"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!" (II Corinthians 12:9, KJV)
In last week's lesson (on II Corinthians 11:16-33), the apostle Paul again asked the Corinthians to endure what he considered "foolishness" in having to defend his integrity and his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ against the lies and slander of a band of false teachers who had infiltrated the church of Corinth. This, after he left Corinth and moved on to other cities! Since some of the Corinthians apparently were tolerating the abusers and in danger of being swayed away from the truth that Paul taught, he found it necessary to take the offensive, call a spade a spade, and fight fire with fire by doing a little boasting of his own before them!
He was every bit as much a Hebrew, and an Israelite, and a descendant of Abraham, as any of them, he claimed, and expressed amazement that any of them could even be called "servants of Christ"! And he "boasted" (in verses 23-28) how he had endured "far more labors, far more imprisonments," how he had "been beaten times without number, often in danger of death! Five times (he said) he received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes; three times was beaten with rods; once stoned, three times shipwrecked, a night and a day spent in the deep; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers from false brethren; in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure! And apart from all these external things, there was the daily pressure on him for the concerns of all the churches"! Suffering and trials that clearly set him apart from the false apostles!
And so Paul said (in verse 30) that "if he had to boast (something he hated to do!), he would boast "of what pertains to his weaknesses"! (MacArthur notes that "by boasting in his weakness he magnified God's power at work in him!)
Paul had earlier written (i II Corinthians 4:7), "But we have this treasure (the 'light of Christ shining in darkness') in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves!" In Colossians 1:29, he wrote: "For this purpose (of 'presenting every man complete in Christ') also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me!"
And all this set the scene for our lesson last night where the apostle Paul begins by writing (in II Corinthians 12:1, ESV) that he "must go on boasting"! He must! And adding, "Though there's nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord!" Then relating the experience of "a man in Christ (speaking of himself) who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven...and into Paradise, whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows! And he (Paul!) heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter!"
But then (trying to be humble, with a bunch of weasel-wording that follows!) he says that "on behalf of this man (not me?) I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses--though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I am speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me that he sees in me or hears from me"(?) Did he refrain?
And so "to keep me from becoming conceited (thank the Lord!) because of the surpassing greatness of the revelation, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me (and he repeats it again!), "to keep me from becoming conceited"!
And Paul goes on to say (in verse 8) that "three times he pleaded with the Lord" that this (whatever it was!) should leave him, but that the Lord said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness!" And Paul's wonderful response: "Therefore I will boast (there he goes again!) all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me"! Wow!
But he's not finished! And so makes a broad declaration (in verse 10) of his predicament, something applicable and worth pondering and considering for all of us believers and followers of Christ: "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities! For when I am weak, then am I strong!" He was content! (Contentment glories God!)
Wow! Makes you want to sing, songs and hymns that come to mind! Here's some of mine:
"Like a river glorious, is God's perfect peace, over all victorious in its bright increase; perfect yet still flowing fuller every day; perfect, yet still growing deeper all the way!" (And the chorus) "Trusting in the Father, hearts are fully blest, finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest!"
Verse two: "Hidden in the hollow of His mighty hand, where no harm can follow, in His strength we stand; we may trust Him fully, all for us to do; those who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true!"
Or, how bout: "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing; for still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe, his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal!" (But there's more!) "Did we in our own stength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing; doth ask who that might be? ChristJesus, it is He...!"
Or, "Marvelous grace of our loving Lord; grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt! Grace, grace, God grace! Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God's grace; grace that is greater than all our sin!"
And, of course: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see...!"
Remember, men, His grace is sufficient for all our needs!
Go with God this week and be a blessing!
Til we meet again!
Lowell
In last week's lesson (on II Corinthians 11:16-33), the apostle Paul again asked the Corinthians to endure what he considered "foolishness" in having to defend his integrity and his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ against the lies and slander of a band of false teachers who had infiltrated the church of Corinth. This, after he left Corinth and moved on to other cities! Since some of the Corinthians apparently were tolerating the abusers and in danger of being swayed away from the truth that Paul taught, he found it necessary to take the offensive, call a spade a spade, and fight fire with fire by doing a little boasting of his own before them!
He was every bit as much a Hebrew, and an Israelite, and a descendant of Abraham, as any of them, he claimed, and expressed amazement that any of them could even be called "servants of Christ"! And he "boasted" (in verses 23-28) how he had endured "far more labors, far more imprisonments," how he had "been beaten times without number, often in danger of death! Five times (he said) he received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes; three times was beaten with rods; once stoned, three times shipwrecked, a night and a day spent in the deep; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers from false brethren; in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure! And apart from all these external things, there was the daily pressure on him for the concerns of all the churches"! Suffering and trials that clearly set him apart from the false apostles!
And so Paul said (in verse 30) that "if he had to boast (something he hated to do!), he would boast "of what pertains to his weaknesses"! (MacArthur notes that "by boasting in his weakness he magnified God's power at work in him!)
Paul had earlier written (i II Corinthians 4:7), "But we have this treasure (the 'light of Christ shining in darkness') in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves!" In Colossians 1:29, he wrote: "For this purpose (of 'presenting every man complete in Christ') also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me!"
And all this set the scene for our lesson last night where the apostle Paul begins by writing (in II Corinthians 12:1, ESV) that he "must go on boasting"! He must! And adding, "Though there's nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord!" Then relating the experience of "a man in Christ (speaking of himself) who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven...and into Paradise, whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows! And he (Paul!) heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter!"
But then (trying to be humble, with a bunch of weasel-wording that follows!) he says that "on behalf of this man (not me?) I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses--though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I am speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me that he sees in me or hears from me"(?) Did he refrain?
And so "to keep me from becoming conceited (thank the Lord!) because of the surpassing greatness of the revelation, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to harass me (and he repeats it again!), "to keep me from becoming conceited"!
And Paul goes on to say (in verse 8) that "three times he pleaded with the Lord" that this (whatever it was!) should leave him, but that the Lord said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness!" And Paul's wonderful response: "Therefore I will boast (there he goes again!) all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me"! Wow!
But he's not finished! And so makes a broad declaration (in verse 10) of his predicament, something applicable and worth pondering and considering for all of us believers and followers of Christ: "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities! For when I am weak, then am I strong!" He was content! (Contentment glories God!)
Wow! Makes you want to sing, songs and hymns that come to mind! Here's some of mine:
"Like a river glorious, is God's perfect peace, over all victorious in its bright increase; perfect yet still flowing fuller every day; perfect, yet still growing deeper all the way!" (And the chorus) "Trusting in the Father, hearts are fully blest, finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest!"
Verse two: "Hidden in the hollow of His mighty hand, where no harm can follow, in His strength we stand; we may trust Him fully, all for us to do; those who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true!"
Or, how bout: "A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing; for still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe, his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal!" (But there's more!) "Did we in our own stength confide, our striving would be losing; were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing; doth ask who that might be? ChristJesus, it is He...!"
Or, "Marvelous grace of our loving Lord; grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt! Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured, there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt! Grace, grace, God grace! Grace that will pardon and cleanse within; grace, grace, God's grace; grace that is greater than all our sin!"
And, of course: "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see...!"
Remember, men, His grace is sufficient for all our needs!
Go with God this week and be a blessing!
Til we meet again!
Lowell
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