2 Corinthians 12

OGC

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**Butler’s Commentary

Chapter Twelve**

THE PROBLEM OF WEAKNESSES

(2 Corinthians 12:1-21)

IDEAS TO INVESTIGATE:

Why does Paul hesitate to say he is the man who was caught up into Paradise?

What is Paradise? Where is it? Why couldn-’t Paul tell about it?

Why, after all he had to suffer, was Paul given a thorn in the flesh?

Why did Paul refuse to burden the Corinthian church to support him?

Was there still impurity, immorality and licentiousness going on in the Corinthian church? What would Paul do about it?

APPREHENSIONS:

Why was Paul so adamantly opposed to boasting (comparing ministries)?

How many visions and revelations did Paul have?

Why does he speak of himself in the third person (I know a man)?

What is the third heaven? What is the first heaven and the second heaven?

Just what does the Bible say about Paradise?

Why is Paul unable to speak about his trip to Paradise?

What is the meaning of the Greek word skolopsi translated, thorn?

Was Paul’s thorn in the flesh really some physical problem? How do you know?

What is the theological problem about Paul’s thorn in the flesh?

What does Paul say was the purpose of his thorn in the flesh?

How is God’s power brought to its goal or aim in human weakness?

How did God answer Paul’s prayer for the thorn to be taken away?

What did God teach Paul about the proper attitude toward weaknesses?

Why did those opposing Paul accuse him of being weak? What did they see in him which they considered weakness?

How did Paul refute their accusations of weakness?

APPLICATIONS:

Is it wrong for preachers to glorify God for what they have sacrificed in the cause of Christ? Always wrong? Sometimes right? When? Why?

Do you know religious leaders today who boast about the revelations and visions they have had? What does Paul’s reluctance to do so say about their eagerness to do so?

If you had been caught up to Paradise and had seen it, could you keep from telling about it even if God told you to keep silent?

What do you know about Paradise? What does it do for your spiritual life? Are you anxious to go there?

Do you have a thorn in the flesh? Have you ever had one? Do you expect to have one?

What have your weaknesses taught you?

Is God’s grace sufficient for you? If that was all you had in this world, right now, would you be well-pleased? Why?

Do you find yourself having your spiritual powers increased when your physical powers are decreased? Which do you prefer?

What does it take to make you content?

Would you consider yourself wronged if you could not contribute financial support to the work of the gospel? Deeply wrong?

Are you willing to spend and be spent (exhausted in resources and strength) for the church (Christians)? Is it necessary? What would happen if you did?

Can speaking build up the church? Speaking as Paul spoke?

Is such speaking being done? If not, why not?

Do you mourn over people’s spiritual weaknesses as much as you mourn their physical weaknesses? Should you?

Is there impurity, immorality and licentiousness in the modern church of Christ? What should be done about it? How do we bring that about?

Special Study THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

Condensed from Introduction to PhilosophyA Christian Perspective, by Norman L. Geisler and Paul D, Feinberg, pub. by Baker book House.

Three basic ways of relating God and evil.

One may affirm the reality of evil and deny God (atheism)

One may affirm God and deny the reality of evil (pantheism)

One may attempt to show the compatibility of God and evil

Atheism: Denying the reality of God If God exists, He is not essentially good.

Either (A) morality is right because God willed it or else (B) he willed it because it is right.

But if (A), then God is arbitrary about what is right, and He is not essentially good.

And if (B), then God is not ultimate, since He is subject to some standard beyond Himself.

But in either caseif God is not essentially good or not ultimateGod is not what theists claim Him to be

Therefore, no theistic God exists.

Answers:

Good is based on God’s will but God is sovereign and not arbitrary.

God’s nature is the ultimate norm in accordance with which His will cooperates. God wills what is essentially good without there being some ultimate standard beyond Himself. The ultimate norm for all good flows from the will of God but only in accordance with the nature of God. God is neither arbitrary nor less than ultimate.

Atheism: God should destroy all evil.

If God is all-good, He will destroy evil.

If God is all-powerful, He can destroy evil.

But evil is not destroyed.

Therefore, there is no all-good, all-powerful God.

Answers:

Premise No. 3 implies a time limit on God. God may yet destroy evil.

It is possible that there is no way to destroy evil without also destroying the good of permitting free creatures.

The syllogism may be turned around thus:

If God is all-good, He will one day defeat evil.

If God is all-powerful, He can one day defeat evil.

Evil is not yet defeated.

Therefore evil will one day be defeated.

Atheism: God and evil are logically incompatible.

God and evil are opposites.

Opposites cannot exist simultaneously.

But evil exists.

Hence, God cannot exist.

Answers:

The atheist fails to prove that God and evil are actually contradictory. They may be only contrary and not contradictory.

Let us restate the atheistic argument here:

God exists. (1)

Evil exists. (2)

(3) there is no good purpose for evil.

Therefore, both (1) and (2) cannot be true.

But we know (2) is true.

Therefore, God cannot exist. (1)

The difficulty with this atheistic argument is in proving premise (3) to be true. The only way one can be sure God could not possibly have any good purpose for evil is (1) either to already know God is not all good, which begs the question, or (2) to know the mind of God, which is presumptuous for any finite being. If there is an all-good God, it follows automatically that He does have some good purpose for allowing evil, even if no human being knows what that good purpose is.

An important point for the theist to remember. since the point disputed here is logical or conceptual, all the theist needs to do is show some possible explanation for evil to defeat the non-theist’s claim. Theists are not obligated to show in fact that this is the case.

THEISM’S ANSWER TO EVIL

God permits evil in order to produce a greater good.

God freely created the world, not because He had to, but because He wanted to do so.

God created creatures like Himself who could freely love Him. But such creatures could also hate Him.

God desires all men to love Him, but will not force any against their will to love Him. Forced love is not love. It is rape.

God will persuade as many to love Him as He can (2 Peter 3:9). God will grant those who will not love Him their free choiceforever (hell).

God’s love is magnified when we return His love (since He first loved us) as well as when we do not. It shows how great He is that He will love even those who hate Him.

Thus, in the end the greatest good will be achieved in several ways:

God will have shared His love with all men.

God will have saved as many as He could without violating their free choice (1 Timothy 2:1; 2 Peter 3:9).

Those not saved will be given their own freely-chosen destiny; thus the good of their freedom will be respected.

Throughout all God will be glorified in that (a) His sovereign will has prevailed: (b) His love is magnified whether it is accepted or rejected (c) He has defeated evil by forgiving sin (through the cross) and by separating good from evil forever (through the final judgment). And (3) He has produced the best world achievable (where the most men possible are saved and secured from evil forever).

There are two very important aspects of this theodicy that should be stressed:

It is a best-way (versus a best-world) theodicy. That is, this present evil world is not the best world possible, but it is the best way to achieve the best world. Permitting evil is a precondition of producing the best world (Romans 5:20; Genesis 50:20).

This solution is not a soul-making but a soul-deciding theodicy. God is not conceived as a cosmic behavioral manipulator who is programming people into heaven against their will. God operates with men only with their informed consent.

God never goes beyond freedom and dignity to save men at any costnot at the cost of their freedom or dignity.

Whosoever will may come, but whoever won-’t will not be forced to come. In a truly free world, God cannot make souls act against their will. He can only lovingly persuade them and then respect their decisionwhatever it may be.

Special Study IS THERE DEMON POSSESSION TODAY AS THERE WAS DURING THE TIME OF CHRIST’S INCARNATE MINISTRY?

It is my opinion that there is no demon possession of human beings today in the precise manner such as manifested in the phenomenal way it was during Christ’s incarnate ministry (and perhaps as it was during the remainder of the ascendancy of the Roman empire).

It is my opinion that the binding of Satan in Revelation 20:1-6 was initiated and resulted from the redemptive work of Christ in His Incarnation. It was completed when the beast of the 4th universal empire (as Daniel predicted), Rome, fell. At that time, it is my opinion, demon possession, as manifested in the Gospels and Acts apparently was to cease. All binding of Satan is relative. He has always been bound to some degree or other due to the fact that God is Almighty. God is the only being who is Almighty. It is my opinion a part of Satan’s binding has to do with the restriction imposed by God so that Satan’s demons are no longer able to possess human bodies as they were during the time of Christ’s incarnation.

To have this opinion does not mean I deny the power of Satan to deceive the minds of people today who deliberately choose to believe falsehood perpetrated by lying signs and wonders. If the definition of demon possession means simply that Satan has captured the minds of men by unbelief, I would agree.

Satan entered into Judas. (Luke 22:3 and John 13:27) but he was not what other scriptures describe as demon possessed.

Do the alleged demons possessing people today ever enter into animals? (See Matthew 8:28-34; Luke 8:26-36; Mark 5:1-16.)

Do the alleged demons possessing people today ever testify to the identity and deity of Christ or the messengers of Christ and what their work is? (See Acts 16:17; Acts 19:15; Matthew 8:29; Mark 1:24 and above references.)

Do the alleged demons possessing people today ever speak out as recognizable separate individualsdefinitively separate from the human whose body they possess?

How may demons (alleged) today be exorcised? Is the exorcism always miraculous and always instantaneous? If not, is it simply a matter of conversion by the power of the gospel regenerating the mind through preaching and teaching? When there is an unsuccessful exorcism, or casting out, are those possessed by alleged demons doomed to suffer such possession until they die?

Only Jesus could give power to exorcise demons. That was a direct gift and a supernatural power. It apparently did not require being a born again believer to receive this powerJudas apparently was given this powerhe was one of the twelve (cf. Matthew 10:1; Matthew 10:8).

On the other hand, many pseudo-faith-healers today, and ministers from all differing theological and doctrinal positions, claim they have cast out or exorcised demons. Whom are we to believe? Who has that power today among all who claim it? What are we to conclude from their claims? Who is to decide which are real demons and real exorcists? By what criteria?

Demons in the scripture were not ecto-plasmthey were (and still are, in the abyss) real persons!

The psychic powers of the human mind over matter have been well documented. What some think is demon possession could very well be such psycho-somatic phenomena. Voodooism may be classified under this heading.

The most destructive power of the devil is not possession of a human body but a mind or soul (cf. Matthew 10:28). It appears that while demons possessed bodies of some humans during Christ’s incarnationthe mind or soul of that person was not possessed. Demons merely troubled humans (Luke 6:18); they drove people to do, physically, what they did (Luke 8:29).

Of all the miraculous gifts the Corinthian Christians were given, exorcism of the demon-possessed was not among them (I Cor. ch. 12-14).

How do we know when someone is demon possessed? What is the criteria by which distinction is made between demon possession and epilepsy, mental illness, perverted maliciousness and crazed murderousness (e.g. Hitler, de Sade, etc.)?

