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Rightly Dividing
the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
Established
November 2008 Published Weekly on Friday
This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior, who desires all men (and women) to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:3-4)
2 Corinthians (12:1-10)
(Lesson 26)
As we prepare to begin
chapter 12, let’s remember to thank God for His written Word and this fresh,
new day in which to study it. I also
pray that the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation
in the knowledge of Him (Ephesians 1:17).
Welcome to HBS.
Last week we left
our Apostle Paul defending his apostolic authority and his gospel by adopting one
of the schemes of the false apostles, i.e. boasting, and using it against them (11:17).
The Jewish intruders had “captured” the Corinthians attention with their
false teaching, tuning Paul out, effectively. Paul decided, if foolishness rules the day, then let there be foolishness, if this is what it takes to win back these Believer’s
confidence in his leadership and his gospel: But in whatever respect anyone
else is bold – I speak foolishness – I am just as bold myself (11:21b). He planned to meet his opposition point for
point, which he did commendably; in other areas he exceeded them (11:22-29).
********
Introduction to
Chapter 12
In chapter 11 Paul
listed his apostolic credentials, which included his trials as a missionary for
the Lord, hopefully clearing the air about senseless boasting. Yet we find his foolish boasting continues on into
chapter 12. In their list of accusations
against Paul the false apostles had
stated he had zero visions and revelations. If he were a
true apostle, these would have been included in his letter of recommendation. Since
they had compelled him to boast, he
decided to mention in brief an event that occurred 14 years before. This is why Paul feels it necessary to go on to visions and revelations of the
Lord.
********
Please
open your Bible at 2 Corinthians 12:1.
Paul’s Vision
2 Corinthians 12
*Below
are two Bible verses. One is taken from
the NASB Bible and the other is taken from the KJV Bible. Note the differences.
1: Boasting
is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions
and revelations of the Lord (NASB).
1: It is not expedient
for me doubtless to glory (boast). I will come to visions and revelations of the
Lord (KJV).
I
wanted y’all to see how the NASB and KJV Bible translations appeared in print. One would have to study their Bibles to
understand the meaning of the word boasting
(NASB). Some people assign a meaning
to a word too quickly. This is why we
are to study our Bible. This word can
have two meanings. It can mean to brag,
or show off. This was one of the charges the Jewish
intruders brought against Paul. They
accused him of boasting in just
about every situation, which means every time he spoke. However
Paul explains the reason for his boasting
in 2 Corinthians 10:8, 13, 11:10.
As
Paul used the word here it means: to rejoice, as in victory. If we rewrote this sentence using today’s
English, it could appear like this: “It is not profitable, for me to rejoice too victoriously! I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.”
Visions – the Greek word for
this term is Optasia (op-tas-ee’-ah),
Noun Feminine, Strong’s Greek #3701, meaning:
a sight, an appearance presented
to someone whether asleep or awake.
Revelations – the Greek word for
this term is Apokalupsis (ap-ok-al-oop-sis),
Noun Feminine, Strong’s Greek #602, meaning:
a disclosure of truth, instruction
concerning things before unknown; manifestation, appearance.
To
be brief, visions are seen and revelations heard, and
it’s important we understand when our Apostle Paul saw the Lord, he also heard
Him; this is what he means to say in 12:1.
As I like to say, Paul received his marching orders from Head-quarters! He wasn’t a free agent like the false
apostles. Paul’s experiences with
the Lord began on the Damascus Road (Acts 9).
This is where he saw and heard the Lord Jesus Christ as the
twelve never did. Paul saw Him in His risen glory; shining brighter than the
sun. This is what caused Saul to be blinded,
knocking him off his horse to the ground (Acts 9:3-9). As the text explains, Christ appeared to Saul to reveal something to him: But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared
to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which
you have (what) seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you
(Acts 26:16). Meaning, further revelations were coming all pertaining
to the mysteries of God’s grace (Ephesians
3:1-11).
Not
long after his conversion, when Paul returned to Jerusalem, he again saw and heard the Lord. Please turn
with me in your Bible to Acts 22:17-18: It happened when I returned to Jerusalem
and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, and I saw Him saying
to me, “Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem
quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ “They”
were the Jews and Paul’s testimony concerned the
Lord’s program for the current dispensation of God’s Grace. So this was in keeping with the Lord’s
earlier promise to appear to Paul
and reveal further revelations. Now, here we are about 25 years later,
and Paul writes, I will go on to visions
and revelations of the Lord. I’ve only
shown you two examples, however, Paul had more visions and revelations recorded
in this book (Acts 16:9-10, 18:9-11,
27:23-25).
