2 Corinthians 12:1-21
I think it must have been very difficult for Paul to find himself in a place where he had to present his qualifications for ministry to the Corinthians once again. He had already given them so much and taught them so much, it seems very strange to me and I am sure it seemed strange to him to have to prove that he was worth of their attention and respect. No matter how long we serve or how much experience we have, it is vital that we maintain a vigilant eye on our own reputations. We never know when we will be examined and called into question.
PAUL DESCRIBES HIS VISION: God gave Paul a glimpse into heaven. We don't really know when this happened, but it did happen. It could have been when he was stoned and left for dead that he had this experience or it could have been at any other time in his life since conversion. When it happened is not important, but the fact that it did happen reveals that God had chosen Paul as a very special person in His kingdom and that Paul was uniquely qualified to exercise the authority of an apostle. The other apostles had all walked with Christ, but Christ appeared to Paul on at least two different occasions. Nobody had the right to question Paul's authority or qualification as an apostle.
PAUL DEFINES HIS WEAKNESS: Paul was specially chosen by God for a vital purpose in the church and He was given amazing gifts and experiences to prepare him for that role. However, Paul was also given what he called a thorn in the flesh or a messenger from Satan to buffet him. Once again we do not know that this is from the context. There is speculation that it may have been a debilitating and even unsightly eye disease but we really have no way of knowing for sure. What we do know is that Paul asked God to heal him three times and God assured Paul that this hardship what to help keep him humble and to make him realize that he was dependant upon God for the work of the ministry. God may allow difficult circumstances in our lives, but we can rest assured that He is not only in control but that He us using them for His ultimate purpose.
PAUL DEFENDS HIS AUTHORITY: Once again, it seems odd that Paul should have to do this, but apparently there is an element in the church who is questioning Paul's authority as an apostle. Paul is able to point back to his time in Corinth and remind them that he served them faithfully without any sort of financial benefit. He had taught them just like any other apostle would have done. He could also vouch for the other ministers that he had sent to serve in their midst like Titus and remind them of how ethical these others ministers on Paul's team had been. There was nothing to call into question their motives or their methods. They had ministered faithfully and in very difficult circumstances. This is why it is so important for a minister of the Gospel to be above reproach in every aspect of his life. It is also vital to have quality people of unquestionable character who serve together with us. Ministry is teamwork and must be conducted as such.
PAUL DETERMINES HIS MOTIVES: Lest we think that Paul is doing all of this defending of himself in order to promote himself, Paul makes it very clear that the reason he is doing this is in hopes of helping the Corinthian believers repent. Paul was not concerned with his reputation and really did not care what others thought about him or said about him except for the fact that it might have diminished his effectiveness at ministering in the lives of others. Too often, we care too much about what others think of us and not so much about other's relationship with God. If we need to defend ourselves in order to be able to maintain effectiveness in serving others, I believe that this is justified and necessary. We must not fall into the trap of self promotion and fighting to gain power an influence that we use for our own egos as opposed to God's glory.
PAUL DESCRIBES HIS VISION: God gave Paul a glimpse into heaven. We don't really know when this happened, but it did happen. It could have been when he was stoned and left for dead that he had this experience or it could have been at any other time in his life since conversion. When it happened is not important, but the fact that it did happen reveals that God had chosen Paul as a very special person in His kingdom and that Paul was uniquely qualified to exercise the authority of an apostle. The other apostles had all walked with Christ, but Christ appeared to Paul on at least two different occasions. Nobody had the right to question Paul's authority or qualification as an apostle.
PAUL DEFINES HIS WEAKNESS: Paul was specially chosen by God for a vital purpose in the church and He was given amazing gifts and experiences to prepare him for that role. However, Paul was also given what he called a thorn in the flesh or a messenger from Satan to buffet him. Once again we do not know that this is from the context. There is speculation that it may have been a debilitating and even unsightly eye disease but we really have no way of knowing for sure. What we do know is that Paul asked God to heal him three times and God assured Paul that this hardship what to help keep him humble and to make him realize that he was dependant upon God for the work of the ministry. God may allow difficult circumstances in our lives, but we can rest assured that He is not only in control but that He us using them for His ultimate purpose.
PAUL DEFENDS HIS AUTHORITY: Once again, it seems odd that Paul should have to do this, but apparently there is an element in the church who is questioning Paul's authority as an apostle. Paul is able to point back to his time in Corinth and remind them that he served them faithfully without any sort of financial benefit. He had taught them just like any other apostle would have done. He could also vouch for the other ministers that he had sent to serve in their midst like Titus and remind them of how ethical these others ministers on Paul's team had been. There was nothing to call into question their motives or their methods. They had ministered faithfully and in very difficult circumstances. This is why it is so important for a minister of the Gospel to be above reproach in every aspect of his life. It is also vital to have quality people of unquestionable character who serve together with us. Ministry is teamwork and must be conducted as such.
PAUL DETERMINES HIS MOTIVES: Lest we think that Paul is doing all of this defending of himself in order to promote himself, Paul makes it very clear that the reason he is doing this is in hopes of helping the Corinthian believers repent. Paul was not concerned with his reputation and really did not care what others thought about him or said about him except for the fact that it might have diminished his effectiveness at ministering in the lives of others. Too often, we care too much about what others think of us and not so much about other's relationship with God. If we need to defend ourselves in order to be able to maintain effectiveness in serving others, I believe that this is justified and necessary. We must not fall into the trap of self promotion and fighting to gain power an influence that we use for our own egos as opposed to God's glory.
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