Is it not possible that all the mania for the occult and the practice of it is being used by the devil to get people to think he has powers which he does not really have (Revelation 13:13-15)?

If demon possession could only come to those who were willing was the little daughter of the Syro-Phoenician woman a willing victim? In other words, demon possession had nothing to do with the willingness of the possessed. Therefore, exorcism was not done by conversion but by the exercise of divine authority in a miraculous way.

It seems apparent that only Jesus and the apostles, or specially endowed disciples (Luke 10:1-42) could exorcise demons. This they did, not by conversion but by miracle. There is no evidence from the scriptures that this miraculous power could be given by any other than Christ Himself and that while He was in His incarnate ministry.

If miracles of healing, speaking in foreign languages, prophecy, including discernment of spirits (1 Corinthians 12:10), etc., ceased with the end of the New Testament era and the death of the apostles (or the ones to whom the apostles imparted these gifts), so that we can only be certain of the documented miracles of Scripture, then the same principle ought to be applied, for the same reason, to demon possession and exorcism. Otherwise, we are in a quandary to decide about modern claims of demon possession and exorcism among religious groups from one end of the doctrinal spectrum to the other. There are also pagan exorcists making claims.

There really is not any documentation of demon possession in the Old Testament such as occurred during the Incarnation (with an exception or two, e.g. King Saul).

It appears, then, that demon possession in the precise manner in which it occurred during Christ’s incarnate ministry was uniquely for the purpose of affording historical evidence that Christ (and His apostles) possessed the Sovereign Spirit of Godthat their message was one of victory and power over Satan and all of hell.

A recent case in point, excerpts from article in Joplin, Mo., Globe, 3-8-81:

Catholic priests were attempting to rid an 11 year old boy in Brookfield, Conn. of demons. (The boy’s name is unknown.)

A 19 year old friend was watching these sessions, challenged the demons to take me on. Control me. Leave this boy alone, acc. to tape recordings of the sessions. (Arne Johnson) was the friend. Johnson allegedly stabbed to death a co-worker (Alan Bono) after Bono had quarreled at Bono’s apartment. Johnson is now pleading that he is not responsible for his acts because of demonic possession. Ed and Lorraine Warren, who worked on the Amityville Horror case were asked to help the boy who appeared to be possessed (the 11 year old boy). Warrens said they found movement of objects and frightening manifestations in the house. The Warrens said the boy was indeed possessed, and he seemed to be possessed off and on, 24 hours a day, said one family member. Tape recordings the Warrens made of some of the sessions have the boy making guttural and hissing sounds, cursing his mother, and threatening to stab and kill those present in the room. Photographs of the sessions show family members attempting to restrain the boy, who the Warrens said seemed to have superhuman strength. A priest named Virgulak was called to investigate the case; he has made several reports to the bishop of the diocese, but no public reports. He has declined to discuss the reports but said no formal exorcism has ever been requested or performed on the boy. There were prayer sessions called a deliverance which is supposed to be a lesser form of exorcism that does not require approval of the bishop. The Warrens say Johnson’s attempts to help the boy were amateurish because the only way to order demons out of a person is by using the name of Jesus Christ. Mrs. Warren said, … (Johnson) he challenged what was within the child to take him onand none of us ever do that, not even priests.

Problems with this account:

Based on a number of begging the question statements such as, appeared to be., seemed to be., seemed to have., no public reports., supposed to be., approval of the bishop..

In the name of Jesus means in the Bible, by the authority of Jesus. Does Roman Catholicism have the authority of Jesus to exorcise? The name of Jesus is to be used in exorcism by only those authorized to use it (cf. Acts 19:13-16). Whom are we to believe now has that authorization? What credentials do they present for it? Do such exorcists agree doctrinally with the Word of the Holy Spirit in the Bible? If not, are we to believe they have the power of the Spirit?

There are two Old Testament prophecies, clearly Messianic, which predict the cessation of sorceries and soothsayers (Micah 5:12-13), and unclean spirits or demon-possession (Zechariah 13:2). Homer Hailey, in his book, A Commentary on the Minor Prophets, pub. Baker, sums up Zechariah 13:1-6 in these words, A fountain for sin and uncleanness will be opened for all the people. At that time the falsehood of idols will cease, prophesying will be discontinued, and the unclean spirits will pass out of the land. Mr. Hailey contends that Zechariah 13:1-9 is entirely Messianic and says, Once the foundation was laid and the new revelation was complete, the need for prophets would cease. Daniel indicates the same in a strong Messianic prophecy, when he said of the anointed one, the prince, that He would bring in everlasting righteousness, and seal up vision and prophecy. Likewise, unclean spirits, the antithesis of the prophets, would cease. In the conquest of Christ over Satan and his forces, unclean spirits have ceased to control men as they did in the time of the ministry of Christ and the apostles.

Of course, these prophecies from Micah and Zechariah do not preclude the attempts of human beings and Satan to try to deceive the world that demon possession and sorceries are still supernaturally viable. We believe the Bible clearly indicates what is alleged today to be supernatural demon possession is no longer a possibility. Lying wonders and deceiving signs remain very much a possibility so long as men and women refuse to believe and love the truth and prefer to believe what is false (see 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; 2 Timothy 4:3-4, etc.).

The crucial and ultimate question about modern (alleged) demon possession is: Whose testimony is reliable? Whose testimony is in-errantly, infallibly reliable besides the testimony of the Scriptures? None! Any man today, without the inerrancy and infallibility of the Holy Spirit to verify his experience and accredit his testimony may be either deceived or a deceiver.

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER THE DEVIL CAN ACTUALLY PERFORM SUPERNATURAL DEEDS OR NOT

There is only one Creator. No one else ever creates anything.

God is said to have given the devil permission to take away Job’s property. Job said, The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. The devil did not have that power of his own. He probably tried to get Job to think he did, but Job was not persuaded. Is Job right or wrong? Did God take away, or did the devil?

Can Satan give an order that fire should come down out of heaven or make an image breathe (Revelation 13:11-17). Who is in charge of ordering things in heaven (or on earth)? Satan or God? While men were convinced the beast was invincible (Revelation 13:18), God revealed through John that the beast was human (Revelation 13:18), not supernatural, not divine, not to be worshiped!

Only God is Almighty. How does one distinguish what or who is almighty from that which is not?

If the distinguishing criteria of almightiness appears in two persons or realms, can both be almighty? If only one can be real, what is the other?partly real? It is a law or logic that two contradictory propositions cannot both be true!

If one says we distinguish what we are to believe as actual or real by whether the attending message or doctrine is true and good or not, how does one substantiate which message is good? If we say the message of God does not lie, how do we determine it does not lie? If the devil has supernatural power how are we to determine that his message is not substantiated as good and those who claim to speak for the Lord as bad?

The ethical value of what God says is good cannot be substantiated on the basis of pragmatism (it works) because that makes every person able to say what works for you doesn-’t work for me. The absolute ethical value of God’s statement of good depends on authority. Authority depends on demonstration of faithfulness and sovereignty in the absolute degree. How could that allow for real supernaturalism to be arrogated to someone else?

Did the devil have the real power to produce what he promised in the Garden of Eden? 2 Corinthians 11:3 says he deceived Eve by his cunning to lead her thoughts astray.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 says the devil, through the lawless one, is to do pretended (Gr. pseudo, false, fake) signs and wonders, with all wicked deception (Gr. apate, cheating, beguiling, false impressions, unscrupulous) for those who refuse to love the truth. God will send to them a working (Gr. energeian) of error (Gr. planes, astray, wandering, planet) to believe the lie (Gr. pseudei) for those having not believed the truth, but are having pleasure in unrighteousness.

Does that sound like actual miracles are going to be given to lead people astray?

The supernatural things done by God (and his representatives) are said to be moral facts in themselves which in turn delineate in man’s experience the existence and nature of God (cf. Romans 1:18 ff; Acts 14:15-18; Acts 17:22-31, et al). If there are other supernatural facts being done which are capable of competing on the same level, in the realm of the factual, what do they delineatethat there are two Gods? If these two supernatural facts are both facts, how are we to decide to which one we surrender? The one who seems to have the most workable doctrine?

Is Satan’s power to deceive in the reality of a supernatural event actually done or is it in the interpretation he wishes us to make of the event which appears to be a supernatural event? If it really is a supernatural event accomplished by the devil (or a human being today), what interpretation are we to make?

Paul writes that we should not let the devil defraud us (Gr. pleonektethomen) by being agnostic about his devices (Gr. noemata, mentalitynot miracles) 2 Corinthians 2:11.

The mind is powerful, Ideas and thoughts have tremendous capabilities. Mental, psychological trauma has caused amazing effects over personalities and even over physical functions.

Jesus stated that it was a logical impossibility that Satan would cast out demons for Satan would be defeating himself. Therefore, when demons are really, actually cast out, only the Lord could be doing it. If alleged modern exorcisms are actual, then Jesus is working through Catholicism, through witch-doctors, etc. The Jews of Jesus time did not really cast out demons or they would have had the evidence to really accuse Jesus of blasphemy.

Two passages in Deuteronomy appear to conflict. Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Deuteronomy 18:20-22.

Perhaps Deuteronomy 13:1-5 means, If what a prophet gives as a sign or wonder appears to come to pass, and if he says, Let us go after other gods. do not follow him. his signs are really false.

One should not go after other gods because one knows what has appeared to come to pass, and if he says, Let us go after other gods. do not follow him. his signs are really false. One should not go after other gods because one knows what has appeared to come to pass has only appeared to do so. Only true prophet’s signs and predictions factually come to pass.

Those who did not repent of their sorceries, Revelation 9:21, repented not of pharmakeionthe Greek word for sorceries is the word from which we get English, pharmacy. Is it possible that the sorcerers worked their alleged signs and wonders by chemicals and pharmaceutical properties.

The word translated magic (RSV) in Acts 19:19 is Gr. periergos and means curiosity, inquisitive, or literally, Things that are appearing to worksuperfluous. Things not reality, but things in the realm of question or doubtful.

Elijah’s challenge to the prophets of Baal is instructive. Elijah said, How long will you go limping with two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. And during the contest the prophets of Baal could not call down fire from heaven! Even though they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances until the blood gushed out of them. Here is the time for the devil to do a miracle, if he can!

Let us consider again the text in Job.

God said to Satan, Behold all that he has is in your power.. The Hebrew word is yadeka from yod, literally, Hand. This word is used metonymically for power in Deuteronomy 32:36; 2 Kings 19:26; Job 5:20; Psalms 22:20; Psalms 49:15; Isaiah 37:27; Isaiah 47:14; Daniel 6:27; Hosea 13:14; and Micah 2:1, but never of any supernatural power.

Job’s first disaster was perpetrated by the Sabeans falling upon his servants and slaying animals and servants. The devil could have put it into the minds of men by the vehicle of falsehood (communicated in language) to do this.

