Valuable, Purposeful, Powerful (2)
The Blessing of Weakness • Sermon • Submitted
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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. 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. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 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. 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. 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. 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.
16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!
But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
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. 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. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 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.
2Corinthians
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. 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. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 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.
2Corinthians 11:16
Context:
Context:
ESV1 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. 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. 5 On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 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. 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. 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. 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.
In Corinth, the people who came after Paul were attacking his person as a way to cast doubt upon his teaching.
Even though Paul was an apostle, he did not want to have to deal with them in an authoritarian way (). Some of the opposing “super-apostles” were saying that Paul was weak and unreliable, and that was the reason he delayed his visit.
1. God Reveals what is Valuable (Vrs. 1-6)
1. God Reveals what is Valuable (Vrs. 1-6)
ESV5 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. 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
In , Paul explains why his ministry does not seem very successful. First, there is a spiritual war, and unbelievers simply cannot understand the gospel that he preaches on their own (verses 1–6). Also, Paul lacks all signs of outward success and blessing. He is afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down (verses 8–9). But he explains that this is only his outward condition. Spiritually he is not crushed, driven to despair, forsaken, or destroyed. In fact, a state of weakness is common for gospel ministry, so that the glory will go to God, not to the human worker—Paul is simply an “earthen vessel” containing an incredibly valuable treasure (verse 7). Paul does not lose heart because he knows that, when this life is over, something incredibly greater awaits him (verses 16–18). The “super-apostles” seem to see glory for themselves and enjoy popularity.
Paul comes to the Corinthians and challenges them on their turning from the gospel, and listening to False Apostles. There were these people who taught for money, and distorted the gospel of Jesus. He then begining is Chapter 11:16 by sarcastically arguing on thier own terms. He said, these people boast of who they are, in thier flesh..Paul said I could boast too.
In , Paul says that he does not boast in his own ministry or accomplishments. He boasts in the response of the Corinthians and in their repentance that came about as a result of his first letter.
Based on Paul’s defense of his ministry, the “super-apostles” (; ) are false teachers claiming to be superior to Paul. Paul names them “super-apostles” in facetious irony. Compared to them, Paul looks like a very meager apostle. It is as if Paul is saying, “If I am an apostle, then they must be ‘super-apostles’—look at how much more powerful and successful they are than I am!” Paul is humble, timid, physically persecuted, self-supporting, unskilled, and physically ailing. The super-apostles were just the opposite—bold, talented, respected, healthy—and more than willing to take money from the Corinthians. They were not afraid to deal with the Corinthians in an authoritarian manner: “You bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face” (). Paul calls the other teachers “super-apostles” because, from all outward appearances, they are the successful ones, while he is the failure.
ESV22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
He even continues in the beginning of chapter 12 with these visions of God which he has seen. But he argues by thier standards to prove that even by their standards, they should listen to him. But then..he makes the important, and crucial point to it all..Though yes in my flesh I am a Hebrew of Hebrews, though yes I’ve had amazing spiritual experiences, though I’ve suffered so much for the Lord…I count none of these things as valuable!The only value I have is not in what I have done for me, but what He has done for me!It is the gospel and the gospel alone which I value!No good Ive done can add to what Christ has done or make me more valuable, or no failure or weakness can make me less valuable!Our Value is not in Who We Are, But WHOSE we are.
ESV26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Paul says, I guess these are the successful apostles, because by worldly standards they look like the successful ones.
1. God Reveals What is Valuable
1. God Reveals What is Valuable
The Gospel redefines what is truly valuable
The Gospel redefines what is truly valuable
A life of distorted values, means we believe a distorted gospel!
A life of distorted values, means we believe a distorted gospel!
One of my favorite quotes from C.S. Lewis appears in his book The Weight of Glory:
Paul’s point is simple, you measure by these standards of success and value, I guess “they” are the super apostles.
But he’s telling them, they are measuring by the wrong standard. Paul says these men distort the gospel, they commend themselves, but it is not what we have or who we are that declares us valuable, or makes us something, it is merely in what God has done for us!
There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal.
Because these “super-apostles” came and claimed to be better than Paul, because they were more eloquent, more success, were stronger than he was..didn’t suffer like he did, the Corinthians began to listen and believe them..and fell for a distorted gospel!
