God Speaks
This boasting is all so foolish, but let me go on. Let me tell about the visions I’ve had, and revelations from the Lord.
2-3 Fourteen years ago I was taken up to heaven* for a visit. Don’t ask me whether my body was there or just my spirit, for I don’t know; only God can answer that. But anyway, there I was in paradise, 4 and heard things so astounding that they are beyond a man’s power to describe or put in words (and anyway I am not allowed to tell them to others). 5 That experience is something worth bragging about, but I am not going to do it. I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his glory. 6 I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, but I don’t want anyone to think more highly of me than he should from what he can actually see in my life and my message.
7 I will say this: because these experiences I had were so tremendous, God was afraid I might be puffed up by them; so I was given a physical condition which has been a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to hurt and bother me and prick my pride. 8 Three different times I begged God to make me well again.
9 Each time he said, “No. But I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people.” Now I am glad to boast about how weak I am; I am glad to be a living demonstration of Christ’s power, instead of showing off my own power and abilities. 10 Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite happy about “the thorn,” and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong—the less I have, the more I depend on him.
11 You have made me act like a fool—boasting like this—for you people ought to be writing about me and not making me write about myself. There isn’t a single thing these other marvelous fellows have that I don’t have too, even though I am really worth nothing at all. 12 When I was there I certainly gave you every proof that I was truly an apostle, sent to you by God himself, for I patiently did many wonders and signs and mighty works among you. 13 The only thing I didn’t do for you, which I do everywhere else in all other churches, was to become a burden to you—I didn’t ask you to give me food to eat and a place to stay. Please forgive me for this wrong!
14 Now I am coming to you again, the third time; and it is still not going to cost you anything, for I don’t want your money. I want you! And anyway, you are my children, and little children don’t pay for their father’s and mother’s food—it’s the other way around; parents supply food for their children. 15 I am glad to give you myself and all I have for your spiritual good, even though it seems that the more I love you, the less you love me.
16 Some of you are saying, “It’s true that his visits didn’t seem to cost us anything, but he is a sneaky fellow, that Paul, and he fooled us. As sure as anything he must have made money from us some way.”
17 But how? Did any of the men I sent to you take advantage of you? 18 When I urged Titus to visit you and sent our other brother with him, did they make any profit? No, of course not. For we have the same Holy Spirit and walk in each other’s steps, doing things the same way.
19 I suppose you think I am saying all this to get back into your good graces. That isn’t it at all. I tell you, with God listening as I say it, that I have said this to help you, dear friends—to build you up spiritually—and not to help myself. 20 For I am afraid that when I come to visit you I won’t like what I find, and then you won’t like the way I will have to act. I am afraid that I will find you quarreling, and envying each other, and being angry with each other, and acting big, and saying wicked things about each other, and whispering behind each other’s backs, filled with conceit and disunity. 21 Yes, I am afraid that when I come God will humble me before you and I will be sad and mourn because many of you have sinned before and don’t even care about the wicked, impure things you have done: your lust and immorality, and the taking of other men’s wives.
Source: The Living Bible: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Paul continued his “boasting” by mentioning a visit to heaven. Some translators and commentators say this was Paul himself, others do not. Either way, the person was not allowed to give details of the awe-inspiring visit. Then Paul went on to discuss his “thorn in the flesh.” My thinking is that if it wasn’t Paul, why would God need to give him the thorn in the flesh to keep him humble? How was it a messenger from Satan? On this, his third visit, Paul was saddened by the fact that if the people of the Corinthian church didn’t change their attitudes and behavior, he would have to be very stern with them. He didn’t want to be so negative, but there were major sins (affronts to both God and Paul) that he and they would have to correct. Paul was writing as a very concerned spiritual father who wanted the best for and from his spiritual children.
Prayer: Dear God who reveals His plans to His children through experiences, visions, dreams, but most of all through the Scriptures, thank You for Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” You used it to help Paul (and all believers) to grasp the fact that Your power is made completely evident in our weaknesses. Your grace is more than sufficient when we rest our trust in You. When we admit our weakness, the great I AM is strong! May everything I do be done with great perseverance for the sake of those to whom You have called me to minister out of love for them and You. I must confess (even though You already know). Should Jesus come back right now, He would find “quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20 NIV) in members of His body. Please apply the forgiveness and cleansing provided by the cross to me and other believers who have done any of these things. Help us to repent and turn from “impurity, sexual sin and debauchery” (2 Corinthians 12:21 NIV) as well. Only You can save us from our sins and from ourselves. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will call, write, or visit the spiritual or physical children God has given me to see how they are becoming more like Christ and less like the world.
- I will talk with the Lord about ways that I can help them grow in Christlikeness.
- I will check my own thoughts and behavior to see if I am drifting toward worldly attitudes or actions.
- I will do spiritual warfare praying on their behalf asking the Lord to equip them (and me) with the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) and to develop in us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.