Sufficient Grace
If you’ve ever been to an interview you’ve probably had someone ask you to talk about your strengths and weaknesses. I don’t know about you, but I would much rather talk about my strengths. But Paul tells us in this passage, “when I am weak, then I am strong.” This goes against everything society tells us. But, it is in our weakness that God shows His strength and power in our lives. While it’s easy to boast about our strengths, our weaknesses open up opportunities for God to really work in our lives. And, our weaknesses allow God to show us his all sufficient grace.
Vs 1-5 Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable, but I will move on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a man in Christ who was caught up into the third heaven 14 years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know, God knows. I know that this man—whether in the body or out of the body I don’t know, God knows— was caught up into paradise. He heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. I will boast about this person, but not about myself, except of my weaknesses.
Apparently, the Corinthian church only wanted to focus on people’s so called strengths. They only wanted the people they listened to and followed to have great visions and revelations. They wanted them to look good and have polished sermons. But, they didn’t want to go through the difficulty of testing what was said with scripture. Knowing this, Paul opens this part of his letter with more irony . Obviously, you think boasting is necessary, he says. Obviously, you desire your ministers to have visions and revelations. Paul doesn’t pull any punches. He reminds them that boasting isn’t really all that profitable. Over the many years I have been in ministry, I have encountered several men and women who claim visions and revelations. Mind you, not all of these people are charlatans, but, I always test the visions and revelations with scripture and prayer. If they don’t match up, it is a person seeking recognition and favor with man. In my experience, the men and women of God who have had specific visions and revelations speak of them with humility and deference to God and His Word. We need to be very careful not to get caught up in the emotion that can often accompany visions. Instead, test everything by the Word of God.
The next thing Paul does is describe a vision of a man he “knows”. By the tone he has set throughout this book, many commentaries believe Paul is talking about himself. After a bit of research on my part, I would concur. Paul tells the Corinthian church of a vision 14 years earlier – a vision much like John’s and Isaiah’s – where he is caught up into the third heaven. To understand what Paul means by “third heaven”, we have to understand the terminology common to that day. It is not a different level of heaven. In Biblical times, the first heaven referred to the “blue sky”, the second heaven referred to the “starry sky”, and the third heaven would be the place where God lived and reigned. So, “this man” was caught up into the place where God lived and reigned. There he heard inexpressible words, which a man is not allowed to speak. This is a vision worth boasting about, but Paul says he would rather boast in his weakness instead. He has not reveled this vision in 14 years, and only does so to make his point. Keep the focus on God, not self.
Vs. 6-10 For if I want to boast, I will not be a fool, because I will be telling the truth. But I will spare you, so that no one can credit me with something beyond what he sees in me or hears from me, especially because of the extraordinary revelations. Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so I would not exalt myself. Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Irony is used again as Paul says – if I wanted to boast about this revelation I wouldn’t be a fool because I’m telling the truth (unlike others they were listening to). So Paul spares them the boasting. Instead, he tells them of a thorn in his flesh that was given to him. The Greek word for thorn is skolops and refers to a pointed object like a stake (think tent stake). This is not some little splinter. It is a sharply pointed instrument that produces acute irritation and pain. Further more, this thorn is described as a messenger of Satan who torments. The Greek word for torments is kolaphizó, which means to strike with a fist. This is something in Paul’s life that comes at him. It’s not just a mere frustration or irritation, he is literally being assaulted by this weakness. It is overwhelming and he pleads with God three times to take it away, but God says no.
