Barry Metz 10/16/2016

Boasting in Weaknesses, Part 12 Corinthians 11:16–33

Please turn in your bibles to 2 Corinthians 11…. 2 Corinthians 11…I’ll begin reading in verse 16. Follow along as I read…. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 16…

16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

___________

Welcome to game day at the ‘Boast Bowl’….

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Our matchup this morning is the Apostle Paul (who founded the church of Corinth) against the super apostles (who hope to steal the hearts of the Corinthians). The stakes are high. Who can win the hearts of the crowd with the best boasting? Will it be the Apostle Paul, a reluctant contestant on the field? Or will it be the super apostles who live to boast—indeed boasting is their native language. The game promises to be close and it’s really anybody’s guess who will be the winner. As I said, the stakes are high. The stadium is filled with members of the Corinthian church. And the winning team in the Boast Bowl will win the hearts of the Corinthians.

Now this introduction, as you already know, is over the top tongue-in-cheek1. But in my way of thinking it does seem to reflect what’s happening in the closing chapters of 2 Corinthians. Paul, the apostle, the spiritual father of the Corinthian church has found himself in an unusual place. “If the Corinthians will not put up with (me) when (I’m) wise and (when I) speak according to the Lord, perhaps they will put up with me when (I) act the fool and boast in the same manner as my opponents.”2 You see Paul is a reluctant boaster. Boasting is for fools and he’s no fool. But he will go to almost any length to win the Corinthians’ hearts and if that means fighting fire with fire then he will fight fire with fire. He will boast if it will win their hearts. He will play the game his opponents play but we’re going to see that he does a pretty amazing thing. He’s going to turn boasting on its head and he’s going to boast about his weaknesses.

As I said, Paul is a reluctant boaster. And we’ll see that in the way he expresses himself this morning. He knows that Christian boasting is different from worldly boasting. He knows that Christian boasting boasts in the Lord, the work of the Lord and the cross3. Everything else is foolish and worldly boasting. And foolish and worldly boasting is all about accomplishments and skills and abilities: “Look at what I can do”…. ‘Look at what I can accomplish’

Well let’s look at verse 16 where Paul begins to lay a foundation for the boasting that he will do..

16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. Paul knows that a fool boasts in himself. Paul knows that a fool boasts in his own accomplishments, always bragging about what he has done. Paul knows that a fool says there is no God4. Well Paul would never want to be seen as a fool… let no one think me foolish he says…But even if you do (even if you think me foolish), he’s speaking facetiously…if you do see me as a fool, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little.

1 With ironic or flippant intent2 Garland3 Justin Langley sermon, 2 Cor. 10:13-184 Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1-5

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“I hate to be thought of as a fool….Paul says… someone who has lost his senses5..., but if I’m seen as a fool by you Corinthians, I hope I’ll get a fool’s hearing so that I too may boast a little.”

Said differently Paul seems to be saying… “I really don’t want to boast about myself, I really don’t want to boast about my accomplishments and be seen as a fool by you, but if I’m seen as a fool, and it almost seems inevitable that I will be, I ask that you accept me as a fool, O Corinthians, so that I can have a platform to boast.”

I’m going to enter the ‘Boast bowl’ for your sake Corinthians and I’m going to take on the super apostles at their own game. Because they boast, I’ll boast too!” What he doesn’t explain upfront is how his boasting is going to be really different. He’s going to turn boasting upside down.

Verse 17… 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. In other words, ‘Corinthians, I realize that this isn’t the way the Lord would do it; this isn’t the Lord’s way of doing things. It’s a fool’s way of doing things’

Verse 18…18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. Since the super apostles are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast according to human standards.6 To beat the super apostles at their game, I’ll join them so I can gain your ear.

Verse 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! Paul’s words drip with sarcasm. He doesn’t think they are wise as they gladly bear with fools! He thinks they are fools for bearing with fools!

Verse 19 kind of gives us another reason that Paul is forced to take up foolish, worldly boasting. It’s because the Corinthians, in their so-called wisdom, like listening to fools! Isn’t that what verse 19 says? ‘You cheerfully put up with fools, you wise Corinthians, you!’7… You do a great job tolerating fools, you wise Corinthians! So I’ll be a fool to win your hearing.

