"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
— 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
2 Corinthians 12:9 is the "my grace is sufficient for you" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in 2 Corinthians 12, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about grace, Love and grace, and Bible verses about strength.
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The verse
The King James says, "And 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."
"Grace" is charis (G5485), and "sufficient" is arkeō (G714), to be enough. "Power" is dynamis (G1411), "made perfect" is teleō (G5055), to bring to completion, and "weakness" is astheneia (G769). "Rest on" is episkēnoō (G1981), to pitch a tent over.
Where it sits in 2 Corinthians 12
Paul says he was given "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (2 Corinthians 12:7). He does not say what it was. "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me" (2 Corinthians 12:8). Verse 9 is the Lord's answer.
Paul's response follows in verse 10: "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
What the verse is saying
Paul asked for the thorn to be removed. The answer was not removal but enough grace to carry it. God's power is shown most clearly where Paul's own strength runs out.
That changes what Paul boasts about. Instead of hiding weakness, he names it, so that Christ's power may rest on him. For the gift side of grace, see Ephesians 2:8-9; for grace that restores after suffering, see Bible verses about the God of all grace.
Questions people ask
What does 2 Corinthians 12:9 say?
In the NIV it says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." The KJV says, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
What was Paul's thorn in the flesh?
The Bible does not say. Paul calls it "a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me" (2 Corinthians 12:7) and says he asked the Lord three times to take it away.
What does "my power is made perfect in weakness" mean?
It means God's power is shown most fully when human strength is not enough. Paul sums it up in verse 10: "For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Who is speaking in 2 Corinthians 12:9?
The Lord is speaking to Paul. Paul says he pleaded with the Lord three times, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you'" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
What verse comes after 2 Corinthians 12:9?
Verse 10: "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