Job’s second disaster is said specifically to be the fire of God falling from heaven.

Job’s third disaster was the Chaldeans raiding and slaying with the swordnothing supernatural here. Job’s fourth disaster is the death of his children while they were drinking wine, during a windstorm, Perhaps they were deceived by Satan into getting drunk and could have escaped the windstorm had they not been drunk. This does not necessarily have to be a supernatural, occult, windstorm which the devil workedit could be God’s windstorm.

Job, chapter 2:

God says to the devil, … you moved me against him (2 Corinthians 2:3) to destroy him.. The devil moved God to destroy Job!

The devil says to God, … put forth thy hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. (2 Corinthians 2:5). The devil knows that only God has the supernatural power to touch Job’s flesh.

In 2 Corinthians 2:7 the Hebrew text literally reads, So went out Satan from the face of Jehovah. And *he struck Job with burning ulcers, bad, from the sole of his foot to the top of his head.

Who is the antecedent of heGod or Satan? The nearest is* God.

If it is God really exercising His supernatural power in all this what does God give into the hand of Satan?

I think it is simply the permission for Satan to try to deceive Job (and the world) into thinking he (Satan) is exercising this power. Satan has permission from God to pretend this or these powers belong to him.

How does Satan pull off this pretense? By lying to men and letting men use all human craftiness at their disposal to make it appear what is being done is supernatural. The devil, by lying, tempted Job (through his friends) to think what had befallen him was evil. It really was chastening. All that we think about physical discomfort or loss is that there is some supernatural evil doing evil to us. Actually it is all chastening. What is evil about it is the lie that it is not in the sovereign control and will of God. It is the power of fear (of death) by which Satan enslaves men (Hebrews 2:14-15). Satan has no power to supernaturally kill (or even naturally), or make alive. He has the power only to lie to people that he has such power.

Judas had power to do miracles (Matthew 10:1 ff). He also allowed the devil to come into him. Who gave him power to do miracles?

Simon the Sorcerer wanted to buy Holy Spirit power to do miracles but Peter said, You have neither part nor lot in this matter (Acts 8:18-24).

It is possible, therefore, that those who would prophesy and exorcise demons in Matthew 7:21 did so through power given by God and then later became those working lawlessness (Gr. ergazomenoi ten anomian) (Matthew 7:23), just like Judas.

Or, do we propose that everything which appears to be miracle isbut that only some are from God and some are from the devil?

How do we decide which are which? Do we have to decide? We are told we should not permit ourselves to be deceivedif we do not decide which are from God, we are in danger of being deceived. If it is to be decided on the basis of which doctrine or works are good or evilhow do we decide that? From the Bible? How do we decide the Bible is speaking the truth? And does the Bible really say the devil has authority and power to do a real miracle? How was it decided at the very first (in the garden of Eden)? How did God expect Eve to be able to decide whether the devil could produce what he promised so she could make the decision of faith? OR IS FAITH, A LEAP IN THE DARK AFTER ALL?

This is not an attempt to deny the Scripturesit is an attempt to understand them.

**Applebury’s Comments

CHAPTER TWELVE**

Analysis

Paul continued boasting in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:1-13).

He reminded the Corinthians of the visions and revelation of the Lord (2 Corinthians 12:1-10).

He was compelled to boast because it was forced upon him by the claims of the false apostles, although nothing was gained by it (2 Corinthians 12:1 a).

He came to the matter of visions and revelations of the Lord, that is, given to him by the Lord (2 Corinthians 12:1 b).

In an impersonal manner he told of the experience in which he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Corinthians 12:2-4).

(1)

He said I know a man in Christ. This happened to such a oneit was, of course, Paul himself.

(2)

This happened some fourteen years before his writing Second Corinthians.

(3)

He said, Whether in the body I know not; God knows. He had no way of knowing whether he was taken up bodily or just in spirit.

(4)

Such a one was caught up to the third heaven.

(5)

He was caught up to Paradise.

(6)

He heard words not lawful for man to utter.

Boasting about this experience emphasized his own weakness (2 Corinthians 12:5-10).

(1)

On behalf of one who had such an exalted experience, he boasted; but as to himself he boasted in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:5).

(2)

This actually happened to Paul, so it was not foolish to boast about it, except that some might tend to overrate him because of it (2 Corinthians 12:6).

(3)

To keep him from self-exaltation, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to buffet him (2 Corinthians 12:7).

(4)

He asked the Lord three times to remove it, but the answer was: My grace is sufficient for thee (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 a). God’s favor had already granted him strength to endure it. Cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13.

(5)

Paul gladly, therefore, boasted in his weakness that the power of Christ might rest upon him or cover him (2 Corinthians 12:9 b).

(6)

It was for that reason that he took pleasure in weakness, injury, necessity, persecution, and distress for Christ’s sake for while he was weak in in himself, he was strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Paul concluded the defense of his boasting by admitting that he had become foolish (2 Corinthians 12:11-13).

He had become foolish, but they had compelled him to do so by their attitude toward the super-apostles (2 Corinthians 12:11).

(1)

He should have been commended by the Corinthians.

(2)

Even though he was nothing in himself, he was in no way inferior to these false apostles.

He reminded them that he had performed the signs of a true apostle before them (2 Corinthians 12:12).

(1)

These signs were done in all patience.

(2)

They were signs and wonders, and mighty works.

Since the Corinthians had received all these benefits, Paul asked, In what sense were you inferior to the other churches? The implied answer was: In no way.

Then he referred to the only possible thing in which they were not on the same footing at the other churches: He had not been a burden to them. Ironically, he added,

Forgive me this wrong.

As Paul neared the end of the epistle, he turned again to the matter of his intended visit (2 Corinthians 12:14-21).

He reaffirmed his intention not to be a burden to them (2 Corinthians 12:14-18).

He explained his reasons for this position (2 Corinthians 12:14-15).

(1)

He did so because of his impending third visit.

(2)

He laid down his basic principle in dealing with them: I seek not yours but you.

(3)

He explained the issue involved: Children ought not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children.

(4)

As their father in the gospel, he said, I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.

(5)

Then he asked, Since I love you more, am I to be loved less?

He answered a possible charge of crafty dealing (2 Corinthians 12:16-18).

(1)

He stated the issue involved in the charge (2 Corinthians 12:16).

(2)

Then he asked, Did I or any of those whom I sent (Titus and the brother) take advantage of you? (2 Corinthians 12:17-18 a).

(3)

Didn-’t these co-workers act exactly as he had done? (2 Corinthians 12:18 b) These questions would force the Corinthians to admit that he had dealt with them in a thoroughly Christian manner.

He reminded them of his reason for the delay in making this third visit (2 Corinthians 12:19-21).

It was for their own good (2 Corinthians 12:19).

(1)

Did they think that he was making excuses for himself?

(2)

He solemnly declared as an apostle of Christ that it was for their upbuilding.

Then he explained his fears that he might find them acting as he would not want and as they might not want him to find them (2 Corinthians 12:10-21).

(1)

He again named the conditions that he feared might exist: Strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, back-bitings, whisperings, swellings, and tumults. These were the very things about which he had written in his first epistle.

(2)

He had delayed lest God should humble him before them in mourning over their sins and failure to repent.

(3)

He listed these sins: Uncleanness, fornication, and lasciviousness. He had spoken of them in detail in his first epistle.

Questions

Why had it become necessary for Paul to boast in his weakness?

Why did he say that nothing was to be gained by it?

What are some of the visions and revelations in which the Lord had appeared to Paul?

Why is this one different?

Why did he write about it in an impersonal manner?

What evidence is there that he was the man who had actually experienced this thing?

What is the point in his having mentioned the fourteen years that had elapsed since this happened?

Why did he say that he did not know whether it had been in the body or just in spirit?

What is the third heaven?

What is Paradise? What are some of the things said about it in the Scriptures?

Why was Paul permitted to hear things which man was not permitted to speak?

What are some of the things which Paul and other New Testament writers were permitted to reveal about heaven?

Why could Paul boast about such a one while refusing to boast about himself?

Why did he indicate that he was not foolish in boasting about this one?

Why was he given a thorn in the flesh?

What is meant by the messenger of Satan?

How may the story of Job help to explain this?

What is shown by the fact that Paul asked the Lord three times to remove this thing?

What was the answer to his prayer?

In what way had the grace of God been with Paul?

What was it to do for him under these circumstances?

How is the Lord’s power made perfect in human weakness?

What special power had the Lord given to the apostles?

In what way had He providentially watched over Paul?

Why did Paul take pleasure in his weakness?

Why did Paul finally say, I am become foolish?

Although Paul said he was nothing, how did he compare with the super-apostles?

What were the apostolic credentials which Paul presented to the Corinthians?

What credentials could the super-apostles present?

How had Paul shown that the Corinthians were in no way inferior to the other churches?

What difference had he made between them and others?

Why did he say, Forgive me this wrong?

What are some of the views by which attempts have been made to explain the number of times Paul visited Corinth?

Why are such matter, while interesting, unimportant?

Why did Paul insist on continuing his policy of not being a burden to the churches in Achaia?

What was his real interest in them?

How did he use the relationship of parents to children to illustrate his meaning?

In what way was Paul following the example of the Lord in thus dealing with the brethren at Corinth?

Why did he ask, Am I loved the less?

Why did he say that he had been crafty?

Why did he ask if he or Titus had taken advantage of them?

What point was Paul making when he said, You are thinking that we are excusing ourselves.

What grounds did Paul have to fear that the Corinthians might be found in sinful practices upon his arrival?

What sins did he think he might find?

How would God humble him before them?

For Discussion

The providence of God as seen in His gracious dealing with His people.

How can the church prevent backsliding such as Paul feared might occur at Corinth?

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

**Butler’s Comments

SECTION 1

Weaknesses in the Body** (2 Corinthians 12:1-10

12 I must boast; there is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heavenwhether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3And I know that this man was caught up into Paradisewhether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows4and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. 5On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. 6Though if I wish to boast, I shall not be a fool, for I shall be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. 7And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; 9but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:1-4 Ecstatic Experience: Paul must boast (Gr. kauchasthai dei, to boast it behooves me). If he is to rescue the Corinthians from the false teachers, he must engage in the boasting game although it is not expedient (Gr. sumpheron, gains nothing). As far as spirituality is concerned, comparing the credentials of one human being to another, little is gained except to prove who is a true teacher and who is a false one. That is a necessary evil that has to be settled at times (as it was here in Corinth). Paul must not only engage in the contest, he must win it! It came to that point in Corinth! So Paul cites credentials that no other human being could claim (except, perhaps, the apostle John). He cites the vision and the revelation no other had experiencedbeing caught up into the third heaveninto Paradise. Paul undoubtedly had many visions and revelations. We know about four of them. The first was his conversion experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-6; Acts 22:6 ff; Acts 26:12 ff). The second is simply referred to in Galatians 1:11. The third would be his call to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10). And the fourth would be the one he cites here in 2 Corinthians 12:1-21. We would probably have heard nothing about any of them had not the defense of his gospel message necessitated their telling. We note that it had been fourteen years after the event that he finally decided he must tell of his being caught up into Paradise. And even here he is using this unique experience only as an introduction to the event in which he is really going to boastthe thorn in the flesh.