Let’s
move on to verse 2.
2: I know a man in
Christ who fourteen years ago – whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not
know, God knows – such a man was caught up to the third heaven (where God
resides).
I know a man in
Christ – Paul
could just as easily speak of a woman in
Christ because this book says: And He died for all, so that they
who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose
again on their behalf (2 Corinthians 5:15 – Berean Literal Bible). This comment means nothing more than this man was united to Christ because he
exercised his faith in the gospel
(Romans 16:7).
Why
doesn’t Paul identify himself as “the man”
who had this vision? Why does he narrate this story in the
third-person, when the given details indicate a personal experience? No one knows.
I wanted y’all to know that. For
me to guess would only serve to add one more opinion to that growing list of wide-ranging
ideas. We do know Paul preferred to glory (boast) in his weakness unlike the super apostles (11:30).
Paul
states this event occurred fourteen
years ago, but Paul doesn’t say
where this event took place. We know
this letter was written around 58 AD, which means this event occurred around
the year 44 AD, several years after his conversion. He could be referring to the event that took
place in Lystra. He was stoned by some Jews who had came from Antioch and Iconium, and won over the crowds; becoming
an unruly mob they stoned Paul, dragged
him outside the city and left him there for dead. But
while his disciples stood around, he got up and entered the city (Acts 14:19-20). But, again, this book does not say.
Let’s
go to verses 3-4.
And I know how such
a man- whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows – was caught up into Paradise (i.e. God’s
presence) and heard inexpressible
words, which a man is not permitted to
speak.
Whether in the body
or apart from the body I do not know - Paul repeats this phrase (12:2-3)
emphasizing the fact that he didn’t know what happened. So if you’re wondering was he carried bodily up to heaven, or did his spirit
separate itself from his body and travel
to heaven alone, Paul doesn’t know –either
one was possible.
Paul
only mentions two things: he was caught up and he heard inexpressible words.
Permit
me to ask you a question. Where else in
scripture do you find Paul using the words “caught up?” Permit me to direct your attention to 1
Thessalonians 4:16-17: For the Lord Himself will descend from
heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel and with the (single) trumpet
of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive and remain will be (what) caught up together with them (waiting there) in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air,
and so we shall always be with the Lord.
The
Greek word for caught is Harpazo (har-pad’-zo), Verb, Strong’s
Greek # 726, meaning: to seize, to snatch out of the way, to carry
off. The Apostle Luke’s usage of the
word in Acts 8:39-40 denotes the Spirit physically seizing Phillip and transporting him to another geographic location
straight away.
In
Paul’s situation, it denotes a powerful action of God. Paul said he was snatched away to the third
heaven or Paradise, i.e. God’s
presence where he heard inexpressible
words, which a man is not permitted to speak.
This could mean Paul was instructed, i.e. commanded to remain silent
about what he saw and heard while there. It could also mean Paul’s silence was due to
the fact that there are no words in the human vocabulary to fully express what
he saw and heard (See 1 Corinthians 2:9).
In any case, here he is fourteen
years later and Paul still remains silent about this experience except to
say, “I know a man…:” unlike his
rivals who freely talk about their so-called experiences and while doing so
call into question the genuineness of those experiences.
In
verse 5 Paul remarks: On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on
my own behalf I will not boast, except in
regard to my weaknesses.
Notice
Paul maintains the distinction between the narrator and the individual (writing
in the third person) up until the second half of this verse. Paul essentially says that this “nameless”
man who had the vision really had
something to boast about. But Paul, himself, could only boast in his weaknesses, which was exactly what he did in 2 Corinthians
11:23-30.
Verse
6:
6: For if I do wish
to boast I will not be foolish, (how can I be) for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no one will credit
me with more than he sees in me
or hears from me.
This
verse is loaded with sarcasm and it’s aimed at his accusers. For if
I do wish to boast I will not be foolish – If Paul chooses to boast in something other than his weaknesses, he would not be making a fool of himself, as the Jewish
intruders were. Why - because unlike his
rivals, who had an exaggerated opinion of themselves that had little or no
foundation in reality or truth, he would be speaking the truth. The false apostles
flaunted their past experiences and credentials, which the Corinthian Believers
only heard about; there were no
witnesses to support their claims. Whereas,
our Apostle ministered to these Corinthians, up close and personal, for
eighteen months (Acts 18:1-11).
