Neville Goddard on 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read 2 Corinthians 12 in context

Scripture Focus

7And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Biblical Context

Paul speaks of a thorn given to humble him. He prays for relief, but grace shows that strength is perfected in weakness.

Neville's Inner Vision

View this not as punishment but as a shift in your inner state. The thorn is a condition of consciousness that exposes the belief you are incomplete apart from relief. In Neville’s sense, the abundance of revelations is not external privilege but the expansion of awareness you awaken through imagination. When Paul says, 'My grace is sufficient for thee,' he is naming your natural I AM—the unconditioned awareness that does not depend on changing circumstances. The strength that appears 'made perfect in weakness' is the power of conscious alignment: you are invited to lean on the inner Christ-principle rather than the ego’s need for control. The weakness you perceive is not annihilated; it is transfigured by grace, allowing the true self to rest in you. So you discover that you are never truly lacking; grace is your innate reservoir, and the thorn points you to the fact that the power of Christ rests upon you as your internal state. Rest in this, and every event becomes a sign and a stepping-stone toward greater awareness.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and revise your sense of self to the I AM that nothing can defeat. Say, 'My grace is sufficient for me,' and feel that power resting on you as strength in weakness.