Why does he speak of himself in the third person? The Greek verb oida is present tense, meaning, I am knowing a man. It was not so mystical and ethereal that he could not remember it. But it may have been so totally spiritual (disencumbered of all that is material and physical) that he simply did not know whether he was there in his earthly body (or any kind of body) or not! Some think Paul uses the third person to down-play any possible implication of egotism on his part. Twice he says he does not knowbut that God knows. Evidently, the mode of his existence in Paradise was one of those things he was not supposed to know or utter.

Fourteen years ago would place the event about 43 A.D., about 10 years after his conversion near the time he was helping Barnabas at Antioch (Acts 13:1 ff). The third heaven (Gr. tritou ouranou) is Paul’s best way to express in inadequate human language a reality which is outside space and time and human experience. Paul was speaking in terms contemporary with his age. The third heaven was the way the Jews talked of God’s dwelling place. They believed the first heaven was the atmosphere around the earth, the clouds and the air man breathes. The second heaven was beyond the clouds out where the stars and planets were. The third heaven was the invisible realm where God’s throne was. Modern man may be amused at this, or scoff at it, but it is still difficult to improve much on this language in spite of the fact that space is at least 6 billion light years away at its known limits. Every time the Bible speaks of someone having come from or gone to heaven (God’s immediate presence) it is simply talking about the realm of existence which is invisible to the human eye. It is as real as anything that is visible to the human eye. It does not mean that heaven is away out there beyond the 6 billion light years of space. It just means it is a sort of fourth dimension of life and reality that is not visible to the physical senses. (see Hebrews 4:14).

Paul is knowing (Gr. oida, present tense) that this man was caught up into Paradise. He knew where he had gone, he knew he had heard things, and he knew he was not permitted to utter them. There was no fuzziness in his memory about the reality of the experience even after fourteen years! It was not a dream; it was not an imaginationit had actually happened.

Paradise in the Greek text is paradeisos. It is an oriental word, first used by the historian Xenophon, denoting the parks of Persian kings and nobles. It is an old Persian word Pairidaeza akin to the Greek compound, peri, around, and teichos, a wall. The Septuagint (the Greek language Old Testament, translated about 250 B.C.) has the Greek word paradeisos (Paradise) in Genesis 2:8 to describe Eden as God’s garden. The LXX (Septuagint) also uses the word in Numbers 24:6; Isaiah 1:30; Jeremiah 29:5; Ezekiel 31:8-9. In Luke 23:43; Jesus promised the penitent thief that he would be with Christ that very day in Paradise. Jesus sent a letter to the church at Ephesus to tell all who conquered they would be granted to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God (Revelation 2:7). We assume Abraham’s bosom (Luke 16:19-31) is the same as Paradise. There the beggar was comforted while the unbelieving rich man was in torments separated from Paradise by an impassable gulf. Paul was caught into (Gr. eis) the third heaven. The Greek text does not say he was caught up. He was snatched away (Gr. harpagenta) through the dimension of space and time or outside the physical realm immediately into the realm of the totally spiritual where the living Christ dwells. What do we know about Paradise? It is (1) a beautiful, perfect garden (like Eden) where man is surrounded by everlasting goodness, perfection, enjoyment, satisfaction, accomplishment, companionship, dominion and participation with God; (2) where the loving, powerful, compassionate, forgiving, tender, faithful Jesus is, having finished man’s justification before God and where he takes all who trust in him; (3) the city of Almighty God, beyond this created universe, not subject to its futility and doomwhere there is no hunger or thirst, no scorching heat, no tears (Revelation 7:15-17). It is a place of eternal joy, eternal life (no death there). There is no mourning, no sorrow, no pain, no ugliness, no cares and no darkness there. It is a realm of reality that will last forever in which, by the grace of God, forgiven sinners may express their gratitude to God, serve him, and bask in his grace and goodness.

While we are in his body of dust we see Paradise by faith. But is nonetheless real, for faith makes sure what we hope for by God’s faithful promise, and faith is the conviction of things not seen by the physical eye (Hebrews 11:1). We understand it is unseen (2 Corinthians 4:16-18), but we also understand it is as real as Jesus Christ’s triumph over the tomb (Acts 17:30-31).

Paul’s experience in Paradise was indescribable (Gr. arreta hrematta, unspeakable words). He also says it was not permissible for a man to speak of it (Gr. ouk exon anthropo lalesai). Perhaps he was so captivated by what he saw and heard he could not remember whether he was in the body or out of the body. He was undoubtedly overwhelmed or awe-struck with the majesty, perfection, holiness, power and beauty of God. He probably paid no attention to whether he had a body or not! That is how marvelous it will be in paradise. Here, we pay so much attention to the body we cannot enjoy life but there it will be just the opposite. He was like Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1 ff) (only a million times over). He was like Daniel or the apostle John who fell down as if dead when in the presence of heaven’s occupants. Furthermore, he was not permitted to speak of the things he saw and heard. God assigned certain persons the job of speaking of Paradise and God assigned only certain aspects of it to be described. God has his reasons for keeping knowledge of Paradise limited to the Bible we now have. In the first place, it is beyond all comparison (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). We could not comprehend it had God given permission to describe it. There is nothing in human experience or language by which to make a comparison, thus, no adequate description. Second, we might not be able to bear what God could tell us about it (see John 16:12 ff). Should God tell us more many might neglect the spiritual exercises and necessities of this life of preparation as those did in Thessalonica (see 1 Thessalonians 4:1-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-28; 2 Thessalonians 3:1-18).

We rest secure in the absolute faithfulness of God’s revelation through the apostles that it is the place where we shall be at home (secure, happy, fully ourselves, surrounded by love) with the Lord; that it is very far better than this vale of tears; and endures forever. It is better than we can think or imagine. It is beyond what human language can describe. The best that can be done is Genesis chapter one, and Revelation, Chapter s twenty-one and twenty-two. Beginning and ending, God’s word talks about Paradise! And Paul saw it and heard it, and would not boast about having such an unparalleled experience!

2 Corinthians 12:5-6 Enigmatic Explanation: If you saw Paradise and were told you could not tell anyone else about it or brag about being the only person ever to have seen it, could you keep it a secret? How would you explain your dilemma? Paul’s dilemma was that he needed to boast about his credentials as apostle, while at the same time he desperately desired that the Corinthians know him only as a simple Christian believer who was no super saint, who had his weaknesses and sufferings just as they did.

That is the reason his explanation of this tremendous experience in Paradise in these two verses (2 Corinthians 12:5-6) are so enigmatic! He wanted the Corinthians to be his friends, his brethren, and his flock because of his personal integrity, his love for them, and the spiritual power of his message rather than because of some super demonstration of apostolic authority.

He will boast on behalf of the man (Paul) who must demonstrate a super credential for his apostleship. He has to because it is the truth. He really was in Paradise. If he tells them this truth about the apostle Paul, it will not be foolish. He could boast about the excursion in Paradise for hours upon end if he wished. He could make all kinds of comparisons between his singular, supernatural trip out of this world into the next, and those other teachers in Corinth who were bragging about their background. And it would all be true because he, alone, could lay claims to such an exalted honor. But he will only mention that the event happened. He will not go on and on boasting or comparing.

What he will do is tell these brethren about the ordinary, everyday, servant of God, Paul, who lives depending upon the grace of God because of his thorn in the flesh. On his own behalf he will glory in his weakness. He started out preaching (1 Corinthians 1:26-31) to the Corinthian brethren that God’s power found its energizing in things which were weak. Now he will show that he practices what he preaches. He is content with weakness because that is where the power is! Human weakness, admitted and accepted, makes available an instrument through which divine power may flow. Human weakness, admitted and accepted, turns to the source (1 Corinthians 1:30) of absolute power. Paul wished not to be judged by what he could tell about super-duper experiences but by what they have seen in his ordinary, workaday life as a servant of Christ and a preacher of the gospel.

Paul’s refusal to boast and testify about his great mountaintop experience in Paradise should be a good guideline for the multitude of religious stars circulating Christendom today testifying of their great spiritual experiences or visions or revelations. People are not converted to Christ by human experiences, no matter how extraordinary. It is the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation and that is found exclusively in the scriptural record. No human experience atoned for sin; no human experience can absolutely verify the justifying grace of God; no human experience can impute Christ’s righteousness to sinful man; no human experience can give birth to the Spirit of God in man’s nature. Salvation for the human race was earned by the perfect life of Jesus Christ accomplished by the historical, vicarious death of Jesus Christ, and sealed (or validated) by the historical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Any existential experience any human being has of salvation or sanctification follows and is totally dependent upon his knowledge of, belief in, and obedience to the Person, Jesus Christ, as documented in the facts stated above (the gospel). When Christians speak, let them speak the facts of the gospel and keep their experiences to themselves! People are converted and edified by the word of Godnot by our experiences. In fact, experiences are most often misleading. They give people the impression that Christianity is nothing more than religion which has its source in human imaginations or feelings or experiences.

Paul did not boast about being caught into Paradise because he did not get there on his own power. He did not assault the gates of heaven and fight his way in; he did not climb a bean-stalk and find the goose with the golden eggs; he did not earn a trip there by being a good little boy. He was an invited, transported, guest. He was caught to third heaven (Gr. harpagenta heos tritou ouranou). Harpagenta means, to snatch or catch away (see Acts 8:39; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 12:5) and has the idea of force suddenly exercised. He would not boast because he probably saw the same thing going on there that John saw in his visiongreat potentates casting down their crowns in deep humility before the throne of Christ and falling down on their faces before the throne (see Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:1-14; Revelation 7:1-17; Revelation 20:11-15, etc.). It was a trip for Paul that made all boasting utterly foolish, absolutely disgusting, repugnant, stupid, blasphemous! Not even an apostle who miraculously spoke in foreign languages, healed terminally ill, raised people from the dead, was commissioned to write the living and abiding word of God, and was transported to Paradise would boast! How dare we boast of anything! (Romans 3:27-28; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Ephesians 2:9).

