My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. - Psalm 73:26
Last Sunday we began a 2-part sermon on 2 Corinthians chapter 11. We covered verses 1-15 in a message titled “Paul Defends His Ministry (Part 1)”. Among other things, Paul stated that he was not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles, that he would continue preaching the gospel in regions beyond Achaia without placing undue burden on the churches, and that he was not surprised or misled by the deceptive ways of Corinth’s false teachers.
In this morning’s service, we will discuss the remainder of the chapter, verses 16-33 in a message titled “Paul Defends His Ministry (Part 2)”. Paul is on quite a roll here, so let’s see what else he has to say. For those of you keeping track, this is the 43rd sermon in our study of Paul’s letters to Corinth. We only have 2 messages left in this series after today. We’re almost done!
I. BEAR WITH ME (2 Cor. 11:16-21a)
Again, as he had done a few paragraphs earlier (see verse 1 of this same chapter), Paul asked the Corinthians to bear with him "in foolishness” as he continued his defense. He clarified that his words were not being spoken as those of the Lord per se, but rather were rooted in his own personal confidence in the Lord and his calling. Seeing that other men (namely, the false apostles in Corinth) regularly boasted about themselves and their accomplishments, Paul decided that he would do likewise (to an extent).
As for the Corinthians, in their “wisdom”, they gladly tolerated the leadership of those who boasted of themselves and gave themselves commendations. They cheerfully tolerated those who sought to enslave them, who devoured them, who took advantage of them, who exalted themselves, and who even (figuratively speaking I hope) hit them in the face. They blissfully put up with all sorts of abuse. Compared to the aggressive, self-serving, and worldly tactics of his opposition, Paul jokingly wrote that he did seem shamefully weak.
Paul’s remarks ooze with Holy Spirit inspired sarcasm. I am tempted to laugh at them until I realize my own fault. Take a moment to consider all of the self-destructive people and things we allow to take up residence in our lives (and churches). Despite our own self-proclaimed enlightenment, we not only permit such detriments to remain but often purposefully seek them out. We joyfully indulge in and/or put up with that which seeks to destroy us. Are we any wiser than the Corinthians? Sadly, it seems not.
II. SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES (2 Cor. 11:21b-29)
Referring primarily to the false teachers in Corinth, Paul acrimoniously declared that he would exercise boldness in the same respect that they did. They boasted about being Hebrews. Paul didn’t question them, but simply stated that he was a Hebrew, too. They boasted about being Israelites. Again, Paul didn’t question them, but said, “So am I.” They boasted about being sons of Abraham. Without dispute, Paul said that he was a son of Abraham as well. They were not different from him in any of these ethnic or ancestral ways.
Finally, they boasted about being servants of Christ. Was Paul insane to question this assertion? Where was the evidence? Though he didn’t flatly deny their claim (at least, not in this instance), he did contend that he was much more a servant of Christ than they were. To back this statement up, Paul expressed that he had engaged in far more labors and been imprisoned far more times than they had. In addition, he had been beaten an untold number of times and had frequently been in danger of death. To be specific, Paul listed the following occurrences:
On 5 separate occasions Paul received 39 lashes from the Jews.
On 3 separate occasions he was beaten with rods.
On 1 occasion he was stoned.
On 3 separate occasions Paul was shipwrecked.
On 1 occasion he spent an entire night and day adrift in the sea.
Besides these particular events, Paul added a long list of other general adversities. He wrote that he had been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from his own countrymen (the Jews), in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers on the sea, and in dangers among false brethren. Paul had persevered through much labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and in thirst, often without food, and in bitter cold and exposure. It should be noted that this list only includes those things which had happened up to this point in Paul’s life - there would be many more adversities yet to come.
Though the external challenges Paul faced were numerous and burdensome, he concluded that the internal struggles were even more difficult. He felt a deep and constant concern for the churches that he served and it weighed heavily on his heart. Whenever they were weak, Paul felt weak also. Whenever they were ensnared by sin, Paul worried for them intensely. Emotional pain can be so much greater than physical pain. Such was the case for the wayward church in Corinth, whose broken condition had brought Paul to tears.
