³ I came to you^(A) in weakness^(B) with great fear and trembling.^(C)

⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(A) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^(B)

⁷ or because of these surpassingly great revelations.^(A) Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh,^(B) a messenger of Satan,^(C) to torment me.

¹³ As you know, it was because of an illness^(A) that I first preached the gospel to you,