My Grace Is Sufficient Series

There is no gain from boasting about gifts because there is no future in gifts (v 1). The word “gain” is “sum-phero,” from “joint” (sum-) and “carry” (phero). “Sumphero” literally means “carry together.” There is no gain from boasting because it is one-sided and not team-oriented, glorifying self and not God. It cannot be extended to or shared with friends or God. It has no long-term growth or potential. No one’s character benefits, including the boastful man.

Focusing on great revelations results in pride. NIV records the verb “becoming conceited” (v 7) once only, but Greek text mentions it twice, the second time at the end of the verse, as indicated by KJV, which adds “lest I should be exalted above measure.” Besides appearing twice in this verse, the word occurs one other time in the Bible as “exalting oneself.” (2 Thess 2:4) This single Greek verb comprises of a preposition “huper” for above, over or beyond “airo,” to take up, raise up or lift up. The latter is a neutral word for “taking up” one’s cross and follow Jesus (Matt 16:24) and for taking His yoke upon self and learning from Him (Matt 11:29), but once the “huper” is added, the person on an ego trip is over the top, on a roll and out of range. “Become conceited” (huper-airomai) is, ironically and unfortunately, linked to the word “great” (huperbole) in the same verse (v 7). Sadly, the proud man does not see that the revelations are not great, but merely “exaggerated” (huperbole).

Paul has a thorn in the flesh. No one is sure what Paul suffered from but suggestions offered include temptation, opposition, disability and ailments such as ophthalmia, malaria, migraine headaches, and epilepsy. A thorn (skolops) is a Greek slang for a disability. It literally joins the root words for “leg” (skelos) and “sight” (optanomai) together. The word could mean the limb or the eye, or a handicap. But the next word is “buffet/torment” means “to rap with the fist,” the same word for Jesus who was “struck with fists” (Matt 26:67, Mark 14:65), for Paul who was “brutally treated” (1 Cor 4:11) and slaves who “receive a beating” (1 Peter 2:20) from their masters. Even the great Paul was not spared from physical suffering, pain and affliction. Worse, it comes from Satan, not God, which He allows. Note that God is our trust, not our tempter. So Paul does not consider his handicap a punishment or a plague.

Exchange Your Weakness; Don’t be Embittered with It

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. (2 Cor 12:8-9)

Bob and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord’s team was playing Satan’s team. The Lord’s team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs (one person left for the enemy to retire). They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate whose name was Love. Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because Love never fails.