2 Corinthians 12:1-10 – Powerful weakness Glorious Grace
So far as Paul warns and confronts the church in Corinth he has reminded them of the marks of a true gospel ministry, he has shown them his love for them and he has reminded them that God works through weakness for his glory.
In chapter 12 he continues by showing them what not to rely on and what they ought to rely on.
1. What not to rely on
The Corinthian church was always enamoured of the spiritual, ecstatic and experiential. Its why in 1 Corinthians Paul gives 3 chapters to teaching them about spiritual gifts and the key to using them being love for others not advancement or promotion of self. But it seems they are still drawn to the same old things, but now it is visions and revelations – that is what Paul now turns to. His ministry is under is attack and another prong of that attack is that he doesn’t speak about his experiences.
So(1) Paul must go on boasting as he tackles this issue not to defend himself or win a fan club but because at stake is the very gospel itself. The super-apostles it appears regularly boast of their visions and revelations, it was on of their key badges of spiritual authenticity.
And Paul well by comparison he was looking a bit shabby. Yes there was that one vision on the Damascus road, but what about since then. Surely if he was an Apostle God would be appearing to him more frequently than that. When was the last time you heard of him having a vision or dream!
And so Paul reluctantly recounts this vision. But there is a big question as you read it. Is it Paul’s vision and if so why does he recount it in the third person?
There are 4 reasons why it is the apostle Paul who has the vision. Firstly, the detail and time that he gives indicate that he is present, secondly he writes (6)"Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth.", thirdly (7)he makes it clear that this vision is linked closely to his thorn in the flesh therefore it must be his vision. And finally the issue at stake is Paul’s experience and authority, so to boast of someone else’s vision would not make his point.
So the question then is if it is his vision why doesn’t Paul just write I saw(2) rather than “I know a man in Christ who…” I think (1)gives us the answer, Paul is still embarrassed by his having to boast, he has been driven to it but it goes against the grain, it is not Christ-like.
There is further evidence of that in his vision itself; Paul will recount that he saw a vision so that the Corinthians see that he is not inferior, so that they will accept his apostleship and listen to his words and not abandon the gospel. But he will not go into great detail about his vision or what it says about him, because he does not want to boast in and of himself but of his weakness which shows God’s strength and the gospels power.
The vision was fourteen years ago, in it he is caught up to heaven – in Jewish thought and writing there were a number of heavens but the third heaven is probably a reference to Enoch and the Apocalypse of Moses where the third heaven is paradise, thought to be like the Garden of Eden. But Paul tells nothing of what he heard because it is impossible to put into words and it was private. Paul will not boast in what he saw and heard because it would lead others to think more of him that they should – which is exactly why the super apostles tell everyone about their visions and revelations.
The vision does not qualify Paul to be an Apostle, it is not what gives him authority(6); it is his daily conduct and commitment to the truth of the gospel of Christ that he preaches which qualifies him. Paul does not want much made of him but much made of the Saviour he preaches. He is a “man in Christ”(1) that alone is what matters
In an age that craves spiritual experience as a sign of authenticity we need to hear this rebuke. It is being in Christ which matters not experience.
2. What to rely on
Fascinatingly he recognises that the danger of such a vision is that it would puff him up and make him become conceited, just as it was doing to the ‘super-apostles’. (7)“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.”
We don’t know what exactly it was and the theories are endless, but what we need to know the bible tells us.
Paul’s thorn was at once both “a messenger of Satan, to torment me” and “given” by God. It is both a hindrance and a gift to stop him becoming boastful. It sounds odd to us doesn’t it because we tend to think of things being either from God or from Satan. But it is not just here that we see it, with Joseph and his brothers we read his conclusion as they fear punishment for selling him into slavery “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”
Satan is clearly present in the brother’s jealousy and plotting yet God overturns Satan’s diabolical schemes so that they become part of the tapestry of his glory and plan of salvation.
It’s the same with Christ’s death. In Judas betrayal, the Pharisees plotting, the peoples’ rejection and Pilots lack of backbone Satan is clearly at work, and his scheme looks successful as the nails are hammered into Christ’s hands, the disciples certainly think so. But God has in his sovereignty planned to use Satan’s actions to bring about his salvation plan.
We can rely on God, in his providence and plan no experience in wasted. Though it doesn’t make it less painful, Paul is clearly troubled by the recurrent problem, he pleads for it to be taken away. And God answers his prayer: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’" God’s answer is ‘no’ I won’t take it away but I will give you grace to live with it.
That may seem odd to us, but Paul is a man on God’s mission, he has training and teaching, he is ideally placed to reach people for Christ why would God allow something to hamper his ministry? We think. But it is because Paul must minister in God’s power and strength and not in his own; “for God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness, so that Christ’s power may rest on me…For when I am weak I am strong.”
The Corinthians despised weakness and loved strength and power; we need to recognise the Corinthian attitude within us. I remember someone preaching for the first time, he looked as white as a sheet as we prayed beforehand. I asked him if he was nervous and he said yes he was terrified, I said that was a good thing. He looked at me and said but you aren’t nervous are you, I’m not sure my answer eased his fears. I said I am nervous every time I have to teach the Bible, because I know there are things I haven’t grasped yet, there are things I have missed and only God can make my poor efforts worth anything.
I wonder how you feel as you think about going back to uni. It’s not long until the Carol Service is it – are you praying about who you can invite? Are you ready to invite them? Ah but I’m not a natural evangelist, I’m not brave, I’m not a natural communicator, my best efforts are poor, I’m not… I’m not… I’m not…
You don’t have to be God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Christ’s power is what counts not your power.
We need to learn the lesson from the Corinthians, the lesson they needed to learn. Gospel ministry is cross shaped – Paul makes that point as he ends his letter 13:4 “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God's power we will live with him in our dealing with you.”
We began the weekend thinking that if you are a Christian you are a minister of the gospel. We end with the reminder to learn the lesson – Gospel Ministry is cross shaped. It looks weak but God makes it strong.
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