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 Exasperating Extremity: Paul was given an excess (Gr. huperbole, cast over, or beyond) of revelations. He had more than any one in Corinth might claim, perhaps more than any other true apostle might claim! Wherefore, lest (Gr. hina me huperairomai, subjunctive mood, present tense) he be continually exalted or raised up there was given him a thorn in the flesh. The Greek word skolopsi is translated thorn but is often used to denote a sharp, pointed stake or stick as well as a thorn. What Paul was given hurt him like a wooden stake being driven into his flesh. It was te sarki, in the flesh and not psychological. The stake continually harassed him (Gr. kolaphize, present tense verb, to buffet, to strike with clenched fists over and over, see Matthew 26:67; Mark 14:65; 1 Corinthians 4:11; 1 Peter 2:20). Paul lived with this pounding, beating stake being driven into his flesh day after day. It is doubtful that Paul was using the words in a figurative sense so we must assume it was some form of physical handicap which was painful or some disease. We do not know precisely what it was. Some say it was some sort of ocular (eye) disease because of his need to write with large letters (Acts 9:1; Galatians 4:15; Galatians 6:11). Others think it may have been malaria which haunted the coasts of the eastern Mediterranean. Still others think it was some debilitating, impairing, painful disfigurement (a withered limb or crippling arthritis) which made him ugly and hindered his work (see 2 Corinthians 2:10). It definitely was in the flesh and not simply the opposition he suffered or some fleshly temptation he endured. William Barclay cites the view that it might have been epilepsy since in the ancient world when people saw an epileptic they spat to ward off the evil demon they suspected possessed him. In Galatians 4:14 Paul says that when the Galatians saw his infirmity they did not reject him and the Greek word literally means *you did not spit at me.

What* the stake was is irrelevant to us. Paul is not the only person in the Bible, or in history, who has had a stake in the flesh. People have them, are born with them, endure them every day. The fact that God permitted Satan to deliver it is the problem! It is the every recurring theological or philosophical problem of reconciling the Biblical claim of the existence of a God of absolute power and righteousness, with the opposite claim that there is a supernatural (not absolute) being who exists with powers of evil and hurtfulness and is allowed to exercise those wicked powers contiguous to the all-powerful and all-good God. Satan was permitted to harass Job (see Job, Chapter s 1 and 2). He was permitted to tempt the perfect man, Jesus. Whatever he does, he does only by the permission of God. Evil is never out of control of an Absolutely Good God. That is what the scriptures teach and that we believe, whether it appears to be so to the finite experiences and thinking of man or not! God has given sufficient evidence of his infinite and absolute power, and sufficient evidence that his propositional revelation (the Bible) is absolutely trustworthy. We may therefore believe his declarations of Satan’s limited powers. God’s revelation to Paul concerning the purpose of his stake in the flesh will go a long way in satisfying the Christian’s mind about the presence of evil and suffering in this world. Please see Special Studies on The Problem of Evil, Questions About Whether the Devil Can Actually Perform Supernatural Deeds or Not, and, Is There Demon Possession Today As There Was During the Time of Christ’s Incarnate Ministry? at the end of this chapter. If the problem of pain and evil is a real threat to your Christian stability, we suggest you make a thorough study of the Bible books of Job and Psalms, and, in addition, read The Problem of Pain, by C.S. Lewis, and, What the Bible Says About Self-Esteem, by Bruce Parmenter, pub. by College Press.

Paul’s stake in the flesh was to keep him from elevating himself and losing the grace of God, to make him a vessel of God’s power in the world. It was a continual reminder to him that he was not sufficient of himself. He absolutely needed God’s grace! Without it he would be nothing! Without it he would be eternally lost. Whatever it took to keep in the grace of God he cherished, boasted about and was well pleased with. C.S. Lewis writes, in, The Problem of Pain:

When Christianity says that God loves man, it really means that God loves man: not that he has some -disinterested,-’ really indifferent, concern for our welfare, but that, in awaul and surprising truth, we are the objects of his love. You asked for a loving God: you have one. The great Spirit you so lightly invoked, the -Lord of terrible aspect,-’ is present: not a senile benevolence that drowsily wishes you to be happy in your own way, not the cold philanthropy of a conscientious magistrate, nor the care of a host who feels responsible for the comfort of his guests, but the consuming fire himself, the love that made the worlds, persistent as the artist’s love for his work and despotic as a man’s love for a dog, provident and venerable as a father’s love for a child, jealous, inexorable, exacting as love between the sexes..

The problem of reconciling human suffering with the existence of God who loves, is only insoluble so long as we attach a trivial meaning to the word love, and look on things as if man were the center of them. Man is not the center. God does not exist for the sake of man. Man does not exist for his own sake. Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. We were made not primarily that we may love God (though we were made for that too), but that God may love us, that we may become objects in which the divine love may rest well pleased. To ask that God’s love should be content with us as we are is to ask that God should cease to be God.. What we would here and now call our -happiness-’ is not the end God chiefly has in view: but when we are such as he can love without impediment, we shall in fact be happy.

We have quoted all that to help you appreciate that God’s graceeven though it may include a stake in the flesh is sufficient to make us into a person God can really take pleasure ina person humble, dependent on him, firm in conviction that he is our goodness, grateful, and able to serve others. The goodness and holiness of Jesus worked through people while he was here on earth by the power of persuasion. While here he worked on that which was matter and physical by sheer forceby miracles. But his spiritual power he worked only through those who allowed themselves to come under the persuasive, disciplining power of his grace. Grace (or, love) is the most persuasive power there is. If grace cannot mold a person into someone God can enjoy and use, nothing else can. Grace is all sufficient! Paul needed nothing else!

For God to say to an apostle, My grace is sufficient for you is to say everything there is to be said. It is the ultimate statement from God! It eliminates a long, long list of things man, in his finitude, thinks is necessary for sufficiency. The world believes itself to be insufficient if it has no money, fame, influence, comfort, political freedom, peer-esteem, happiness, independence and self-esteem (pride). All these things are unnecessary for a man’s sufficiency in the judgment of God! God’s grace is sufficient because the power of God is made perfect in weakness!

The Greek word teleitai (present tense verb) is translated perfect. It means to bring something to its fulfillment, its goal, its purpose, its aim. Paul is saying that continuing stakes in the flesh are God’s instruments to continually bring the grace-gift of his power to its purpose in the believer’s life. And what is the end God seeks by giving us his power? It is to conform us to the image of his dear Son (Romans 8:29)to make us into a Jesus-person.

Three times Paul prayed (Gr. parekalesa, called upon, besought) the Lord that his stake in the flesh should depart (Gr, aposte, fall away we get the English word apostasy from it) from him. Three times, the answer from God came back, No!My grace is sufficient for you. God hears and answers all prayers made to him. According to his own infinite wisdom and love he answers either, Yes or No. Let us be thankful that he often answers, to our eternal benefit, No. Even an apostle found himself praying to his own spiritual and eternal detriment! The Greek word arkei is translated, sufficient and literally means, sovereign, rule, enthrone (see our comments on 2 Corinthians 9:8). In other words God’s answer to Paul’s call that his stake in the flesh be taken away was, My grace must rule and be enthroned as sovereign in your life and this stake is necessary for that. Sinful, rebellious man will not allow God’s grace to rule him without some stake continually thrust into his flesh! Yes, the goal God has for all your physical weaknesses and mine is to give us something in which we may boast and to make us content with his everlasting grace.

These next statements from Paul are almost incredible! It is never easy to endure physical weakness. But Paul says (2 Corinthians 12:9b-10) that he is glad and content with his sharp stake in the flesh. The Greek word hedista is translated more gladly and is an adverb in the superlative degree literally meaning, most sweetly (see also 2 Corinthians 11:19). The Greek word eudoko is translated content and means literally, well-pleased. Paul was not bitter about his weaknesseshe was sweet. He was not merely resigned to them, he was well-pleased.

He gloried (boasted), and was pleased to do so, with insults (Gr. hubresin, English, hubris, meaning arrogances, haughtinesses, insolences toward him), with hardships (Gr. anagkais, being needy, hard-up, destitute), with persecutions (Gr. digomois, being pursued, chased, hounded), with calamities (Gr. stenochoriais, literally, narrowness of place, or between a rock and a hard-place, means, anguish and distress).

Question! Are you well-pleased when you are insulted, destitute, hounded, and between a rock and a hard-place? Are you sweet and well-pleased with your physical weaknesses and sharp, stabbing stakes in the flesh? We are not talking here about stoic resignationbut about being pleased, well-pleased. Are these weaknesses with the divine assurance of infinite grace all you need? Can you get by on just that? Lord, deliver us from our usual reaction to weaknessesshame, complaint, resentment, excusing failures, and self-indulgence for compensation. It is the way of the world to glorify human strength, beauty, fame, power, wealth and independence, or to indulge the flesh as a compensation for weaknesses and sufferings. But the way of God is diametrically opposite. The way of God is to be sweet, well-pleased and gratefully accepting the sovereign rule of God’s grace as the compensation for weaknesses and sufferings. The world cannot sing that songthe world does not know that song, it is the song sung in heaven (see Revelation 15:2-4; Revelation 19:1-10; Revelation 4:1-11; Revelation 5:9-14; Revelation 7:13-17).

The creature presumptuously assumes his Creator admires human power. The Creator declares he admires human weakness which depends on the Creator’s grace. No room for merit there. No room for demanding there. No room for bragging there (except in God’s grace). The history book of God’s dealing with mankind (the Bible) shows that God’s power rested (Gr. episkenose, overshadowed) upon people the world would call weak.

How Paul could carry on a world-wide ministry, day in and day out, suffering the beatings, shipwrecks, dangers and hardships (2 Corinthians 11:21-29) he enumerates is beyond comprehension. Add to those overpowering obstacles his sharp stake in the flesh and his accomplishments for Christ are nearly incredible! It is a wonder that he could get out of bed each morning and put one foot in front of the other. When he was weak, he was strong because he was ruled every day by the sovereign grace of God. Grace, amazing grace energized him, drove him, empowered him. He was immersed in the wonderful grace of Jesus. His faith in that grace provided the energy and motivation. God’s providential sustenance each day provided the necessary physical strength to fulfill his mission. What Paul wanted to do sometimes conflicted with what the Lord wanted him to do (see Acts 16:6-10), so the Lord had to redirect his plans. Perhaps the Lord did his hindering of Paul through this sharp stake in the flesh. But whatever Christ had for Paul to do, Christ supplied the physical necessities to accomplish it. What Paul had to supply was faith. Faith with God’s grace produces divine power and victory in what the world calls weakness and defeat. With this powerful victory Paul is well-pleased!