Well in the next verse, verse 20, Paul tells the Corinthians that their off-the-chart tolerance goes way too far!

20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you…And just a passing note… by the way the Greek is written in verse 20, this conditional situation if someone makes slaves of you… and the

5 Baker, W. R.6 Guthrie7 Guthrie

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other four situations that follow in verse 20, these situations represent real circumstances in the church…they represent what is actually taking place in the Corinthian church. Again we know that from the way the Greek is written8… if someone makes slaves of you…he’s probably speaking figuratively here but his point is there’s been a loss of freedom in the church since the super apostles came to town with their different gospel… or devours you…literally, ‘eats you up’9….Does this have to do with resources being wasted like the prodigal son devouring his father’s resources, Luke 15:30? Or is this one person tearing up another person in conflict? Or thirdly, could this refer to the super apostles gobbling up the community’s resources? We don’t know which of the three options it is but we do know it’s bad…., or takes advantage of you…literally, ‘if a certain person takes you’…is this someone kidnapping another? Or capturing them spiritually? Again we can’t be certain but it sounds pretty ominous… or puts on airs…exalting themselves or acting arrogantly, or strikes you in the face. You know what the Greek beneath ‘a strike in the face’ means literally? It means a strike in a face! The super apostles had even resorted to physical abuse!

These interlopers, these super apostles who had weaseled their way into the Corinthian congregation, were ‘slavers, gluttons, pocket-stuffers, swaggerers and face slappers.’10 And the Corinthians seemed to tolerate it gladly. As the KJV says it, “They suffer fools gladly”

21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! (Again note the sarcasm)… But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.

Again Paul says he is going to take the super apostles on at their own game (even though he’s way reluctant to do so.) He’s going to take them on in the ‘Boast Bowl’--what they dare to boast of, I will dare to boast of.”

Well it’s here at verse 22 that Paul begins what is known as his “Fool’s Speech”. And his speech goes all the way through chapter 12, verse 10. He announces his “Fool’s speech” near the end of verse 21…Do you see that?... I’m speaking as a fool… Well his so-called “fool’s speech” will continue through chapter 12, verse 10.

Now what we’re going to see in Paul’s ‘Fool Speech’ is really interesting. Let me describe it up front. What we’re going to see is that Paul will begin by boasting about some of his bona fide identity strengths--he’s a Hebrew, he’s a Jew, he’s an offspring of Abraham—and then he’ll

8 Guthrie, G. H. (2015). 2 Corinthians. (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.) (p. 539). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Each clause consists of εἴ τις (ei tis, if a certain person) followed by a present-tense verb in the indicative mood. When the subordinate conjunction εἴ is used with the indicative in this way, the construction marks a real condition, so Paul writes about a real, rather than a hypothetical, situation going on in the church.9 Guthrie10 College Press

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transition without fanfare to an ‘extensive set of weaknesses experienced (over) the course of his ministry.’11 We’ll watch as Paul is more than glad to stand on equal footing with the super apostles regarding his identity. But when he begins to talk about his Christian ministry, he turns a corner. He makes the point that his Christian ministry is superior to that of the super apostles—and it’s a superiority based on weakness!12 Again this is unexpected. “After pulling his audience along in a way that might be expected, he turns the tables and begins emphasizing the difficulties and suffering of ministry as badges of (his) authenticity (as an apostle)”13

Let’s take a look….

Verse 22…..22 Are they Hebrews? This question could mean two possible things… It could mean “Are they Jews who originated in Palestine?” Or it could mean, “Do they speak Hebrew?” 14 Paul replies…So am I. Are they Israelites? In other words, “Are they God’s covenant people who shared in a unique and special tradition and history?”15 So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? In other words… “Are they children of the promise?” So am I. So far so good! Boast to boast they are equal! The score is tied in the ‘Boast Bowl”

23 Are they servants of Christ? Now here is the hinge on which Paul’s transition turns. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—as quickly as he said those words…as quickly as he heard himself boast like a fool…I am a better one….he says out loud I am talking like a madman—I’m out of my mind to talk like this… and then he launches… with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death…often staring death in the face! Whoa! What kind of strengths are those? Isn’t Paul boasting about his weaknesses?

