“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For 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 12:9-10
Paul was one of the greatest apostles to ever live. God used him in mighty ways as he labored to establish the early church throughout Asia Minor and Rome. He was also responsible for two-thirds of the New Testament writings, which lay the foundation for the doctrine of the Christian faith and much of our orthodoxy throughout church history. An expert in Old Testament Law, he was trained as a Pharisee under the respected teacher Gamaliel (Acts 5:34; 22:3).
However, through special revelation and instruction from God (Galatians 1:12), Paul’s writings clearly reveal that the Old Testament concerns Jesus Christ, the focal point of all Scripture. He is the hero of all creation.
In the initial verses of 2 Corinthians 12 (verses 1-10), Paul acknowledges the great revelations he received from God. Surely the visions given to him by the Lord would have provided ample opportunity for him to boast about his gifts, considering the abundance of wisdom imparted to him.
If Paul were alive in our postmodern world, he would undoubtedly have had the chance to become a super-celebrity pastor in today’s American church, given the greatness of the revelations he received from God. Yet, in this focal scripture, Paul does not boast in human self-sufficiency. Instead, he highlights a Biblical perspective on how God values and works through human weakness for our learning:
What is human greatness in the light of God?
Paul did not seek the prestige of the world. He endeavored to maintain a sober judgment of himself, always mindful of the radiant light of the Gospel and the glory of God (Romans 12:3) in relation to his basic humanity. Likewise, by continually studying and reflecting on God’s Word, we are reminded of who we are in relation to God. The Bible teaches that in our human nature, we are sinful, earthly, and mortal. In contrast, God is holy, perfect, and eternal.
Furthermore, it is by God’s goodness and grace that we exist. He is the giver of all gifts, talents, and abilities, which He grants according to His will and purposes for our lives. Let’s reflect on this reality: What can we truly boast about when we can’t even take credit for the very air we breathe? We can’t even number the strands of hair on our heads.
What is the Biblical view of trial and suffering?
Paul experienced many trials and setbacks in his endeavor to spread the Gospel, while enduring his own shortcomings. This is the experience of all Christians, in varying degrees, if we are to live in service to Christ (Acts 9:15-16; 2 Timothy 3:12).
This biblical truth can be difficult to accept. It stands in stark contrast to the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith movements, whose messages teach a “transactional” works-based relationship with God. In error, they boast, “If I do this for God in this prescribed way, God owes me security, health, and wealth in this temporal world.”
My friends, the Bible teaches no such thing. Paul understood the purpose of his trials (i.e., physical and external; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, 11:23-29). They were given to him by God so he would not become conceited, falling into a narcissistic view of human strength. Suffering for Christ helped him recognize that the works of God were accomplished through him by God’s power (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7). It was not through human power and ingenuity that he accomplished his mission, but through faith in the strength that God supplied, which is by grace.
Paul understood that despite human weakness, God’s grace accomplishes His purposes through us in a fallen world hostile to the message of the Cross of Christ.
How do we then rejoice in weaknesses?
Paul expresses contentment in his trials and weaknesses because he sees within his sufferings a divine reason to rejoice. He assured us (by faith) that in all of them, Christ’s power was at work.
What is Paul teaching us here? As Christians, we are not immune to sickness, financial troubles, physical infirmities, or persecution for the cause of Christ. God allows adversity (figuratively like thorns) in our lives as instruments to sanctify and humble us. Like Paul, we will learn to rejoice in our weaknesses because through them, we receive the profound gift of knowing God more intimately. In weakness, we learn to trust that His power is magnified as it accomplishes His sovereign will in our lives.
Therefore, we can rejoice in suffering, as Paul did, when we realize that we were not created to be glorified, but rather to magnify the glory of God in our lives.
Dr. Jason S. Price, Th.D
www.springoflivingwaters.com
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