2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Remember:

Paul is laying an argument against these false apostles who are infiltrating the church and speaking against Paul - undermining his ministry

Paul says, you accept their boasting, though it does you harm, how about I boast for a minute.

Then what does Paul boast in? (22-29)

2 Corinthians 11:30 “30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.”

Paul is boasting - not in what the world says is valuable - but in the things that make him look bad, or weak, or vulnerable…

Now we come to 12:1, where Paul in the same breath is continuing his argument.

v. 1

2 Corinthians 12:1 “1 I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.”

He is doubling down on this line of argumentation

But he once again clarifies that he is not getting caught up in the same trap as these false apostles…

He says, “Though there is nothing to be gained by it…”

This isn’t going to accomplish what the false apostles think it will accomplish…

But now we get to what Paul’s bread and butter is…

What does he say he’s going to boast in?

visions and revelations of the Lord

Now what is the most famous vision of Paul that we have recorded?

Acts 9:1–9 ESV

1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. 4 And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” 5 And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” 7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now, with this vision in mind, let’s look at 2 Cor 12:2

v. 2-4

2 Corinthians 12:2–4 “2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. 3 And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”

A few things for us to note here

1. Paul doesn’t refer to his most famous vision (Acts)

He goes beyond a vision of Jesus and moves to a vision of Jesus in heaven

2. What is the 3rd heaven?

First heaven = Earth's atmosphere (where birds fly)

“God called the expanse Heaven.” — Genesis 1:8

Second heaven = Outer space (sun, moon, stars)

“The heavens declare the glory of God...” — Psalm 19:1

Third heaven = The spiritual realm, God’s dwelling place

“The heaven of heavens cannot contain You.” — 1 Kings 8:27

Deuteronomy 10:14 “14 Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.”

Nehemiah 9:6 “6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”

1 Kings 8:27 “27 “But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!”

Luke 23:43 “43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.””

Paul doesn’t know whether he was in the body caught up or out of the body caught up…

Either way, this is more than the mind can comprehend and more than words can utter

2 Corinthians 12:4 “4 and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”

This could be that it’s not possible to explain what I saw OR I am not allowed to speak of what I saw…

Again, what is the point?

Paul has had visions and revelations given by God for the glory of God - not to build Paul up, but to build the church up.

That is the role of the Apostle

These other false apostles are not building up the church, but tearing it down

v. 5

2 Corinthians 12:5 “5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—”

The english here doesn’t help us with any confusion we might have.

What it is actually saying is, “On behalf of the man (myself), I will not boast. But I will boast in the fact that it happened. I will boast in the event, but not in myself.”

Why? Because Paul sees it as a grace that God would appear to him, would translate him, would allow him to see the visions he saw. There was nothing in Paul that warranted this vision. There was nothing in Paul that earned this vision.

Paul is not boasting in himself, but it the fact that God gave a vision to a man. - That is a grace.

So I will boast in what Christ has done… and I will boast in my weaknesses

I will boast in his strength, I will boast in my infirmities

v. 6

2 Corinthians 12:6 “6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.”

Again, if there were a reason to boast in our flesh, I would destroy you!

Philippians 3:4–6 “4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

Paul didn’t have to make up what the flesh would boast in, but he refrains from that because God is not working through Paul’s strengths.

God is not the things of Paul’s flesh which others would boast in to bring people to Christ

circumcised on the eighth day - Paul speaks against the circumcision often

of the people of Israel - God is saving Jew and Gentile

of the tribe of Benjamin - again, God is saving all nations

as to the law, a Pharisee - and yet so often Paul describes himself free in Christ

These things that others would boast in are not the things that God is using to glorify his name - it’s not what is being used to bring people to a saving knowledge of Christ

so what does Paul say in Philippians 3:7–10 “7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,”

v. 7-8

2 Corinthians 12:7–8 “7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.”

Trinity Psalter Hymnal P. 922 WCF Chapter 5 sections 1-5

God often leaves us for a season in extremely difficult times for a number of reasons. It could be

To discipline for former sins

To help you to realize the depths of sinfulness in your own heart

To humble us

To raise us to a more consistent reliance on God and his care

And to make us more watchful, more vigilant against future sin

Lots of other things

Have you ever prayed that God would take something away and wondered if he was listening?

or if he even cared?

God’s answer isn’t just “no”

What is the answer that God gives to Paul, and the same answer that God gives to us?

v. 9

2 Corinthians 12:9 “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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

In the midst of suffering, in the midst of pain, in the midst of loss, in the midst of the consequences of our own sin, when God says “no” to the request for us to be removed from any given situation, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

His grace is sufficient

It is enough to get us through

There is nothing else that is required for our faithfulness and obedience in our trials.

His grace is enough

“For my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Does God’s power get better when we are weak?

NO

Does God become more perfect when we are weak?

NO

He is the same yesterday, today and forever.

God’s power is seen more clearly

God’s power is revealed

There is nothing there that can cast a shadow on his power

I remember when my dad had back surgery years ago and had to spend 6 months on his back, he said, “when you are on you back, there is only one way to look.”

When we are at our lowest, we cannot get in the way of God being on display.

His power is made perfect, or seen the most clearly in our weakness.

2 Corinthians 12:9 “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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

So what am I gonna do?

I’m gonna boast in my frailty, in my infirmities, in my lack, in my need, in what I don’t possess that the world says I need to be relevant, or powerful, or meaningful.

I’m going to boast in my weakness, SO THAT the power of Christ may rest upon me.

So that the world can see Christ working

so that there is nothing that gets in the way of Christ receiving the glory

v. 10

2 Corinthians 12:10 “10 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.”

So what is Paul saying?

The things that the world says are worthless - or things that you should avoid - are actually things that we should boast in.

Boast in sickness

Boast in the fact that it is painful to get up or to walk

Boast in the constant barrage of Satan’s attacks

Now we don’t boast in these things as fools

“I’m sick and you’re not - hahahaha…”

No, we rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer

we rejoice that Christ would love us enough to make us look more like him

I am much harder on my kids than I am on other people’s kids because of my love for them.

If my kids and some of their friends are running around the sanctuary on a Sunday, I am going directly to my kids - not because I hate them, but because I love them enough to shape them in the way that Christ would.

2 Corinthians 12:10 “10 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.”

Paul is saying our strength in this life comes from glorying in our weaknesses, because it is in them that Christ is seen as glorious.

In the same way you don’t show up to another woman’s wedding wearing a wedding dress, so you don’t rob Christ of his glory. Let him be the one on display.

Your hardships are meant to make you ready for heaven.

Boast in them