Now some have argued, “Wait a minute!” Paul’s not really boasting of his weaknesses here. Don’t all these hardships—imprisonments, countless beatings, facing death regularly—don’t all these hardships show Paul’s indomitable perseverance? Don’t all these hardships show Paul’s strength of character? Aren’t these really evidences of his strength rather than weaknesses? In our culture that would be the case wouldn’t it? Well here’s the thing…in the culture of Paul’s day, these hardships would have been classified as ‘indicators of failure’—anybody who has those kinds of hardships is a failure-- or as ‘indicators of weakness rather than strength’16 “That one’s body was whipped and therefore whippable constituted evidence of suspect

11 Guthrie12 Guthrie13 Guthrie14 Garland15 Guthrie16 Guthrie

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character.”17 Said differently, “Paul’s whippability…marked him as dishonorable, even contemptable.” 18

These hardships that Paul catalogues are ‘weaknesses’. Well in verses 24-25 Paul gets specific

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. The ‘forty lashes less one’ was a unique Jewish punishment administered in the synagogue and it was the most severe beating allowed by scripture, Deut. 25:1-3.19 The guilty person was to be beaten ‘with the number of stripes in proportion to his offense up to 40.’ According to the rabbis, it was to be administered ‘with a strap of 3 hide thongs, 2/3 on the back and 1/3 on the front of the offender.20 Paul paid a tremendous price for going to the synagogues, didn’t he?

25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Rods were a Roman form of punishment. ‘In carrying out a sentence, a lector, the attendant of the magistrate, carried….a bundle of elm or birch rods and an axe. Criminals were flogged with the rods, and at times the axe was used for beheading’21

Once I was stoned. We have record of that in Acts 14. Paul was taken outside the city of Lystra, stoned and left for dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he rose up and….gave up the ministry…….no, unbelievably he went back into the city…

Three times I was shipwrecked…the shipwreck in Acts 27 would have been a fourth…. Shipwrecks were not unusual in the first century—the ships were fragile, navigation was poor, and maps were misleading22….a night and a day I was adrift at sea…probably clinging to floating debris from one of the wrecks….

Verse 2626 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people….the Jews…. danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers…the dangers Paul enumerates fall into two basic categories: places and people. Paul experienced danger everywhere he went—rivers, the city, the wilderness, the sea. But it was people rather than places that were the greatest dangers…robbers, fellow Jews, Gentiles…false brothers23

17 Glancy, ‘Boasting of Beatings’ Logos article18 Glancy, ‘Boasting of Beatings’ Logos article19 Hughes20 Bruce as quoted by Guthrie21 Guthrie22 Hughes23 Hughes

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The word ‘danger’ is a key word in verse 26 isn’t it? The only other place the word is used in the New Testament is in Romans 8:35, a passage also written by Paul.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? I want to come back to this thought at the end our time.

27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

Someone has suggested that Paul’s greatest experience of suffering occurred in his pastor’s heart.24 His pastoral concern extended to every church and every person he knew in each church. He felt a daily pressure from the anxiety he carried for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? If one of the weak members stumbled in his or her Christian walk, Paul lived it out as if he was weak too. He was often thrust into weakness.25 Paul felt with his people; he was never indifferent. He was bound to others and shared in their condition.

Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? When anyone was led astray and made to fall, he felt it deeply. “Paul was bound to his churches and each of their members, so that he participated heart and soul in all that they experienced.”26

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Hasn’t this been Paul’s main point in these verses? I will boast of the things that show, that demonstrate, that showcase, that display my weakness. Why? Because in my weaknesses the matchless grace of God is put on display. In my weaknesses I become strong with the grace that God supplies. When I am weak, 2 Corinthians 12:10 a verse that we’ll cover in two weeks, then I am strong.

31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. Why does Paul feel the need to punctuate what he says in verse 30—I will boast of the things that show my weakness—with the oath that he gives in verse 31—God…knows I am not lying? Because he wants the Corinthians to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is his true posture in ministry: he boasts in the events that display his weakness.

24 Hughes25 Seifrid26 Seifrid

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And so he turns to one of those events in verses 32-33, an event that occurred early in his ministry. And then in the first ten verses of 2 Corinthians 12 he mentions a second event that displayed his weakness—the vision he was given of the third heaven.