Paul says you know what , I am humble, timid, physically persecuted, self-supporting, unskilled, and physically ailing. The super-apostles were just the opposite—bold, talented, respected, healthy—and more than willing to take money from the Corinthians.
Our Value is rooted in what God has done for us, and not what we have done for Him.
The people you see every day, even the ones to whom you give little regard, are ones that are going to live forever either under salvation or judgment. Even the most obscure person is not ordinary in God’s eyes.
He says you are judging and measuring by the wrong things…not the gospel or what it proclaims, but on the skill, and talent, and gifts, and strengths of these men!
Our Value is rooted in what God has done for us, and not what we have done for Him.
Our Value is rooted in what God has done for us, and not what we have done for Him.
It isn’t even rooted in who we are, but in whose we are! Whose image we bear!
David Rose worked at a garbage dump for 15 years before one day uncovering a real treasure buried in the trash.
He said, your right, I don’t have the eloquence..but I have the gospel!
"I've worked there for like 15 years and I get to pull out whatever I like, mostly antiques," he told The Telegraph.
The Gospel declares the value and preciousness of each person to God! And that the measure of that does not fluctuate, go up and down, according to worldly standards.
Paul says, why are measuring me and them by their strengths and eloquence..the gospel reminds us that we all, no matter how good or strong..are lost, broken, and can bring nothing to God. Judge by the gospel!
The Gospel reminds us that even those whom the world says are something, are nothing without God.
The Gospel reminds us that even those whom the world says are something, are nothing without God.
In a world where we decide someones value according to the number in their bank account, clothes on thier back, last name, degrees on their wall, followers on instagram, beauty they have, how well they sing…understand that none of those things are ultimately where our value comes from.
31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
These “super-apostles” talked about Paul, said that they were somebody, but they didn’t actually believe the gospel. It trying to be somebody in the world, they became a nobody in God’s kingdom.
It is amazing that the most well-known verse, , reminds us how “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The object of God’s love is “whosoever.” The expression of belief is for “whosoever.” It is for mankind that God sent his Son. Our Savior is personal; our need is personal. Our belief must be personal; salvation is personal. The totality of persons is what makes the world valuable. That’s why persons ask the question and nothing else does. The value of the question is directly related to the value of personhood. The gospel alone gives us supreme value. -Ravi Zacharias
So every life, tribe, nation, person, job, age..you are valuable to God!
So the gospel says, to God..each person is of supreme value! And since it is in the gospel alone.
The Gospel declares the value and preciousness of each person to God! And that the measure of that does not fluctuate, go up and down, according to worldly standards.
Out of the rubble, Rose recently pulled out a top hat, a cigar, and a collection of letters. He presented the items on BBC's "Antiques Roadshow" in March 2019, and learned that the items used to belong to former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. A specialist valued his finds at over $13,000.
The Gospel reminds us that even those whom the world says are worthless, are worth everything to Him!
The Gospel reminds us that even those whom the world says are worthless, are worth everything to Him!
You know how much you value something by how much you are willing to give up for it!
It is amazing that the most well-known verse, , reminds us how “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The object of God’s love is “whosoever.” The expression of belief is for “whosoever.” It is for mankind that God sent his Son. Our Savior is personal; our need is personal. Our belief must be personal; salvation is personal. The totality of persons is what makes the world valuable. That’s why persons ask the question and nothing else does. The value of the question is directly related to the value of personhood. The gospel alone gives us supreme value. -Ravi Zacharias
So every life, tribe, nation, person, job, age..you are valuable to God!
So the gospel says, to God..each person is of supreme value! And since it is in the gospel alone.
The Gospel reminds us that
You know how much you value something by how much you are willing to give up for it!
It is amazing that the most well-known verse, , reminds us how “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The object of God’s love is “whosoever.” The expression of belief is for “whosoever.” It is for mankind that God sent his Son. Our Savior is personal; our need is personal. Our belief must be personal; salvation is personal. The totality of persons is what makes the world valuable. That’s why persons ask the question and nothing else does. The value of the question is directly related to the value of personhood. The gospel alone gives us supreme value. -Ravi Zacharias
, reminds us how “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The object of God’s love is “whosoever.” The expression of belief is for “whosoever.” It is for mankind that God sent his Son. Our Savior is personal; our need is personal. Our belief must be personal; salvation is personal. The totality of persons is what makes the world valuable. That’s why persons ask the question and nothing else does. The value of the question is directly related to the value of personhood. The gospel alone gives us supreme value. -Ravi Zacharias
So every life, tribe, nation, person, job, age..you are valuable to God!
