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Finding Strength Through Weakness
2 Corinthians 12:1-21
Pastor Tom Fuller
This is one of the most unusual sections in all of Scripture. Jesus talked more about hell than heaven, and other than John’s Revelation, we know very little about it. But we do know someone other than the Lord Himself who’s been there – Paul. There must be plenty of things about this man that we won’t know until we get to meet him, but here he reveals an incredible experience – why its important as he battles with the false teachers, and how it teaches us that we can find true strength only when we become weak.
1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know-God knows. 3 And I know that this man-whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows- 4 was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.
Paul is talking about himself here. So why does he talk about this vision in the third person? Probably because he is trying to distance himself from boasting about a revelation from God – a very personal thing.
It’s all part of the defense against the men who had come into Corinth who used supposed revelations they had had as a reason they had authority. Paul is clear that he thinks boasting about visions is foolish – so he talks about his vision in the third person, as if he were observing it, rather than a part of it.
It happened 14 years before the writing of this letter. Scholars don’t think this vision is recorded anywhere else, and it clearly wasn’t the vision he had on the road to Damascus because Paul says he was “in Christ,” or already a Christian. But the timing would have been close to the beginning of his ministry, perhaps as a way for the Lord to encourage Paul in all the things he would have to suffer.
He says he was caught up to the “third heaven.” The Old and New Testaments refer to three different “heavens.” There is the sky, then the universe around us, then the dwelling place of God. Psalm 68 refers to it as the “heaven of heavens.”
Paul in verse 2 says he doesn’t know if he was in or out of his body at the time. But look at verse 4 – “He heard inexpressible things.” Wow. Most of the time you’d think you’d want to share the vision – but the point of it wasn’t to share what Paul saw, but the fact that God did this – something between God and Paul.
Paul could boast about it, because it really happened – probably in contrast to the “revelations” his opponents came up with – but Paul’s point is that “I could tell you all about it, but that’s not me – and that’s not the person the Lord has brought to you.” Instead Paul goes back to something he’s repeated several times in this book – that he will instead boast about his weaknesses – and, it seems, the Lord also wanted to comfort Paul without giving him a big head.
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 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. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
This is probably one of the most wonderful sections of this entire book – maybe the entire New Testament.
In verses 7 through 10 we see:
• The work of God through the believer
• The need for humbleness
• The work of the devil trying to frustrate, weaken, and accuse
• The need for prayer and constant communication with God
• God answering our prayers sovereignly, and with a greater good in mind
• The real power of God residing in our weakness – the true secret of God
• The sufficiency of His grace to bring us through anything
The word “delight” there means “to think good of” or “to be willing.” Paul sees good when things go wrong, when people aren’t happy, when he is attacked, even by the enemy. This runs counter to everything we hear in the world around us, and a lot of what we hear in the church.
We focus on Ephesians 6 and the armor of God and we preach strength and battle and overwhelming the enemy – but how often do we focus on being broken by hardship and adversity as a good thing and as a way to perfect Christ’s power in us?
Why is it that when we are weak, then we are strong?
1. My Grace
The word “grace” means “benefit” or “favor” When it comes to God’s grace we speak of it in terms of “unmerited favor”. Another version renders this: “My kindness is enough for you.”
We’ve got to keep it in our heads that we don’t earn God’s favor or deserve His kindness. The moment we start feeling strong or “with it” is the point at which we unlink ourselves from grace – it then becomes our own works.
Titus 3:4-5 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.
2. Is sufficient
This is actually what starts the sentence in the Greek – “Is sufficient, My grace for you.” It means “enough,” or “content.”
Our problem is we are never satisfied. When there’s a problem we want a solution. When there’s a battle, we want to fight. When there is opposition, we want to lash out. And, frankly, God’s usually a lot slower to act than we’d like Him to be.
We either want to kill our enemies or have our friend lavish praise on us. Truly, is God’s kindness enough for you? Can you be content with the fact that God loves you?
