2 Corinthians 12 – Devotional & Commentary
Posted on February 17th, 2010 by debbiefitz in Devotions, SyndicatedDevotional Questions:
2 Corinthians 12:5-10
- What two purposes did Apostle Paul’s “thorn” serve in his life?
- What are the “thorns” in my life and what is my view toward them? Have they led me to experience the truth of v. 9?
- Reflect on the words: “My grace is sufficient for you.” How deep has this truth taken root in my life? How will this gospel truth give me strength in the midst of experiencing “weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties?”
2 Corinthians 12:14-19
“In 12:14b-15a, Paul supports his affirmation that he is seeking the Corinthians’ welfare, not his own, by returning to imagery of parenthood to describe his relationship with the church. Because he is their spiritual father, Paul is responsible to give to his ‘children,’ not the other way around, even if this means pouring out his life on their behalf.”[1]
- What is the relationship between Apostle Paul’s view of himself and the extent to which he is willing to give himself to the Corinthians?
- What light does this passage throw on the reason behind Apostle Paul’s defense of himself and his ministry found in previous chapters?
- What is the usual reaction of people whose kind and upright conduct toward someone is rejected, or later reinterpreted negatively by the recipient?
- Why would Apostle Paul’s successful defense of himself before the Corinthians lead to their “strengthening?”
- Reflect on Apostle Paul’s words: “everything we do… is for your strengthening.”
2 Corinthians 12:20-21
- What does it mean to be a spiritual leader according to vv. 20-21?
Additional Questions:
2 Corinthians 12:1-5
“The striking absence of references to visions and revelations in Paul’s letters demonstrates his own lack of interest in sharing such private, spiritual experiences. He viewed them as without benefit either for establishing his authority as an apostle or for building up the church.”[2]
- In recalling his own experiences, why would Paul choose to refer to himself in the third person?
- What can I learn about Apostle Paul’s character and the significance of spiritual experiences from the fact that he had been silent about his experience for fourteen years?
2 Corinthians 12:5-6
“Accordingly, Paul restrains himself from such boasting so that no one will brag about him beyond what can be evaluated objectively (cf. 5:12–13; 10:7, 11–14, 17–18). As we saw in 11:16–33, it is not boasting per se that is foolish, but boasting in those things that are not true, do not edify others, or are irrelevant for establishing the point at hand; what counts is what others can observe concerning his words and deeds (12:6). What the Corinthians can see and boast about is Paul’s weakness on their behalf, through which they received the Spirit (12:5; cf. 2:14–3:3; 10:11–18). What they can hear and boast in is his proclamation of the gospel (12:6; cf. 1:19; 2:17; 4:5; 5:11; 11:3–4; cf. 1 Cor. 1:17; 2:1–5; 4:9–13).”[3]
- According to v. 6, on what basis did Paul want to be thought of or judged?
- What is amazing about the fact that Apostle Paul wanted “no one [to] think more of [him] than is warranted by what [he does] or [says]?”
[1] Scott J. Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series CD (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000).
[2] Scott J. Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series CD (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000).
[3] Scott J. Hafemann, 2 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary Series CD (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000).
Commentary:
v.1 “Paul is reticent to speak about such things (visions and revelations) because he does not believe that recounting one’s extraordinary mystical visions will do anything to build up the community. It only serves to build up the teller’s ego and therefore is perilous. It certainly offers no proof of apostleship. History is littered with the tales of frauds who have seduced and deluded followers by claiming to have some divine mission from some divine vision. Consequently, Paul’s rehearses this extraordinary episode in a way that only stresses how useless it is to prove anything about him. True apostleship is established by the building up of the community (1 Cor 14:3-5,26; 2 Cor 5:13), not by how many ecstatic experiences one can claim.”[1]
vv.2-3 “I know a man . . . this man. Paul’s hesitancy to boast of his visions is reflected in his use of the third person (as if it had happened to someone else). the third heaven (i.e., the highest; see 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chron. 2:6; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 148:4). This phrase does not imply belief in a simplistic “three-story universe” but reflects a commonsense distinction between (1) the atmosphere where birds can be seen to fly, (2) the higher area where the sun, moon, and stars can be seen, and (3) the unseen realm where God dwells. This third area is equated with paradise (Gk. paradeisos, a Persian loan-word used in the Septuagint to refer to the garden of Eden [see Gen. 2:8–10; 13:10; Isa. 51:3; Ezek. 28:13; 31:8–9] but in the NT to refer to a place of blessedness where God dwells [Luke 23:43; Rev. 2:7]). Both terms would be recognized by Jewish readers as references to the realm of God’s direct presence.”[2]