Well let’s look at the event he mentions from his early days in ministry that displayed his weakness.

32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

Simple enough, right? We know that Paul was converted on the road to Damascus. We also know that he spent his first days as a believer and Christian minister there (Acts 9:9–24). We know that he left Damascus to spend some time in Arabia27, probably preaching the Word of God there. And we know that he returned to Damascus. Well sometime after returning to Damascus—again he is a new believer-- he got crosswise with the authority over the city, the governor under King Aretas… and they set a guard to seize Paul. And he had to flee by being let down in a basket through the wall (Acts 9:25; 2 Cor. 11:32–33).28

So he went to Damascus as a proud Pharisee to seek and destroy Christians but he left the city like a lowly criminal, ‘lowered like a catch of fish whose smelly cargo he had displaced’.29

More than one student of scripture30 suggested that Paul’s experience in that basket being lowered down parodied the achievement that a Roman soldier was given for being the first one to scale the wall of an enemy city. The ‘wall crown’, one of the highest Roman military honors, was presented to the first soldier to go up and over the wall of an enemy city. The crown was made of gold and made to look like the turreted wall of a fortified city. Under the empire it was awarded to no one below the rank of Centurion. So the idea is that Paul is describing in his own experience a ‘reversal of military bravery and another token of his humiliation and weakness.’31

Paul appeared silly, humiliated, and weak.

27 Gal. 1:17 that is, Nabatea,28 Guthrie, G. H. (2015). 2 Corinthians. (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.) (pp. 574–575). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.29 Hughes30 Judge as quoted in Garland, Baker31 Garland

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You’ll see some questions on your sermon notes….

1. Having looked at the catalog of Paul’s sufferings, can we once and for all slay the lie that regularly intrudes in our minds: “With all the problems I have, God couldn’t love me”

As I reflected on our passage in 2 Corinthians this morning, I couldn’t help but connect it with the last verses of Romans 8 which were also written by Paul.

Think about who the apostle Paul was in the spread of the Christian faith in the first century. He was God’s chosen apostle to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He wrote 12 of the 27 books in the New Testament. Remove him from the scene in the first century and Christianity wouldn’t be what it is. Paul suffered incredible hardships. Think about the five times he received forty lashes minus one. Think about the three times he was beaten with rods. Think about the time he was adrift at sea for a night and a day clinging to ship debris. Think about all the times he looked death in the face. We could go on and on couldn’t we? And yet he wrote these words in Romans 8 perhaps a year after he wrote the words in 2 Corinthians…

Romans 8:35–39 (ESV)

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger….remember that’s the word that’s in our passage repeatedly… or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Having looked at the catalog of Paul’s sufferings, and heard once again Paul’s words in Romans 8, can we once and for all slay the lie that regularly intrudes in our minds: “With all the problems I have, God couldn’t love me”

2. How important is it that we follow Paul’s example and boast in our weaknesses?

■When we gladly boast in our weaknesses the power of Christ rests on us. (2 Cor. 12:9)

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That idea comes strait from 2 Corinthians 12:9 which we’ll look at in two weeks.

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Don’t we want the power of Christ to rest upon us?

■When we boast in our weaknesses we make the gospel __visible_.

You’ve heard us talk about ‘making the gospel visible’ some. It is a key thought as to why we believe we exist as a church. We exist to make the gospel visible. When you and I live as if we’ve got life figured out, when we live as though we have all the answers, when we live putting up a strong front, we actually obscure the gospel message. We draw attention to ourselves. People think good things about us. But when we boast in our weaknesses, and how God gives us strength, people think good things about God. If God had his druthers, we’d all give up trying to look good in each other’s eyes and we’d give all of our energy to making God look good. You see the gospel frees us to be authentic. Christ died for us while were sinners. Christ died for us when we were at our lowest and worst point. We can give up trying to look good in the eyes of others. When we boast in our weaknesses we make the gospel visible.

I asked the board to think with me about how boasting in our weaknesses can fit with competence. Can we boast in our weakness and be competent at the same time? Josh deGraffenried replied this way…

“I think boasting in our weakness and being competent are not incompatible.