Have you been there? There is a weakness, a temptation or sin, so prevalent in your life, it feels like you are being assaulted? Have you dealt with something so painful that you’ve plead with God over and over to take the pain away only to be met with a no? I believe we’ve all been there, and may still be there. Sometimes these experiences cause doubt. “Maybe there is no God.” “Maybe He doesn’t really care.” Paul was there. He wanted to be unburdened of this thorn. Instead, the Lord reminded him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” This is an amazing statement. God’s grace is sufficient (arkeo) – enough. God’s power is perfected (teleo) – made complete in our weakness. Even though our weaknesses persist in us, God’ grace is enough. In fact, our weaknesses illuminate God’s power in our lives. He is enough and will complete His work in us. This is the word Paul wishes us to understand. There is a wonderful song by Christian rapper Lecrae called I Cry For You. The songs starts with these lyrics: “This thorn in my flesh is the only thing I got left. And it’s so hard to confess when everybody thinks you’re perfect”. It’s difficult to “come clean” sometimes, especially when others around you think you are “perfect”. It’s hard to humble yourself and confess the sins you keep secret. Later in the song are these lyrics: “Take away this ugly thorn inside my flesh. Give me death. But grace is sufficient to start my mission. I’m so far from perfect, can’t believe they listen. But hear a broken man ’til your healin’ happens. And hear a liar tell you truth to bring you gladness. I could never boast in my accomplishments. I can only hope in God with confidence.” Sin is always going to be man’s problem. There are always going to be things in our life that tempt us, irritate us, and frustrate us – thorns in our flesh. We plead with God to take it away, but He says no – My grace is enough for you. And not only that, if you let Me, I will work in and through you to bring about my grace and salvation to others.
Vs. 11-21 I have become a fool; you forced it on me. I should have been endorsed by you, since I am not in any way inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. The signs of an apostle were performed with great endurance among you—not only signs but also wonders and miracles. So in what way were you treated worse than the other churches, except that I personally did not burden you? Forgive me this wrong! Now I am ready to come to you this third time. I will not burden you, for I am not seeking what is yours, but you. For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. I will most gladly spend and be spent for you. If I love you more, am I to be loved less? Now granted, I have not burdened you; yet sly as I am, I took you in by deceit! Did I take advantage of you by anyone I sent you? I urged Titus to come, and I sent the brother with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Didn’t we walk in the same spirit and in the same footsteps? You have thought all along that we were defending ourselves to you. No, in the sight of God we are speaking in Christ, and everything, dear friends, is for building you up. For I fear that perhaps when I come I will not find you to be what I want, and I may not be found by you to be what you want; there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder. I fear that when I come my God will again humiliate me in your presence, and I will grieve for many who sinned before and have not repented of the moral impurity, sexual immorality, and promiscuity they practiced.
The Corinthian church, by their deference to the “super-apostles”, see Paul as a fool and inferior. He should be endorsed by them, but instead, they prefer men that look good and say the “right” things. Paul is afraid when he comes to them a third time, it will not go well. There may be grief because they will refuse to repent of the sins he has called out in them. He is afraid the church will instead listen to those who bring messages of false peace and say only what the church wanted to hear.
This is a message we need to hear today. As the church, we need to be ready to hear what God needs to say to us instead of what we might want to hear. As people of God, we need to be willing to hear those things that will cause us to move closer to God. It may be painful, but, said in love, it will help us make the needed changes in our lives so we can bring glory and honor to God. We also need to be careful to test all things, not excepting a vision or revelation without first examining it by the Word of God. We do not need to fall for the polished speech or the pleasing appearance over a Word of truth. Truth is not always pleasant to hear. It can cut deep, exposing what is really inside. But that’s why we need to long for truth. We need to look for ways to expel the sin and decay from our lives instead of hiding them behind pretty “band-aides”. When Jesus spoke to the religious men of His day, it was often with harsh words of truth. He said their lives where like whitewashed tombs – nice to look at from the outside, but filled with decaying corpses on the inside. Not a pretty picture. Instead of appearing strong and perfect, we need to look for God’s sufficient, enough, grace. We need to take “pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ.” As Paul says – when we are weak, then we are strong. It is at the point of weakness when we encounter the strength of God in our lives. It is our weaknesses that make us aware of our need for a Savior. Then, God is able to show His power in our lives, a power that is made complete because of our weakness.
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