“Private mystical experiences have no value for the church because they cannot be adequately communicated to others. They are useless in trying to make arguments in a public forum that requires logical argument. The danger of basing teaching on private heavenly revelations is that it will create a division between those blessed with such visions and the rank and file who are not. Matthew 28:19-20 makes clear that the teaching of the church is based on what Jesus had already commanded on earth, not on the latest visions from paradise.”[3]
v.6 “Validation as God’s minister does not come from one’s own self-endorsement or from otherworldly experiences. […] What is important are not the transcendent moments when he has become spiritually airborne, but his obedience in the daily chore of preaching the gospel faithfully despite ‘weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties’ (12:10).”[4]
v.7 “a thorn was given me (by God, who is sovereign over all things) in the flesh, a messenger of Satan. The nature of this ‘thorn’ or ‘messenger’ is much disputed. The most frequently proposed possibilities include: (1) Paul’s inner psychological struggles (such as grief over his earlier persecution of the church, or sorrow over Israel’s unbelief, or continuing temptations); (2) Paul’s opponents, who continued to persecute him (cf. Num. 33:55 and Ezek. 28:24, where thorns refer to Israel’s enemies); (3) some kind of physical affliction (possibly poor eyesight, malaria fever, or severe migraine headaches); or (4) some kind of demonic harassment (‘a messenger of Satan’). Most commentators cautiously prefer some form of the third view, since ‘thorn in the flesh’ would seem to suggest a physical condition.”[5]
“The word translated ‘thorn’ occurs only here in the New Testament. It refers to something pointed such as a stake for impaling, a medical instrument, or a thorn. ‘Stake’ would be a better translation, though ‘thorn’ has dominated English renderings of the word. The metaphor carries ‘the notion of something sharp and painful which sticks deeply in the flesh and in the will of God defies extracting.’”[6]
“The ambiguity about what Paul’s stake in the flesh might be allows others to identify their own personal ‘thorns’ with Paul’s and to appropriate the theological lesson. Stakes in the flesh are not good, but they also are not bad because they may convey a word from God if we are attuned to hear it. What is important to Paul is the theological word-to-the-wise that his stake in the flesh provided him. It was a constant reminder of God’s grace and God’s power working through him.”[7]
v.9 “We learn from the message given to Paul that God’s grace is not just the unmerited favor that saves us but a force that also sustains us throughout our lives. The modifier ‘my’ in ‘my power,’ is important. Paul is not speaking about power in general, but ‘the power of Christ’ revealed in the crucifixion and resurrection: ‘For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him to serve you (13:4).”[8]
“Illusions of our own strength cause us to overlook divine power and results in our rebelliousness against God. For this reason God brings low the proud who lift themselves up and believe their own hype that they are special in and of themselves. God requires total, unconditional surrender of our pride. In Paul’s situation God’s grace did not come to him as a prop for his failing strength, but as the decisive question: ‘Will you surrender, utterly surrender, to God’s dealing—will you know yourself to be a sinner before God?’ When we accept our own weakness, we then also learn that we must totally rely upon God.”[9]
v.11 “super-apostles. Paul was probably using a sarcastic title to describe the false apostles who were troubling the Corinthian church, by preaching ‘another Jesus’ and ‘a different gospel’ (see vv. 4, 13–15; see also 12:11). Although Paul may have been unskilled in speaking (lacking formal training in rhetoric), his knowledge of the gospel greatly surpassed that of his opponents.”[10]
vv.14-15 “Paul continues the theme of being a loving parent (11:11) with emphatic expressions: but I will gladly spend everything I have and will be spent for your souls. Here is the best litmus test for the sign of an apostle. A true apostle of the crucified Christ is one who is willing to spend and be spent on behalf of a congregation. He serves at great cost to himself for the great benefit of others. They should recognize the depth of his love for them from the magnitude of his sacrifices enumerated in 11:23-29.”[11]
[1] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 509.
[2] ESV Study Bible, Notes for 2 Corinthians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2238.
[3] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 516-17.
[4] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 518.
[5] ESV Study Bible, Notes for 2 Corinthians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2238.
[6] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 519.
[7] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 521.
[8] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 524.
[9] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 525.
[10] ESV Study Bible, Notes for 2 Corinthians (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008) 2236.
[11] David Garland, “2 Corinthians,” The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999) 533-34.
Related posts:
Entries (RSS)