Applebury’s Comments

Visions and Revelations of the Lord Scripture

2 Corinthians 12:1-10. I must needs glory, though it is not expedient; but I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ, fourteen years ago (whether in the body, I know not; or whether out of the body, I know not; God knoweth), such a one caught up even to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man (whether in the body, or apart from the body, I know not; God knoweth), 4 how that he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 On behalf of such a one will I glory: but on mine own behalf I will not glory, save in my weaknesses. 6 For if I should desire to glory, I shall not be foolish; for I shall speak the truth: but I forbear, lest any man should account of me above that which he seeth me to be, or heareth from me. 7 And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted overmuch, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, that I should not be exalted overmuch. 8 Concerning this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

*Comments

I must needs glory.*Paul had been forced by existing circumstances at Corinth to boast about his weakness. Although there was nothing to be gained by it, since he had demonstrated through the miracles which he had performed as an apostle that the approval of God rested upon him, he nevertheless, proceeded to relate an incident that had happened in the life of one on behalf of whom he could boast.

*visions and revelations of the Lord.*Paul had been given the privilege of seeing the risen Christ at the time of his appointment to the apostleship, but the incident to which he was referring had to do with the visions and revelations which the Lord had permitted him to see and hear after his conversion.

*I know a man in Christ.*Although there can be no doubt that Paul was speaking of himself, he did so in an entirely impersonal manner for the simple reason that this was something that the Lord had done in contrast to the long list of weaknesses which he had experienced.

*fourteen years ago.*The incident was so vivid that it remained in the mind of Paul even after all those years. There is no point in trying to fix the date when this occurred, since Paul chose to point out the significant fact that it had remained in his mind throughout this long period of his labor and suffering for Christ.

*whether in the body.*While Paul knew exactly when the incident had occurred and what had happened at that time, he could not say whether it happened to him bodily or in the spirit. But he knew that he had been caught up even to the third heaven. It made no difference whether bodily or spiritually, for it was something the Lord had done and it had left this lasting impression upon him.

*the third heaven.*This expression has caused much speculation on the part of commentators. Some even suggest that after he was caught up to the third heaven he was again elevated to an even higher position called Paradise. It seems better to assume that the third heaven was Paradise where Paul heard unspeakable words.

*I know such a man.*Paul again emphasized the impersonal aspect of the incident. He did not know whether it was bodily experience or not, nor did it matter, for he said, God knows.

*Paradise.*Jesus said to the thief on the cross, Today, shalt thou be with me in Paradise. It is safe to say, then, that Paradise is the place where the Lord is. We do not know all things about the future state, but we do know that absence from the body is at home with the Lord. As to Paul’s experience, he knew that he had been caught up into Paradise and had heard things that could not be revealed. See Studies in Luke, pages 278-279 and 380.

It is impossible to put into human language the glories that shall be revealed for the saints of God at the coming of Christ. John says, Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. But we know, that when it shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is (1 John 3:2). This was enough to make Paul willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8).

*On behalf of such a one I will glory.*In face of the boastful claims of the false teachers at Corinth, Paul had lowered himself to that which should have been entirely unnecessary: the giving of a detailed account of the sufferings which he had undergone as an apostle of Christ. But he was determined to limit his boasting to his weakness. There is no inconsistency between this and his boasting on behalf of the one to whom the Lord had given such visions and revelations, for it was a thing the Lord had done, not Paul. Furthermore, it was something that could not possibly have happened to those who were boasting about their power and position among the Corinthians for they were ministers of Satan, not of Christ. Paul occupied an unassailable position when he restricted his boasting to the things done by the Lord and his own weakness.

*I shall not be foolish.*It was not foolish to boast in the thing which the Lord had done. Paul spoke the truth about what the Lord had done with him and limited his remarks to this lest anyone should exalt him above what they saw in him and heard from him.

*And by reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations.*Paul was now ready to relate the incident about which he had boasted. Such an exalted experience could easily tempt one who was less dedicated to Christ to distort its meaning and lead others praise him rather than the Lord. To prevent this thing from happening, there was given Paul a thorn in the flesh.

*thorn in the flesh.*Paul identifies this as a messenger of Satan to buffet him. Much speculation has been indulged in in an effort to identify the thorn in the flesh. No one really knows what it was, except for the things Paul said about it. It was in the flesh as a messenger of Satan and acted as an opponent in the boxing ring that kept him from being too elated over what had happened. It kept him from using what the Lord had done for him as a means of self-glory.

*a messenger of Satan.*Paul wrote to the Ephesians indicating that the forces of Satan are like an opposing army against which the followers of Christ must wage war. The church has been equipped with the whole armor of God with which to stand against the wiles of the devil. See Ephesians 6:10-18.

God permitted Satan to afflict Job with great bodily suffering. But Job remained steadfast and faithful to the Lord through all of it. Paul reminded the Corinthians that God would not permit them to be temped above their ability to endure, for He would with the temptation make the way of escape that they might be able to endure it. See 1 Corinthians 10:13. In this life, the people of God constantly face the enemy who will destroy them unless they remain faithful to the Lord.

*I besought the Lord thrice.*Whatever this thorn in the flesh was, it brought such distress to Paul that he asked the Lord three times that it might depart from him. The answer was: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness.

God does not always answer our requests in the manner in which we might expect. Certainly He was not deaf to the plea that Paul made. The favor that He had already bestowed on him in commissioning him as an apostle of Christ, in endowing him with all the signs of an apostle, in providentially watching over him through all the things he suffered for the sake of Christ, was sufficient to assure him that he could triumph over this thing even though it had brought him great distress. He had written to the Corinthians in the first letter about his apostleship despite his having persecuted the church of God. He said, By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not found vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace which was with me (1 Corinthians 15:10).

*for my power is made perfect in weakness.*Paul’s reason for relating this experience is now made clear. The thorn in the flesh symbolized human weakness. There were some things that he could not do; only the Lord could have caught him up to the third heaven. Thus the power of the Lord stood in bold contrast to the weakness of Paul even though he was a true apostle of Christ.

*that the power of Christ may rest upon me.*Jesus had promised the eleven that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit should come upon them. See Acts 1:8. On the Day of Pentecost they were baptized in the Holy Spirit and were empowered to speak in other languages that those who heard the message on that day might know that it came from God. More than that, they were enabled to perform miracles that demonstrated that the Spirit of God was speaking through them. See Acts 2:43 and Hebrews 2:3-4.

All of the signs of an apostle were done by Paul in the midst of the Corinthians. God’s providential protection had covered him like a tent that protects the desert traveler from the burning sun. For all this, Paul gladly boasted in his own weakness.

*I take pleasure in weakness.*Paul had listed the weaknesses that were his, the injuries he had sustained, the wants in which he had found himself, the persecutions which he had endured and the distresses which he had undergone for Christ’s sake.

*for when I am weak, then I am strong.*This is the remarkable climax of the boasting that was forced upon Paul. Being aware of his weakness, he had committed himself to the providential care of the Lord. Knowing his weakness, he determined to preach Christ and Him crucified, for therein lay his strength.

2 Corinthians 12:11-13

*Applebury’s Comments

Admission of Foolishness Scripture*

2 Corinthians 12:11-13. I am become foolish: ye compelled me; for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing was I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I am nothing. 12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works. 13 For what is there wherein ye were made inferior to the rest of the churches, except it be that I myself was not a burden to you? forgive me this wrong.

*Comments

I am become foolish.*Paul did not hesitate to remind the Corinthians that he should have been commended by them. Their very position in relation to Christ depended upon the gospel which he had preached to them. Through his preaching and their obedience he had become their father in Christ and they were his children. His credentials as an apostle were well known to them. Through them they had been given spiritual gifts involving the word of wisdom and knowledge as well as the powers by which these were proven to be the revelation from God. See 1 Corinthians 12:8-10. It is difficult to understand how they could have forgotten all this and gladly listened to the claims of false teachers in the absence of Paul.

*though I am nothing.*Paul readily admitted that in himself he was nothing. The favor that God had granted him had enabled him to do the work of an apostle. He had therefore refused to boast in anything save his own weakness. But though he was nothing, he maintained that he was in no way inferior to the super-apostles who had attacked him in order to gain power over those whom he had converted to Christ.

*by signs and wonders and mighty works.*These were the credentials of the apostles through which the Lord demonstrated His approval on their ministry. They were guided by the Holy Spirit into all the truth pertaining to life and godliness. What credentials could the super-apostles present? Empty claims and boastful pretensions!

*inferior to the rest of the churches.*The Corinthians knew that they had been in everything enriched in him, in all utterance and all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed among them (1 Corinthians 1:5-6). They lacked no gift that would enable them to conduct themselves as true followers of Christ while awaiting the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul had preached the same gospel to them that he had preached to all the churches. He had performed the same apostolic signs in their midst that he had shown in all the churches.

*except it be that I myself was not a burden to you?*This is an ironical thrust at those teachers who were seeking, if indeed they had not already been receiving, support from the church at Corinth.

*forgive me this wrong.*In the height of irony, Paul begged for their forgiveness! They knew that there was nothing to forgive. Did they burn with shame when they remembered how he had labored in their midst while insisting on preaching the gospel of Christ to them for nothing?

2 Corinthians 12:11-18

**Butler’s Commentary

SECTION 2

Weakness in Bearing** (2 Corinthians 12:11-18)

**11 **I have been a fool! You forced me to it, for I ought to have been commended by you. For I was not at all inferior to these superlative apostles, even though I am nothing. 12The signs of a true apostle were performed among you in all patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works. 13For in what were you less favored than the rest of the churches, except that I myself did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong!

14 Here for the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours but you; for children ought not to lay up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls, If I love you the more, am I to be loved the less? 16But granting that I myself did not burden you, I was crafty, you say, and got the better of you by guile. 17Did I take advantage of you through any of those whom I sent to you? 18I urged Titus to go, and sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did we not act in the same spirit? Did we not take the same steps?

2 Corinthians 12:11-13 Spiritual Signs: Paul’s opponents (the Judaizers) had tried to convince the Corinthian Christians that Paul did not have the bearing of a true apostle. His appearance, his attitude was not commensurate with the popular idea of how a true apostle would display himself.

Paul’s answer: My opponent’s idea of a -true-’ apostle is foolishness! They think only in terms of worldly signs and worldly attitudes. They think a -true-’ apostle would go about boasting of his miraculous powers and showing them off at every opportunity. Everything Paul had gloried in was true! But the foolishness of having to glory in things which were his only by the grace of God bothered him. So he says, I have been a fool! They had forced (Gr. enagkasate, compelled, constrained see Matthew 14:22; Luke 14:23; Galatians 2:3; Galatians 2:14) him into the foolish game of comparing and glorying. They should have commended (Gr. sunistasthai, literally, stood beside him) him. They should have defended his apostleship and his personal integrity. Even if his bearing made him to appear to be nothing (Gr. ouden, unsophisticated, unschooled, and unpleasant to look at, he was in no way inferior (Gr. husteresa, behind, destitute, English prefix hyster comes from this word and means, loss of) to these pseudo-apostles who think they are super-duper (note his sarcasm). Bearing or appearance is outward and may be faked. The Pharisees were very religious in their bearing but it was all hypocritical. Modern image-makers have produced a number of men in the religious market who have the bearing of minister of God. But what message do they preach? How does their personal life measure with the Bible? The Corinthians, of all people, should have defended Paul.

