2 Corinthians 11:30-33

2 Corinthians 11:30-33

If it is necessary to boast, I will boast about the things of my weakness.  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ – the one who is blessed into the ages – has known that I am not lying.  In Damascus, the ethnarch of King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus to arrest me and I was being let down through a window in the wall in a large basket and I escaped his hands.

NOTE: An ethnarch is a person appointed to rule over a particular region under the authority of a king or emperor.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Now Paul turns to boasting about an area of weakness.  Remember that although Paul did a good deal of boasting in the last chapter, Paul said that it was all foolishness.  It means nothing in God’s eyes.  So to balance it out, Paul talks about his weakness as well.  After all, if our strengths do not impress God, then our weaknesses should not hinder our relationship with God, either.  God does not love us because we are strong.  Neither would God love us more if we could somehow bury our weaknesses.  God loves us regardless of who we are because of Jesus Christ.  Therefore we need not feel great in our boasting nor should we feel shame in our weakness.  God can use both our strengths and our weaknesses to demonstrate His character to the world.

Are you ever ashamed of your weaknesses?  Why do your weaknesses make you feel shame or humiliation or even just a lesser status?  How can realizing God’s love help you overcome any shame you may have in your weakness?

Second Thought:

So long as we are talking about weakness, Paul focuses on a fairly significant one.  Everywhere Paul goes, people seem to want to do him harm.  The Jews want him dead.  Gentiles try and get rid of his teaching.  In the example he gives here, even government officials sought to have him arrested.  Paul seems to have an affinity for making enemies.  That’s quite a weakness!  Yet it does not diminish the work that God was able to do through him.  In fact, it speaks volumes about the greatness of God that in spite of Paul’s affinity for making enemies God was still able to use him!

Are you willing to talk about your weaknesses with others?  What hinders you from speaking about the times of failure in your life?

Third Thought:

So how do we know that Paul is legitimate and the false apostles that have come to Corinth are not legitimate?  Paul isn’t building himself up.  It isn’t about Paul.  It isn’t about Paul’s great name.  Paul is able to teach through his success and his failures.  But what is Paul teaching through his success and failure?  Paul is teaching that God’s name is to be praised through all the ages.  Paul is teaching that God is blessed throughout all the ages.  Paul’s focus is on God.  When things go well, God gets the credit.  When things go poorly, God is still blessed by Paul’s tongue.  That’s a great model to imitate.

Is your life about making God’s name great?  Are you able to show the greatness of God through your successes as well as your failures?

Passage for Tomorrow: 2 Corinthians 12:1-6