, as at a certain time he went up to Jerusalem by revelation, where he was to do or suffer many things for the sake of Christ: though he had no revelation of anything that was different from, and much less contrary to the Gospel, and as it was preached by the other apostles; for there was an entire agreement between him and them in their ministry; (see Galatians 2:2,7-8), and these visions and revelations were for his instruction, direction, and encouragement in the ministration of the Gospel; and being of an extraordinary nature, were suitable to those extraordinary times, and not to be expected in an ordinary way, nor is there any need of them now; besides, these were visions and revelations of the Lord, and not the effects of enthusiasm, and a warm imagination, nor diabolical delusions, or the pretensions and cheats of designing men; and were for the confirmation and establishment of the Gospel, and not to countenance a new scheme, or introduce a new dispensation; wherefore all visions and revelations men pretend to, which are for such a purpose, are to be despised and rejected.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-6 - There can be no doubt the apostle speaks of himself. Whether heavenl things were brought down to him, while his body was in a trance, as in the case of ancient prophets; or whether his soul was dislodged from the body for a time, and taken up into heaven, or whether he was take up, body and soul together, he knew not. We are not capable, nor is it fit we should yet know, the particulars of that glorious place an state. He did not attempt to publish to the world what he had hear there, but he set forth the doctrine of Christ. On that foundation the church is built, and on that we must build our faith and hope. An while this teaches us to enlarge our expectations of the glory tha shall be revealed, it should render us contented with the usual method of learning the truth and will of God.
Greek Textus Receptus
καυχασθαι 2744 5738 V-PNN δη 1211 PRT ου 3756 PRT-N συμφερει 4851 5719 V-PAI-3S μοι 3427 P-1DS ελευσομαι 2064 5695 V-FDI-1S γαρ 1063 CONJ εις 1519 PREP οπτασιας 3701 N-APF και 2532 CONJ αποκαλυψεις 602 N-APF κυριου 2962 N-GSM
Vincent's NT Word Studies
1. Revelations (apokaluyeiv). See on Apoc. i. 1.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
12:1 {I must needs glory} (kaucasqai dei). this is the reading of B L Latin Syriac, but Aleph D Bohairic have de while K M read de. The first is probably correct. He must go on with the glorying already begun, foolish as it is, though it is not expedient (ou sumferon). {Visions} (optasias). Late word from optazw. See on Lu 1:22; Ac 26:19. {Revelations of the Lord} (apokaluyeis kuriou). Unveilings (from apokaluptw as in #Re 1:1). See on 2Th 1:7; 1Co 1:7; 14:26. Paul had both repeated visions of Christ (#Ac 9:3; 16:9; 18:9; 22:17; 27:23f.) and revelations. He claimed to speak by direct revelation (#1Co 11:23; 15:3; Ga 1:12; Eph 3:3, etc.).