First, the signs (Gr. semeia, that which points to, signals, evidences) of a true (Gr. men, indeed, actual, truly) apostle were performed (Gr. kateirgasthe, worked) among these Corinthian Christians. Paul endured (Gr. hupomone, remained under, was patient) much immaturity and stubbornness by the Corinthians in order to win them to Christ and build them up in the faith. He confirmed the gospel message with signs and wonders and mighty works (Gr. semeiois te kai terasin kai dunamesin) to bring them to faith. And then he imparted to them wonderful miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit (see I Cor. Chapter s 12-14) to build them up in their faith and to preserve the true apostolic gospel since there were probably no inspired documents containing the gospel readily available to the churches at that point in time. They came behind no church in possessing miraculous gifts by which to be edified. They came behind no church in receiving the services of a true apostle. Paul wrote them three or four letters and visited them at least three times. He sent his most prized co-laborers (Timothy, Apollos, Titus) often to work with the Corinthians (see Acts 18:1; Acts 18:5; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 16:10; Romans 16:21; 1 Corinthians 3:5; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 16:12; 2 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 7:5-16; 2 Corinthians 8:16-24; 2 Corinthians 12:18). They should have commended him. Instead, they defamed him, and were about to repudiate his ministry among them.

Even though he had imparted to them miraculous powers no one but a true apostle could give, they were ready to reject his spiritual leadership. Their rationalization for rejecting him may be found in their attitude toward the spiritual gifts (see I Cor. Chapter s 12-14). While Paul directed them to desire the gift of prophecy (inspired teaching) which would edify everyone, they were so spiritually immature they clamored for the showy gift of speaking in a foreign language (tongues) which edified no one but the person speaking. Paul showed the Corinthians signs, but he emphasized the spiritual, the practical, the teaching signs. They wanted the spectacular, the worldly, the ostentatious. Paul’s opponents, the pseudo-apostles, were probably telling the congregation that a true apostle would bear himself more spectacularly than a mere teacher. They probably challenged Paul’s claim that he was able to speak in tongues more than you all (1 Corinthians 14:18) and mocked his preference to speak five words with the mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue (1 Corinthians 14:19).

Paul had given the Corinthians all the spiritual advantage he could. The only favor he had not done for them was burden them. He means he had not taken financial support from them (see comments 2 Corinthians 11:7-15). Does Paul mean to ask their forgiveness for an actual wrong (2 Corinthians 12:13)? Had he really wronged them (Gr. adikian, an injustice)? While it is altogether possible that a congregation may be wronged or even do itself an injustice by not having the opportunity to financially support the preaching of the gospel, we think Paul is using sarcasm here. Paul clearly believed he was benefiting the Corinthian church by taking no financial remuneration from them although he took it from others (Philippians 4:15-18). But someone had convinced the Corinthians that the bearing of a true apostle would require being a financial burden on the congregation. This issue must have been very significant for Paul to keep mentioning it!

2 Corinthians 12:14-18 Sacrificial Service: The signs of a true apostle are (1) having seen the risen Lord Jesus; (2) performance of miracles; (3) preaching a gospel of grace. But what Paul is dealing with here, in context, is another important sign of a true apostlesacrificial service. Humility, dependence on God’s grace, working to edify Christians and congregationsthese are what a true apostle does. How much edifying had the pseudo-apostles done? None! They were tearing apart. What had the pseudo-apostles given to the Corinthians? Nothing! They were taking.

J.B. Phillips translates 2 Corinthians 12:14-15: Now I am all ready to visit you for the third time, and I am still not going to be a burden to you. It is you I wantnot your money. Children don-’t have to put by their savings for their parents; parents do that for their children. Consequently, I will most gladly spend and be spent for your good, even though it means that the more I love you, the less you love me. Paul is not contradicting the rest of the Bible saying that children have no responsibility to honor (support financially) their aged parents who may need it. Paul is the one who told children that supporting (honoring) their parents was the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2). Paul is referring here to young children at home who are not mature enough to work and support their parents. Paul is not going to ask the Corinthian church (his baby) to support him. They still need to be matured, built up, strengthened. He will support them! Like a father, his heart’s desire is to give of himself so that his children may grow into adulthood.

Whatever it takes to accomplish that Paul is glad (Gr. hedista, sweetly) to give. His children are sweet to him. He loves them with all his being. He will sweetly spend (Gr. dapaneso, expend, consume, squander, see Luke 15:14) and be spent (Gr. ekdapanethesomai, first person, singular, future, indicative passive, allow myself to be consumed, exhausted)for your souls (Gr. huper ton psuchon, on behalf of your souls). He is willing to be completely used up, depleted of energy, strength and worldly possessions for their spiritual good (souls). A man who would be willing to be anathema from Christ for the sake of his Jewish brethren (Romans 9:1-2) would be sincere in this promise as uncommon as it may be even among Christians.

If Paul had shown more love for the Corinthians than he had for other churches, this would not be strange. Love must necessarily be more often shown to problem children than to others. This does not mean he loved the Corinthians more. He is trying to cajole them or chide them and call them back to their devotion to him. Abundant love to the problem child is often repaid by rebuff and rejection (see the prophet Hosea). They (opponents and the few Corinthians they had seduced) were saying Paul was being crafty by not taking financial support from the congregation. They were probably accusing Paul of some ulterior scheme, some nefarious plan to really defraud the congregation, setting them up by faking humility and sacrificial service. They were saying that if he had been a true apostle he would have taken their money and bossed them around and made a spectacular show of his miraculous powers. The Greek phrase alla huparchon panourgos dolo humas elabon is a participial phrase, and, literally translated is, But being cunning with guile, you I took and means, being thoroughly unscrupulous. They accused Paul of snaring, trapping or baiting the Corinthians like one who hunts animals.

His answer is four straightforward, rhetorical questions: (1) Did I take advantage (Gr. epleonektesa, defraud, lead astray) of you through any of those whom I sent to you? (2) Did Titus take advantage of you? (3) Did we not act in the same spirit? (4) Did we not take the same steps? Evidently they were saying Paul had taken no support from the Corinthians, but that the offering he took for Judea was going to go into his pocket. They knew Titus had not taken advantage of them. They knew Titus had not acted dishonestly. Timothy and Titus and Apollos had ministered among them for many months. They were Paul’s children in the faith. They had not defrauded the Corinthians. Now, Paul asks, Was my behavior among you any different than theirs? How can they believe a man who could produce such exemplary Christian servants as these would be dishonest with them? How the great heart of this selfless servant of Christ must have ached! What stress it must have caused, what sadness, what temptation he must have had to quit the ministry to leave the Corinthians to their fate! But he didn-’t. He exhausted himself for them.

2 Corinthians 12:14-21

Applebury’s Comments

Paul’s Intended Visit Scripture

2 Corinthians 12:14-21. Behold, this is the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls. If I love you more abundantly, am I loved the less? 16 But be it so, I did not myself burden you; but, being crafty, I caught you with guile. 17 Did I take advantage of you by any one of them whom I have sent unto you? 18 I exhorted Titus, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take any advantage of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps? 19 Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you. In the sight of God speak we in Christ. But all things, beloved, are for your edifying. 20 For I fear, lest by any means, when I come, I should find you not such as I would and should myself be found of you such as ye would not; lest by any means there should be strife, jealousy, wraths, factions, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults; 21 lest again when I come my God should humble me before you, and I should mourn for many of them that have sinned heretofore, and repented not of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they committed.

*Comments

this is the third time I am ready to come to you.*The first time Paul had visited the Corinthians was when he first preached the gospel to them and established the church. The second time was when he was present in spirit as they obeyed the instructions he gave in his first letter for them to follow in dealing with the sinful practices which they had allowed to grow up in their midst. He had delayed coming again, as he had explained in the beginning of the letter, that they might have an opportunity to carry out those instructions. News had been brought to him by Titus that they had gladly obeyed. The section of this letter beginning in chapter ten, however, clearly indicates that false teachers whom Paul had designated super-apostles and who were actually servants of Satan had come to Corinth seeking to undermine his influence and insinuating that he was interested in the money he might obtain from them. It is possible that they had been distorting his purpose in connection with the collections for the saints in Judea. It is evident that their own motive was a desire for financial gain as they pretended to serve as ministers of righteousness.

*and I will not be a burden to you.*Paul defended his position on this issue from every standpoint, since it seems to have been the chief point of attack of the false teachers who were opposing him.

*for I seek not yours, but you.*There is an implied thrust in this remark at the false teachers to whom the Corinthians had so readily listened. Their ministry was being carried out for what they could get out of it in contrast to the unselfish devotion to Christ that characterized all of Paul’s work on their behalf. It was not their possessions, but themselves that Paul sought. He wanted their understanding and love and, above all, their faithfulness to the Lord.

*for the children ought not to lay up for the parents.*Paul had repeatedly reminded them that the relation which they sustained to him was as children to parents. As their father in the gospel he had done everything in his power to protect them from the erosion of sinful practices which they had allowed to go on. He had sought to warn them against the encroachment of the false teachers who had come to them and to protect them from the subtle attack of Satan whose goal was their destruction. Just as parents lay up for their children, so Paul had done all this for their benefit, for they were dear to him in the Lord.

*for your souls.*Paul reminded them of what they must have known: he was willing most gladly to spend and be spent for their souls. He was following the pattern set by Our Lord who came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give His life a ransom for many. See Mark 10:45. This must ever be the position of the true minister of Christ.

*am I loved less?*Was this demonstration of Paul’s overflowing love for them to result in their loving him less? As this letter was being read to them, one wonders if many present hid their faces in shame for failing to respond in kind to the love of the apostle whom Christ had sent to them with the message of His love?

*being crafty.*Again Paul reminded them that he had not become a burden to them. He had anticipated possible difficulties which might arise in connection with his preaching the gospel to them. He had written to them in the first letter telling them that he was willing to forgo his right to support in order to avoid any criticism of his ministry. He was being crafty. He had caught them unawares. They had not seen through his reason for refusing to accept support from them, although he did receive support from others. But the thing that Paul feared had happened. Now, perhaps, they would understand his position and his determination to maintain it.

*Did I take advantage of you?*Having called attention to a fact which they well knew, for he had not been a burden to them, he came to the defense of Titus and the brother who was sent with him to carry on the work of the gospel in his absence. Did Titus take any advantage of you? They knew that he had conducted himself in exactly the same spirit of devotion to Christ that had characterized all of Paul’s labors in their behalf. He had walked in Paul’s footsteps leaving no ground for criticism of himself or of Paul.