In an offended and on-the-offense world, parched for even a drop of forgiveness, the sight of 18-year-old Brandt Jean hugging Amber Guyger, 31, a former Dallas cop who shot his older brother dead in his own apartment, is most soothing to the guilty.
Rose described the pricing as "crazy," and refuses to name the exact location at which he found the memorabilia.
The humanity of Jean’s open arms, filled suddenly with the convicted murderer who says she mistook 26-year-old Botham Jean’s apartment for her own, moved some of us but made others stop and glare.
Less us be careful that we don’t undervalue those God has declared valuable.
However you feel about her, we can’t know her motives, but I want to talk about this young man hugging and forgiving this woman who killed his brother. Christians don’t take sin lightly, we serve a God who takes sin so seriously that Jesus came and sacrificed his life a loss to bear the punishment and judgement for it. But don’t you see, that a question of someones guilt does not mean there is a question of thier value to God. God values “the world” and he died for us while we were “yet sinners”…My bible tells me he left the 99 for the 1!
However you feel about her, we can’t know her motives, but I want to talk about this young man hugging and forgiving this woman who killed his brother. Christians don’t take sin lightly, we serve a God who takes sin so seriously that Jesus came and sacrificed his life a loss to bear the punishment and judgement for it. But don’t you see, that a question of someones guilt does not mean there is a question of thier value to God. God values “the world” and he died for us while we were “yet sinners”…My bible tells me he left the 99 for the 1!
It is amazing that the most well-known verse, , reminds us how “God so loved the world that He gave his one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” The object of God’s love is “whosoever.” The expression of belief is for “whosoever.” It is for mankind that God sent his Son. Our Savior is personal; our need is personal. Our belief must be personal; salvation is personal. The totality of persons is what makes the world valuable. That’s why persons ask the question and nothing else does. The value of the question is directly related to the value of personhood. The gospel alone gives us supreme value. -Ravi Zacharias
Just as no good you do can add to your value, no sin can take it away! But Value is found in the gospel in the person of Jesus! It is found in the creator, and being made in God’s image.
Is a republican more valuable to God than a democrat? Is a murderer less valuable to God than a pastor? Are white collar workers more valuable to God than blue collar? Doctor more valuable than drug addict? Americans more valuable than Africans? or Koreans? Rich more valuable than poor?
This is not a political argument, but theological.
We know how the world measures these things.
Doctors, educated, rich, beautiful, strong, eloquent..these are the valuable people in our society.
But the gospel declares the value of every person!
Prison, last year
A Christian who treats as valuable, those whom the world says are not.
We live in a day and age where for some reason, we can’t agree to disagree anymore. If I don’t agree with your politics, your actions, if you do something wrong…its like we can treat you, say about you what ever we want.
Christians fight for what is right. If in your fight for what is right you determine that some people or lives..are more valuable than others..it is not the gospel we are standing for. A person be right or wrong on different issues..we mess us in different ways..but our value, is the same!
A Christian
Is a republican more valuable to God than a democrat? Is a murderer less valuable to God than a pastor? Are white collar workers more valuable to God than blue collar? Doctor more valuable than drug addict? Americans more valuable than Africans? or Koreans? Rich more valuable than poor?
ESV4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Illustration: Ruler and Scale!
Illustration: Ruler and Scale!
Paul prayed for strength and God gave him weakness!
Pauls prays for God to remove this pain from Him! He prays and pleads..but God simply says this..”My Grace is sufficient for you!”
This thorn was to keep Paul humble and not conceited so that he would remember that apart from God’s guidance and wisdom he had nothing. He blessed him with weakness…so he would not thing he was stronger than he was, and remember that God was stronger than he thought.
God says..you don’t need more strength..you need to trust that I am stronger than you think I am! The problem is not that you are too weak to be used by God…the problem is actually we think we are strong.
We find God’s “I Can” at our “I Can’t”
God has done far more with far less! Trust Him!
Pain doesn’t remove your purpose! It reveals it!
i. When the verse says my grace is sufficient it means a present active..grace is something we keep coming back to.