In the 2 Corinthians passage, Paul makes much of his weaknesses - boasts in them - because it is through them that Christ's work shows most clearly (2 Cor. 12:9). So yes, boasting in our weakness, letting our weaknesses be displayed, not hiding our failings can be a way that we make the gospel visible. But only if we then point to Christ's work in our weaknesses. As Justin said, just complaining about our weaknesses does nothing to make the gospel visible. It draws attention to us.

In fact, part of Paul's point seems to be that he is effective in his ministry (2 Cor. 11:5-6, 12:11b-12). And the reason that he is effective is not that he is weak, but that Christ works through him. I would say that Paul is very competent at his ministry. I think he would say, "Look, those 'super-apostles' have a lot of talk, but what do they do? I'm the one who labored and suffered for you. I betrothed you to Christ. I forewent charging for my ministry, worked through my unskilled

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speech, and took the criticism of others, but it was through my ministry that you heard the truth, the gospel that saves you."

Indeed, Paul is weak and competent at the same time! The key is Christ's work. Paul can boast in his weakness, because it shows Christ's power in him. And he can argue for his competence, because Christ is working in him to make him effective. He says about as much in 2 Cor. 12:10. "When I am weak, then I am strong."

So yes, character is the issue. And yes, humility is the character quality. With humility, we can be honest about our weakness and our competencies. The gospel - Christ's work to redeem sinners - allows us to boast in our weakness and be transparent in our competency, because both show Christ's power. Both show the gospel.”

■When we boast in our weaknesses we dispel the __fear__in others

How will we ever live authentic lives hiding behind our strengths? The gospel says “God is wild about us, He’s committed to change us, and bring us home to him” We can stop hiding from one another. And when we boast in our weaknesses we dispel the fear in others. Because of the gospel the pressure to be good enough, strong enough is over.

3. Why don’t we boast in our weaknesses?

You’ll see four answers on your sermon notes….

We’re proud

We fear rejection

We forget God’s acceptance of us

We’re used to going it aloneOur Awana Journey curriculum—and I’m talking about our high school age group here—had a question in their lesson this week that paralleled what we’re talking about this morning in 2 Corinthians: ‘Why are some Christians hesitant to admit to other Christians when they are caught up in some kind of sin?” Isn’t that parallel to ‘Why are some Christians hesitant to boast about their weaknesses?”

I asked the leaders and students if I could share some of their answers to that question…

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One of the leaders wrote, “Well I know for me personally, the main reason I have a hard time confessing sin to others in because of my pride. I want other people to like me, and if I show them my mess, they will not like me as much.”32

Another leader said, “Fear of being found out, pride and just selfishness”33

A student wrote, ‘We feel like we will be judged by other Christians’34

Another student wrote, 1. We desire acceptance and we forget God’s acceptance of us. And we think that ‘good Christian people’ couldn’t possibly accept us if they knew what we’ve done. 2. Fear of losing reputation, respect and/or trust of other believers, 3. Hardness of heart, pride or refusal to face one’s own sin. 4) Eyes fixed on the wrong person…who should we fear, man or God? 5) Are we more concerned about our own glory or God’s? And then she quoted John Calvin: "It is fitting that by the confession of our own wretchedness, we show forth the goodness and mercy of our God among ourselves and before the world."35

Finally, another student penned a poem…

Sometimes life takes overand I don't know what to doI get focused on the others Take my eyes off You Find myself in my old waysOf sinning without repentThe wind has changed meFor the bad it's Changed the way I'm bent

I'll tell you I'm fine but on the inside I'm doing everything wrong wanna make it right in my own time don't want to share it with all y'allbut if you keep on tryingThe shell might breakYou'll see the pain that I intake

32 Elijah Pendergast33 Jerry Nicks34 Sharon Brockway35 Olivia Ham

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and when it's all over I'll finally seeWe work better as a team.36

4. How do we boast in our weaknesses effectively?

Certainly we can draw excessive attention to our weaknesses. And that has the feel of a false humility. Justin shared this helpful comment, “We've all heard people (or done it ourselves) who draw attention to their sufferings as a way of complaining about their lot in life or as a bid for pity from others. Instead, we can talk about our sufferings in a way that emphasizes God's involvement and the good that God has produced. In that way, we make the gospel visible, because the gospel is the premier example of God bringing ultimate good from ultimate evil.”37

36 Sarah Harding37 Justin Langley

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