Therefore, Paul’s saying, “Do not
credit me with what I have not shown you,
but with what I have done while among you – you’ve seen my work!”
Let’s
go to verse 7.
A Thorn in the Flesh
2 Corinthians 12
7: Because of the surpassing
greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting
myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to
torment me – to keep me from exalting myself!
I’m
reminded of another individual’s extraordinary experience with the Sovereign
God recorded for us in the O.T. which also came at personal expense. When Jacob wrestled with God at the Jabbok
River, he hobbled away from that experience with a permanent limp (Genesis
32:25). Here Paul said after he entered Paradise (the third heaven), where God
lives, he came away with a permanent thorn
in his flesh.
Trying
to determine what Paul meant by his thorn
in the flesh has generated a lot of scholarly debate over the centuries but
zero answers. No one knows. The word thorn
in the Greek is Skolops (skol’-ops),
Noun Masculine, Strong’s Greek #4647, meaning:
a pointed piece of wood, a sharp
stake, splinter, i.e. something pointed such as a fishing hook. Because it’s located in his flesh people assume he’s referring to a
physical disorder such as epilepsy, a speech impediment, migraine headaches, or
an eye malady of some sort. Scripture
gives some credence to an eye problem.
Paul spoke of the large letters he used in writing to the Galatians
(Galatians 6:11). He also said the Galatians would have plucked out their
own eyes and given them to him (Galatians 4:13-15). But his eye problem may have been related to aging,
a chronic eye disease, the stoning he received at Lystra, or any one of the
numerous beatings he received from his tormentors; did you ever see a boxer’s
eye after one 12-round bout? Paul
survived several beatings. I wouldn’t be so quick to affix Paul’s thorn in the flesh to his eye problem without
more scriptural evidence to support it.
Following
the Rule of First Mention, we know the devil afflicted Job with a physical
malady and the LORD God permitted it (Job 2:3-7; See also Luke 13:16). Therefore we have scriptural support for the
idea that the thorn in the flesh
Paul speaks of can be something physical.
But we’d be joining the ranks of the opinionates if we tried to hang it
on any one thing in particular. So, we do
the right thing by leaving it where we found it and come to terms with Paul’s
statement as to its purpose; it was a
messenger of Satan (meant) to
torment Paul – to keep him from exalting himself!
It’s
important we understand God gave this thorn
to Paul, and He directed Satan to send a
messenger to torment (buffet) him. The
term messenger, Aggelos in the Greek language,
indicates a demonic agent or envoy. This word in both Hebrew and Greek can be
translated “angel.” We know from Paul’s teachings Satan is the
god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), he is able to masquerade as an angel of
light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and he uses his servants (false apostles) to
accomplish his will in the world and
within the church (2 Corinthians 11:15).
However,
God uses Satan as an instrument of good (Job 2:6; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy
1:20). Here Satan is portrayed as God’s
instrument in preparing Paul for effective
service even though the good is
defined as a negative. Whether Satan is
aware of this or even admits to this is of no consequence. God is always in control.
The
thorn was a constant torment for Paul. The Greek word for torment is Kolaphizo (kol-af-id’-zo),
Verb, Strong’s Greek #2852, meaning: to strike with the fist; to maltreat, treat
with violence (See 1 Corinthians 4:11).
Paul’s not speaking of an isolated incident; the present tense speaks of
frequent bouts of pain. It repeatedly troubled
him.
Verses
8-9:
Concerning this I
implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, “My grace is
sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast
about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Concerning this – What the
Corinthians and the false apostles are seeing is Paul’s encouraging assessment
of his thorn in the flesh after fourteen years. But when he first received it he was so troubled
by this messenger of Satan he implored the Lord three times that
it might leave. Paul prayed three times. This may reflect the Hebrew practice of
praying three times daily, simply
praying on three separate occasions,
or praying three times in succession
as in Mark 14:32-42.
I implored the Lord
that it might leave me – Paul’s request is to the Lord and not to the Father (Philippians 4:6). He specifically asks that this thorn be taken away, i.e. to leave
me. It doesn’t surprise me Paul
wanted nothing more to do with “it.” I’m
sure he found it “frustrating” in addition to being a frequent torment.
When
we Believers find ourselves struggling with an illness or an overwhelming problem,
don’t we usually pray to the Father, in Jesus name, asking for it to be taken away?
There’s nothing wrong with this.