III. I’LL BOAST IN MY WEAKNESS (2 Cor. 11:30-33)
Putting all sarcasm aside, Paul stated that - unlike his accusers - his boasting was not focused on his strength, but rather on his weakness. Did you notice that? All of the things he had just listed in the previous paragraph were not personal accomplishments or accolades, but rather sufferings he had endured for Christ. It was God who had seen him through all of these hardships and trials. In fact, there were so many that Paul felt it necessary to insist that he wasn’t lying or making any of them up!
Finally, Paul gave 1 last example of his weakness which dated back to the very beginning of his ministry. After meeting Jesus on the Damascus Road, Paul was blinded and taken into town. There he met a disciple named Ananias who restored his eyesight. Paul began preaching in the city, to the surprise and disdain of the local Jews and the city guard. They sought to seize and even kill him, but Paul recalled how the disciples lowered him out of a window in the wall by night so that he could escape (Acts 9:19-25).
Paul was susceptible to pain, hunger, and even death. He wasn’t exempt from peril and persecution. But in his frailty and weakness, Paul boasted of the Lord’s great strength. While the false prophets bragged about themselves and what they’d achieved, Paul highlighted what God had done for him - how the Lord had delivered him time and time again.
CONCLUSION
Who of us have endured the things that Paul endured for the cause of Christ? I certainly haven’t. I've never been beaten, imprisoned, or threatened with death. I’ve never walked in a near and perpetual state of danger. In fact, most of my Christian life has been rather comfortable. Don’t get me wrong… I thank God for my safety and security. But sometimes I wonder if my faith might be stronger and my service more deliberate under heavy persecution.
To this point, Paul has given a pretty convincing defense of himself and his ministry. But he isn’t done yet! Next week we will read even more evidence of his righteous character and his divine calling. Until then, may God richly bless and keep you.
Last Sunday we began a 2-part sermon on 2 Corinthians chapter 11. We covered verses 1-15 in a message titled “Paul Defends His Ministry (Part 1)”. Among other things, Paul stated that he was not in the least inferior to the most eminent apostles, that he would continue preaching the gospel in regions beyond Achaia without placing undue burden on the churches, and that he was not surprised or misled by the deceptive ways of Corinth’s false teachers.
In this morning’s service, we will discuss the remainder of the chapter, verses 16-33 in a message titled “Paul Defends His Ministry (Part 2)”. Paul is on quite a roll here, so let’s see what else he has to say. For those of you keeping track, this is the 43rd sermon in our study of Paul’s letters to Corinth. We only have 2 messages left in this series after today. We’re almost done!
I. BEAR WITH ME (2 Cor. 11:16-21a)
Again, as he had done a few paragraphs earlier (see verse 1 of this same chapter), Paul asked the Corinthians to bear with him "in foolishness” as he continued his defense. He clarified that his words were not being spoken as those of the Lord per se, but rather were rooted in his own personal confidence in the Lord and his calling. Seeing that other men (namely, the false apostles in Corinth) regularly boasted about themselves and their accomplishments, Paul decided that he would do likewise (to an extent).
As for the Corinthians, in their “wisdom”, they gladly tolerated the leadership of those who boasted of themselves and gave themselves commendations. They cheerfully tolerated those who sought to enslave them, who devoured them, who took advantage of them, who exalted themselves, and who even (figuratively speaking I hope) hit them in the face. They blissfully put up with all sorts of abuse. Compared to the aggressive, self-serving, and worldly tactics of his opposition, Paul jokingly wrote that he did seem shamefully weak.
Paul’s remarks ooze with Holy Spirit inspired sarcasm. I am tempted to laugh at them until I realize my own fault. Take a moment to consider all of the self-destructive people and things we allow to take up residence in our lives (and churches). Despite our own self-proclaimed enlightenment, we not only permit such detriments to remain but often purposefully seek them out. We joyfully indulge in and/or put up with that which seeks to destroy us. Are we any wiser than the Corinthians? Sadly, it seems not.