When the verse says my grace is sufficient it means a present active..grace is something we keep coming back to.
ii. Meeshach shadrach and Abednigo..Daniel in the Lions den..Joseph into prison..thier place of pain didn’t diminish their purpose..but revealed it..and reached the purpose giver.
iii. We need to praise God for our weaknesses! For our failures! Because it is those weaknesses which revealed to us God’s strength! Its those weaknesses which reminded me how small I was and how much I needed Him!
It is our weakneses which humble us, take our eyes off of ourselves and point us to God.
The young earthly father took the little body home, and reached there much wounded in feeling through contact with people who did not understand his circumstances. After the funeral, he began to prepare a sermon to preach to his people. He took for his text the passage found in the lesson for the day,
- "My grace is sufficient for thee." He spent some two hours in working on the sermon, and then he said to himself: "It is not true; I do not find it sufficient under this heavy trouble that has befallen me," and his heart cried out to GOD to make His grace sufficient for his hour of sore need and crushing sorrow. As he wiped the tears away from his eyes he glanced up and saw over his study table an illuminated text-card that his mother had given him. The words read, "My grace IS sufficient for thee," the word "is" being in bold type and in a different color from all the other words in the text. And Prebendary Webb-Peploe said forty years later, as he told the incident, that he seemed to hear a voice saying to him: "You fool, how dare you ask GOD to make what is? Believe His word. Get up and trust Him, and you will find it true at every point." He took GOD at His word, he believed the fact, and his life was revolutionized. He entered into such an experience of rest and peace, such trust in a sufficient SAVIOUR, as he never before had dreamed could be possible. Within a month the governess in the family said to Mrs. WebbPeploe, "The farmers are remarking how much changed the vicar is: he does not seem fretful any more, but seems to be quiet and gentle about everything." And from that day to this, now forty-five years later, many another has praised GOD that the life of this minister of the Gospel is a testimony to the sufficiency of the grace which GOD declares is a fact. The secret of victory is not praying, but praising: not asking, but thanking. All eternity will not be long enough to finish praising and thanking our Lord JESUS CHRIST for the simple, glorious fact that His grace IS sufficient for us.
Even if it feels one way, even if it seems that God is not present or that His grace isn’t enough..it is! Stop asking God to be and give what He has already given
3. God Reveals What is Powerful (Vrs. 9-10)
God will use those who the world says are nothing to remind those who think they are something that they are nothing without Him.God will use those who the world says are weak to remind those who think they’re strong, that they are helpless without Him.God use those who the world says are fools, to remind those who think that they are wise, that they know nothing if they don’t know Him!
ESV26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
In an offended and on-the-offense world, parched for even a drop of forgiveness, the sight of 18-year-old Brandt Jean hugging Amber Guyger, 31, a former Dallas cop who shot his older brother dead in his own apartment, is most soothing to the guilty.
Illustration: Ruler and Scale!
Illustration: Ruler and Scale!
The world set out to measure you and declared you invaluable. The world set out to measure you and declared that you had no purpose. Declared you as too weak to be used by God.
They lied!According to worldly standards, Jesus didn’t measure up either.Poor, weak, no strong family pedigree, no formal education, had nothing in his appearance to attract us to him, didn’t travel he world, was hated by his family, killed by his own people, wrote no books, his twelve closest friends abandoned him, one ratted him out, one denied him, the others hid..traveled and was homeless.
The humanity of Jean’s open arms, filled suddenly with the convicted murderer who says she mistook 26-year-old Botham Jean’s apartment for her own, moved some of us but made others stop and glare.
However you feel about her, we can’t know her motives, but I want to talk about this young man hugging and forgiving this woman who killed his brother. Christians don’t take sin lightly, we serve a God who takes sin so seriously that Jesus came and sacrificed his life a loss to bear the punishment and judgement for it. But don’t you see, that a question of someones guilt does not mean there is a question of thier value to God. God values “the world” and he died for us while we were “yet sinners”…My bible tells me he left the 99 for the 1!Just as no good you do can add to your value, no sin can take it away!But Value is found in the gospel in the person of Jesus! It is found in the creator, and being made in God’s image. You know how much you value something by how much you are willing to give up for it!So every life, tribe, nation, person, job, age..you are valuable to God!
ESV4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.