Paul instructs Believers to rejoice always; pray without
ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Even the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed to the Father three times saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not
My will, but Yours be done.”
(Luke 22:42)
Please
note Paul did not say God will answer your
prayers the way you want them answered.
He did say, rejoice always; pray
without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in
Christ Jesus. We know Paul’s prayer and
Jesus Christ’s prayer were not answered
the way they requested it. Paul’s thorn remained and the Lord’s cup was not removed.
While
I’m on this principle, we also know you cannot say these two individuals did
not have their prayers answered because they didn’t have enough faith. So much for the “faith healers” who typically
try to convince their audience God wants them to be well through faith and most
often through the giving of financial offerings combined with their faith. They say God will reward their faith by
healing them through the power of Jesus.
God
has the power to heal anyone at anytime; however, the question is whether or
not He chooses to do this through these men and women who call themselves faith healers at another’s expense. This book says God uses problems, which may
include sickness in people’s lives, for His purposes (Romans 8:17; 2
Corinthians 1:5, 7; Philippians 3:10).
Our needs become God’s special opportunities to reveal Himself and His
will to us and through us. (See the life
and ministry of our Apostle Paul).
And He has said to
me, My grace is sufficient for you – First, God answered his prayer, but Paul
didn’t get what he wanted. Second, there
is a sense of finality about this expression.
In other words, what God has said is not subject to change or
revision. Meaning, more prayers from Paul
aren’t going to change God’s mind or His plan.
Instead, Paul was granted the grace
to bear up under it. The Lord will
continue to support him and their ministry; and this thorn in the flesh would not hinder its progress for it is sufficient
to meet his every need. That’s
the power of Grace.
Paul
was burdened by many afflictions and trials, including the daily pressure of concern for
all the churches before he received the
thorn in the flesh. This was just
one more problem added to the pile, so to speak, that had to be dealt with. Paul was desperate for relief. There are two ways of finding relief from a
problem. No, running away isn’t
one. It can come by removing the load or
by strengthening the shoulders that bears that load. Instead of removing the thorn, God provided the grace
to bear it. In a nutshell, the
promise from God to Paul is that whenever the
messenger of Satan afflicts him, he will be given sufficient strength to endure
it.
Most gladly,
therefore, I will rather boast (rejoice) about my weaknesses (his infirmities), so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. I doubt the Corinthians or the false apostles understood what Paul
meant to say here because most people today fail to pick up on it. Remember what’s been said about Paul by these
same false apostles and by some of the Corinthians. The false
apostles claimed that God’s power is best seen through visions, the workings of signs,
miracles, and wonders (2
Corinthians 12:1, 12). But here, Paul
maintains God’s power is most
effectively made known in and through the Believer’s weakness (1 Corinthians 1:26-29; 2 Corinthians 12:9).
This
is why Paul can say in verse 10: Therefore I am well content with
weaknesses… and not I “delight in”
as the NIV translates it. With insults, with distresses, with
persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I
am strong. Paul gives another list (four
examples) of the troubles he has endured for Christ’s sake. All four of
these troubles Paul faced on the missionary road. We’ve looked at them before, so I don’t think
we need to go over them again.
I
would like to examine this phrase though:
for when I am weak, then I am
strong. This inconsistency is noted
by all. How can Paul be weak and strong simultaneously? Some
conclude whenever God’s faithful servants humble
themselves, acknowledging their weaknesses,
Christ’s power is then able to flow
through them. But Paul’s point
throughout has been Christ’s power is
perfected in, not in spite of, weakness.
Paul is saying the weaknesses
themselves represent the effective working of Christ. God’s power operates by different criteria
than mankinds. God receives the glory when the Believer is weak and is incapable of meeting
his/her own needs. The more they are
subjected to pressure and to trials,
then God’s strength is imparted to them enabling them to bear up under those pressures and trials. In fact, the more trials they encounter the
more they look to God for His divine grace,
which brings us back to Paul’s statement, “for
when I am weak, then I am strong – in Grace.
One
biblical example is Samson who God endowed with great strength, but in the end
his herculean strength brought about his ruin (Judges 16:18-30). He found his strength, one last time, in the
LORD God which teaches us that: enduring strength lies in God alone.
Who
isn’t familiar with the Christian painting called “Footprints in the Sand,”
which serves to remind Believers that God’s all sufficient grace carries us through our times of trouble to joyous
victory over our afflictions and trials each and every day?
(To
be continued)
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s Ministry
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