Are you Weak?

What comes to mind when we hear the word weak?

Weak physically, mentally. Weak stomach, weak eyes

Do we have areas in our life that are considered weak?

Does that bother you?

Paul said that the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Paul was under much stress or frustration leading to chapter 12. Many in the church of Corinth were bothered with Paul. Some did not like Paul’s comments in 1Cor. 9:22 of being all things so that he can win people to Christ. Many were taking advantage of Paul and not taking him seriously.

I may have to care for those whose faith is weak, the people that some of you feel so superior to. But I also have to deal with those that lead others into sin—and that makes me burn. Some of you make me burn.

We step into Chapter 12 where Paul is telling a story about a man who is caught up into heaven and heard inexpressible things that he is not permitted to talk about. It’s strange because Paul is really talking about himself.

I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses (12:5). Paul is ashamed to be boasting the way he is. He is not really a fool to boast about such things, because they really happened: he was speaking the truth (12:6). But he does not want their respect and loyalty because of things of this sort. He wants no one to think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say (12:6). Anyone can make up stories about visions or things that are un-interpreted or in the past.

A person’s ego could easily become inflated with the kinds of revelations Paul experienced. But [t]o keep me from becoming conceited … there was given me a thorn in my flesh (12:7). We do not know exactly what this burden in Paul’s life was. It obviously troubled him greatly.

Various individuals have made different suggestions. The fact that it was a thorn in his “flesh” likely refers either to a physical problem or perhaps to a temptation of “flesh” understood in spiritual terms, a besetting sin with which he continuously struggled.

How many of us can relate to Paul: having a thorn in our flesh?

Since Paul speaks of the flesh as something from which Christ frees us when we receive the Spirit, it does not seem likely that Paul was speaking of sinful flesh (Rom. 8:1–8).

He consistently taught that a Christian will have victory over this kind of flesh

Galatians 5:16 NIV

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

It seems more likely that Paul refers to a literal physical issue. Paul does mention problems with his eyes in Galatians 4:13: 15

13 As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you,

15 Where, then, is your blessing of me now? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.

and Acts tells us Paul went blind for a time when he first saw the risen Christ Acts 9:9

Acts 9:9 NIV

For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

All in all, this is the only real hint Paul gives us about what this “thorn” might be. Whatever the thorn in the flesh was, Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me (12:8).

But the Lord did not grant Paul his request, nor does God always say “yes” in answer to our prayers. To be sure, God did not chastise Paul for asking again and again—three times in all. Nevertheless, once Paul had a sense of God’s answer, he stopped begging. God invites us to ask repeatedly, like the persistent widow of Jesus’ parable (Luke 18:1–8). But there is also a time when we must accept God’s answer and rely on His strength in our weakness.

The Lord’s answer was that Paul needed to rely on him. Christ said to him, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (12:9). God would get glory through Paul by way of Paul’s reliance on Christ for strength.

The word Grace:

Favor

Full of the Holy Spirit

God shows His strength the most by taking the weal and making them strong.