II. SOME OF MY EXPERIENCES (2 Cor. 11:21b-29)
Referring primarily to the false teachers in Corinth, Paul acrimoniously declared that he would exercise boldness in the same respect that they did. They boasted about being Hebrews. Paul didn’t question them, but simply stated that he was a Hebrew, too. They boasted about being Israelites. Again, Paul didn’t question them, but said, “So am I.” They boasted about being sons of Abraham. Without dispute, Paul said that he was a son of Abraham as well. They were not different from him in any of these ethnic or ancestral ways.
Finally, they boasted about being servants of Christ. Was Paul insane to question this assertion? Where was the evidence? Though he didn’t flatly deny their claim (at least, not in this instance), he did contend that he was much more a servant of Christ than they were. To back this statement up, Paul expressed that he had engaged in far more labors and been imprisoned far more times than they had. In addition, he had been beaten an untold number of times and had frequently been in danger of death. To be specific, Paul listed the following occurrences:
On 5 separate occasions Paul received 39 lashes from the Jews.
On 3 separate occasions he was beaten with rods.
On 1 occasion he was stoned.
On 3 separate occasions Paul was shipwrecked.
On 1 occasion he spent an entire night and day adrift in the sea.
Besides these particular events, Paul added a long list of other general adversities. He wrote that he had been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from his own countrymen (the Jews), in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers on the sea, and in dangers among false brethren. Paul had persevered through much labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and in thirst, often without food, and in bitter cold and exposure. It should be noted that this list only includes those things which had happened up to this point in Paul’s life - there would be many more adversities yet to come.
Though the external challenges Paul faced were numerous and burdensome, he concluded that the internal struggles were even more difficult. He felt a deep and constant concern for the churches that he served and it weighed heavily on his heart. Whenever they were weak, Paul felt weak also. Whenever they were ensnared by sin, Paul worried for them intensely. Emotional pain can be so much greater than physical pain. Such was the case for the wayward church in Corinth, whose broken condition had brought Paul to tears.
III. I’LL BOAST IN MY WEAKNESS (2 Cor. 11:30-33)
Putting all sarcasm aside, Paul stated that - unlike his accusers - his boasting was not focused on his strength, but rather on his weakness. Did you notice that? All of the things he had just listed in the previous paragraph were not personal accomplishments or accolades, but rather sufferings he had endured for Christ. It was God who had seen him through all of these hardships and trials. In fact, there were so many that Paul felt it necessary to insist that he wasn’t lying or making any of them up!
Finally, Paul gave 1 last example of his weakness which dated back to the very beginning of his ministry. After meeting Jesus on the Damascus Road, Paul was blinded and taken into town. There he met a disciple named Ananias who restored his eyesight. Paul began preaching in the city, to the surprise and disdain of the local Jews and the city guard. They sought to seize and even kill him, but Paul recalled how the disciples lowered him out of a window in the wall by night so that he could escape (Acts 9:19-25).
Paul was susceptible to pain, hunger, and even death. He wasn’t exempt from peril and persecution. But in his frailty and weakness, Paul boasted of the Lord’s great strength. While the false prophets bragged about themselves and what they’d achieved, Paul highlighted what God had done for him - how the Lord had delivered him time and time again.
CONCLUSION
Who of us have endured the things that Paul endured for the cause of Christ? I certainly haven’t. I've never been beaten, imprisoned, or threatened with death. I’ve never walked in a near and perpetual state of danger. In fact, most of my Christian life has been rather comfortable. Don’t get me wrong… I thank God for my safety and security. But sometimes I wonder if my faith might be stronger and my service more deliberate under heavy persecution.
To this point, Paul has given a pretty convincing defense of himself and his ministry. But he isn’t done yet! Next week we will read even more evidence of his righteous character and his divine calling. Until then, may God richly bless and keep you.