Contemplate these questions as you dwell in 2 Corinthians 12:11-21:

1. Paul discusses his reluctance to boast about his extraordinary experiences but emphasizes the importance of his sufferings as proof of his servitude to Christ. In what ways can believers strike a balance between acknowledging remarkable spiritual experiences and embracing humility in their hardships and trials as a testament to their faith?

2. The passage highlights Paul's concerns about the Corinthian congregation's response to his teachings and the persistence of sinful behaviors. How can believers today examine their lives in light of their faith, ensuring that they are not only hearing the Gospel but allowing it to transform their actions and behaviors?

3. Paul expresses fear that his return to Corinth might reveal unchanged sinful practices among the believers. Reflecting on this, how can individuals approach personal spiritual growth and repentance, ensuring that the teachings they receive are internalized and manifested in their daily lives?

Transcript:

This chapter starts out in a rather interesting way with Paul saying that he has been a fool. Now, what he is meaning here is that he has told this story that we saw on Friday about being taken into heaven, and he didn't want to tell it. He didn't feel that it was necessary, but he was forced to do it. And we see that here, as he says, You forced me to it. He doesn't feel that it was necessary to do this because he has the testimony of the Gospel. He has the testimony of how he has been a faithful servant of Christ in the midst of persecution. He sees that as far more valuable as this ascent that he experienced, whether it was in the body or out of the body. Remember, he didn't know. But Paul wants them to understand that he was not at all inferior to these super apostles who were bragging of their experiences. He's saying, Hey, I was never inferior to them. Whether I tell you that experience or not, or whether we just trust the testimony that I've made and the fact that I am a faithful servant of Christ, I was better than them all along.

You should have trusted what I had to say. I was out for your own good. But notice what Paul says here. He says, Even though I'm nothing. Even after being able to claim this experience, he is not boasting in himself. He is boasting in Christ. He is boasting in the gift that he has been given of the message of the gospel, and he sees it, and it's so important we understand this. He sees it as so vital that he is suffering, that this is proof of his willingness to be a servant. This is proof of what God is doing in his life. But he also says, Hey, I performed some other signs among you. He says, You should have believed us when we did these signs and wonders in your presence. He's saying, This confirmed the fact that we were servants of Jesus, that we were messengers from God, and that we had authority, but they didn't trust it. Now, it's important that we understand this idea of miracles and the signs and wonders that were going on. We always think that these were happening on a regular basis in Bible times, but usually they were happening at periods of great revelation.

They were happening to show the authority of the speaker. We see miracles from Jesus to show us that He has the authority to teach. We see examples of where Jesus multiplies the bread. Well, and this is basically letting us know that as Moses brought the manna in the wilderness, Jesus brings the bread in the wilderness to the other people. Jesus is someone who speaks with authority. He has the same authority, our greater authority even, than Moses. That is the idea behind miracles. It's not to pull a miracle out of the hat when you feel like it or for a parlor trip or whatever. The idea behind the miracles is to show the authority to teach. That's what Paul is saying here. Paul is planning to come. He says a lot of stuff in this passage here where he is concerned about the fact that they didn't trust what was happening. They felt as though maybe they were being negative or they were being... They were trying to take advantage of them in some way. And he says, Did we do this? Did anything we do exhibit this? Have you seen this from us? And so, Paul says, Hey, I'm going to come to you a third time.

And then we see the concern that Paul has and the love that he has for these people. Notice what he says here in verse 21, I fear that when I come again, my God may humble me before you. In other words, Paul had some good feelings. He felt good about the way he left, and now he's worried that he is going to be humbled by the fact that their lives didn't change the way in which he had hoped that they still were dealing with some sinful issues. And he says that this is going to cause him to mourn because he said, I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they practice. He had hoped that all these issues that he addressed in 1 Corinthians, that those things had been put away and the issues that he would have seen when he was there, he was worried that they would still be doing those things and they were not truly believing and trusting in God for what he can do for them. So, as we think about this passage and we consider what it means for us, we need to be thinking about what Paul says about this, this idea of being humbled.

Paul is worried about the fact that his teaching didn't have much effect on the people in Corinthians, but are we remaining in sin? Have we been humbled before God? As we've heard the word, it is we have been convicted of sin, have we been humbled over the fact that we haven't been able to put it away, perhaps, as we should? We know the truth of the Gospel. We've heard the truth of the Gospel. But yet at times, we struggle with sin. And so may we be humbled. May we not think more highly of ourselves as we ought. May we be willing to assess our lives, to think about our sin, and desire to put it away, desire to serve Christ in faithfulness, that he may receive all the glory. So may we seek out ways in which we can put our sin away. May we hear the word and trust that that Holy Spirit that is in us will be working in us. May our lives glorify Christ through our obedience to Him.