3. My power
The Greek word: “dunamis” – really it means “ability.” Where we are disabled, God makes us able. We want the power of God, but we don’t want the way God brings about His abilities into our lives – because:
4. Made perfect
The word is in the present passive indicative. It is linear in thought – that is, as our weakness grows, so does God’s power. That’s troubling.
The word brings out the idea of something being brought to completeness. We can do some things, even when we are in control. But to let God make us weak, purposefully, is to take a leap of faith into His arms – and to let Him complete the work of making His ability, our ability.
Jesus did it, when He gave Himself over to the Romans for them to kill Him. At any time He could have said the word and God would have wiped them all out in an instant – but He didn’t.
Let Him complete the work in you – through your weakness and disability.
Philippians 4:12-13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
5. In weakness
The word means: “for want of strength.” It indicates the inability to produce results.
How many times have you wanted to produce results for God in your own efforts? How many times has it fallen flat on its face? This is the key for our ability to become like God and see His works work through us – to realize our total inability to do anything.
Its nothing short of total dependence that God wants. Paul realized that. He realized that its not lashing out at the enemy, but lashing himself to God that brings results. He realized that this infirmity actually makes him stronger because it makes him weaker.
Awesome stuff – stuff to think about. And it would have been an eye opener for the Corinthians because the men that had come in to bump Paul off as the Apostolic authority there operated in a very different manner.
So next Paul goes on to show them that he really is an apostle – by any standard.
11 I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing. 12 The things that mark an apostle-signs, wonders and miracles-were done among you with great perseverance. 13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
Paul says: “I shouldn’t have had to go into all of this – in fact, you should have been the ones sticking up for me.” Paul is ironically making fun of the “super-apostles” because they really weren’t apostles at all.
Paul, on the other hand, was very much an apostle. There were three things that made someone an apostle: having seen the risen Lord Jesus, having had a direct commission from Him, and accompanying signs and miracles.
Paul then says – you got the package deal when you got me – except that I didn’t get financial support from you. Paul, in fact, supported himself by using his trade as a tentmaker.
And I love how he uses this idea to hone in on the real core of his appeal:
14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent you? 18 I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not act in the same spirit and follow the same course?
“We were completely honest and above board” Paul is saying – and I love what he says: “what I want is not your possessions, but you.” The “super-apostles” were after their possessions – but real fellowship and ministry involves relationships, not material things.
Our fellowship can get along on a shoestring – because its not big salaries or big buildings that matter, but strong relationships built around a love for the Lord and His Word.
Paul is really debasing himself here because he really had no need to defend himself as if the Corinthians were going to decide whether Paul was right or the “super-apostles” were right.
19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening.
God appointed Paul for this work – he wasn’t chosen by the Corinthians. And all of his work was done for their benefit, not his.
Often that’s the case in ministry – the person called of God will often give out of themselves and not receive any benefit back at all. And that’s okay – I don’t belong to myself anymore, I’m owned by my Father in heaven and where He sends me is His business. My job is to obey.
Paul now zeros in on what’s really going on in Corinth – that all of this choosing sides is about operating in the flesh, not the Spirit.
20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.
Look at the list here: this is a good set of things to measure yourself against on a regular basis. We so often engage in behavior that is totally un-Christ-like and we justify it. I have seen it so often it really disturbs me. If what we are saying or doing is in anger, pits people against each other, runs others down, or says mean things behind someone’s back – or involves putting yourself on a pedestal and harming the church through confusion and discord – then IT IS NOT OF THE LORD.
And from what Paul says, it looks like some of this stuff may have come as a result of unrepentant sin. I think its true that we often mask what the real problem is by lashing out at others. We think the problem is with them, but in reality we have refused to let God have access to our life so He can deal with us, show us our need of repentance and cleansing from sin so that we can rightly judge a situation.
Luke 6:42 How can you say to your brother, ’Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Conclusions
• Do you know that the Lord is pleased with you?
Romans 5:5-8 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• Are you ready to be made weak so you can get strong?
2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
• Are you willing to get no personal benefit from your service?
2 Timothy 2:3-4 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his commanding officer.
• Have you examined the things that bug you to make sure there isn’t some hidden sin or problem that’s at the root of why you are upset?
Psalm 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. KJV