*Ye think all this time that we are excusing ourselves unto you.*It is possible that Paul put this in the form of a question as the footnote in some Bibles indicates. But the punctuation makes little difference, since the point that Paul was making was that all this defense was not a matter of excusing himself in connection with the delay of his intended visit. He was aware that he lived and acted in the sight of God and that what he said was spoken as an apostle of Christ. Instead of making excuses for himself, he was sounding the warning and giving instructions for their benefit. Christ’s purpose in his ministry was that they might be built up and not torn down. If they should follow his directives they would be built up in the faith; if they failed to do so, they would certainly be punished when he arrived.

*For I fear.*Paul had a right to fear the consequences of the presence of false teachers in Corinth. He knew that they were listening to them gladly. He knew how they had permitted sinful practices to go on in their midst which had all but destroyed the church of God. The false teachers and indifferent leaders would have accomplished their goal if the church had not responded to Paul’s instruction in his first letter to them. Titus had reported their obedience to this instruction; but as this had happened before, there was real possibility that they might again fall victims to the influence of the false teachers.

*when I come, I should find you not such as I would.*Paul longed to see them break with these false teachers who were ministers of Satan and discontinue their sinful practices. He wanted them to reach maturity so that they might function to the fullest capacity as members of the body of Christ.

*lest by any means there should be strife.*Those of the household of Chloe had reported to Paul the divisions, factions, jealousies, and wraths that had existed among them. Would they slip back into this sinful practice? Would they give themselves again to slander, gossip, conceit and disorder, acting in a manner unbecoming to the saints of God?

*Lest again when I come my God should humble me before you?*Paul had written of his anticipation of a joyful visit both in his first letter and in the beginning of this second letter. Now he wonders if it will be necessary for God to humble him before them when he comes again. Will they reject the apostle whom Christ is sending to them for the ministers of Satan? They had been led into sin before, and that had caused great grief to Paul. He had told them in the beginning of the letter about his sorrow. He repeated the warning at the close of the letter, for he did not want them to forget it. Would those who had sinned fail to repent of their impurity, immoral conduct, and licentious practice?

Summary

Paul continued to boast in his weakness, since it had been forced upon him by the claims and false charges of his critics. But nothing was to be gained by it, since none of the critics could possibly match the experience about which he was to tell. He took up the matters of visions and revelations which the Lord had permitted him to have. The Lord had granted visions and revelations to Paul on various occasions, but this one was different. Its purpose was to emphasize the power of the Lord and the weakness of the apostle. The incident which he related occurred fourteen years before the writing of Second Corinthians. No information is available that would enable us to fix the exact date of the incident or the place where Paul was when it happened. The vivid impression which it had made on Paul had remained with him through all those years. Paul said that he was caught up to the third heaven, caught up to Paradise. There he heard words not to be uttered by man. He did not know whether this had been a bodily experience or just one that had occurred in the spirit. This may have some bearing on the intermediate state of the dead, since the term Paradise is used elsewhere in that connection. If so, it would indicate that Paradise existed after the resurrection of Christ. Although it is interesting, the theory is not vital: freedom of opinion should be observed in connection with it. The purpose of the vision was clear, as well as Paul’s reason for relating it. After such an experience, Paul was given a thorn in the flesh to keep him from arrogant boasting. We do not know what that sharp thing was; there is no use to speculate on the matter. Paul said that it was a messenger from Satan. Perhaps Job’s experience may shed some light on its meaning. It did serve to remind Paul of the power of the Lord and of his own unfinished task. Three times he asked to have it removed, but the Lord said, My grace is sufficient for thee. The unmerited favor of the Lord Jesus had made him an apostle. His providential protection had been with him in all the hardships which he had endured for the sake of Christ. Paul boasted in his weakness, for then the protecting power of Christ was spread over him like a tent. As he looked back at what he had just written about the divine approval of his apostleship, Paul said, I have become foolish. They had compelled him to mention these things in order to answer the false charges against him. The evidence of his apostleship, however, was to be seen in the miracles which he had performed in their midst. The Corinthians were in no way inferior to the rest of the churches in this regard. But there was one difference: He had not been a burden to them. Ironically, he said Forgive me this wrong. Paul was determined not to be a burden to them on this third visit. Speaking ironically, he said, Being crafty, I caught you with guile. He had anticipated the possibility of some charging him with the guilt of preaching the gospel for the sake of money. Although he had a right to receive support, he had not used it. His purpose was to preach the gospel to win men to Christ. He had worked with his own hands when he was in Corinth and in want. He had received help from the brethren in Macedonia, but he had not and would not become a burden to Achaia. Paul was not making excuses for himself. He had delayed his visit to give them time to set their house in order. But he was fearful lest upon his arrival he might find things not as he would have them to be. He knew that false teachers were present and that some of the people had gladly listened to them. Would God humble him again by letting him find strife, jealousy, wrath, faction, backbiting, whispering, swelling, and tumults among them? It had happened once; would they see to it that these things were not present again when he arrived on this impending third visit?

2 Corinthians 12:19-21

**Butler’s Commentary

SECTION 3

Weakness in Behavior** (2 Corinthians 12:19-21)

19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves before you? It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved. 20For I fear that perhaps I may come and find you not what I wish, and that you may find me not what you wish; that perhaps there may be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder. 21I fear that when I come to mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, immorality, and licentiousness which they have practiced.

2 Corinthians 12:19 Presumptuousness: All through this epistle Paul has been dealing with the presumptuousness of his opponents at Corinth who thought he was writing to defend himself. That presumes, of course, Paul was in the wrong. His opponents were convinced all their allegations against him were true. The Greek text in 2 Corinthians 12:19 is emphatic: Palai dokeite hoti humin apologoumetha. literally, Already you judge that to you we are making a defense.. The Greek word apologoumetha is the same word Peter uses (1 Peter 3:15) to urge all Christians to be ready always to make a defense of the gospelit is the word from which we get the English word, apologetics, a defense based on evidence and reasoning.

Paul puts it this way: Are you thinking all this time that I have been trying to justify myself in your eyes? I have said and written everything to you as a man totally responsible to God and as one serving Christ. Paul has said nothing to the Corinthians that God and Christ would not have said. In fact, what the apostle said is what the divine Godhead has given (revealed to) him to say. Paul’s message was inspired and inerrant. It was not some defense of his own egotism, it was from Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They assumed all along he was a weakling. He did not come on like they thought an authority would. So, whenever Paul spoke sharply or threatened corrective measures, his opposition assumed he was defending himself. His exhortations, rebukes, warnings and severe words were actually the words of Christ for their upbuilding (Gr. oikodomes, edification, construction, upbuilding). The Judaizers were in Corinth (and perhaps other opponents of the gospel of grace) tearing down the faith of the Christians, taking away their liberty in Christ, destroying their hope of the resurrection, and enticing them back into their licentious Gentile ways. They were headed for spiritual ruin. All they had gained in Christ was about to be plundered. It called for severe, extreme, uncommon action. This humble apostle was even willing to make a fool of himself and engage in a game of comparisons (boastings). They assumed he was bent on defending his own bruised ego. Actually, he was very nearly compromising his own conscience (in the matter of boasting) in order to rescue the Corinthians from the messengers of Satan. All of his boasting about what he had suffered, what his Jewish heritage was, what he had accomplished was not to build up his reputation so he could take advantage of them financially or religiously. It was to mature them in their spiritual union with Christ. It was to help them benefit from and enjoy their spiritual heritage as Christians. He would sacrifice his own conscience about boasting to keep them giving their attention and loyalty to God’s word and keep them from being seduced by the pseudo-apostles. He did not want to constantly recite his credentials and proofs of his apostleship. But false teachers are so cunning, so deceitful. They do not have the constraints of truth and love that bind Christians. They are at liberty to say anything, do anything, pretend anything. That makes it necessary for Christian messengers to have to continually prove the authority of their message. This problem continues to this day. People still think Christians are egotists when they repeatedly stand up for and defend the word of God. Many think Christians are pig-headed, loud-mouthed, bigots when all they are trying to do is keep the world from being seduced by Satan’s messengerspseudo-apostles.

2 Corinthians 12:20-21 Perversity: It is almost if some of the Corinthians were daring Paul to make some demonstration of authority or power by reverting to their former heathen ways. As an apostle, an authority in the church he has really done nothing about the sinfulness going on in the Corinthian church. He has said a lottold them a number of things to do, but he has exercised no supernatural powers as he did with Elymas (Acts 13:1-52) or others. They think he is weak.

Paul’s fear about his forth-coming third visit to Corinth starts with his fear of what he may find when he gets there (2 Corinthians 12:20). They may not be what he wishes when he gets thereand if that is so, he may not be what they wish he would be. He is going to exercise some chastening power, if they do not correct the sin themselves.

He fears (from reports he gets) that he may find them still quarreling (Gr. eris, strife, in their Pantheon the Greeks even had a goddess of discord named Eris). He also expected to find them jealous (Gr. zelos, zeal in the worst sense, envious), angry (Gr. thumoi), selfish (Gr. eritheiai, rivalrous, competing against one another), slanderous (Gr. katalalia, speaking against one another), gossiping (Gr. psithurismoi, whispering, telling tales), conceited (Gr. phusioseis, puffed up), and discorded (Gr. akatastasiai, rioting, chaotic, separating). To this list he adds in 2 Corinthians 12:21, impurity (Gr. akatharsia, uncleanness, moral or spiritual dirtiness), immorality (Gr. porneia, fornication, porno-) and licentiousness (Gr. aselgeia, lewdness, perversity, wickedness). Most of these have to do with sexual sins and perversions so common in Corinth. It would be difficult to compare modern wickedness with that 2000 years ago, but hardly any perverseness today could be worse than that of Corinth in the first century.

Now what Paul feared was that he would find them continuing in such gross wickedness and that would be proof that his work among them had, after all, been in vain. That would be humbling to Paul. Not that Paul was afraid of humility. That was the essence of his character now as a Christian. But Paul is using the word humble in the sense of being brought to mourn or brought to grief. He would be devastated, should he find them acting wickedly, like a father who had spent himself to lay up a magnificent heritage for his child only to have the child disregard and despise both the heritage and the father. Paul is closing his letter to Corinthhis last oneand he wants them to know he has tried to be like the father in parable of the Prodigal. That is what ministry is all about. He is not weakbut merciful like a father. But if it is necessary to restore them to the grace of God, his weakness will be exchanged for the chastening authority and power of a father in the faith.

Old Green Commentaries

The College Press Bible Study Textbook Series — 59 volumes by 25 authors, published between 1961 and 1992 and affectionately known as the 'old green' commentaries for their green hardback bindings. Each volume is a commentary, workbook and teaching manual in one, written by Restoration Movement …

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