Paul’s boasting made Manifest
2 Corinthians 11:22-33 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. KJV
Paul has been building up and building up to this
moment in his letter of declaring specifically what he has endured or suffered
for the gospel of Jesus Christ because of his great love for our Lord Jesus and
because of the Grace of God given to him by our Lord Jesus to endure. First, he
declares to the Corinthian believers his Jewish heritage is just as authentic
as these Judiazers and even more so because he was a descendant of the tribe of
Benjamin perhaps the most respected of all the tribes of Israel as he declared
to the Church at Philippi when he wrote this, “Although I myself might have confidence
even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I
far more: circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of
Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee” (Philippians 3:4-5). Paul wanted them to
know that he was not inferior to these men in any way as a Jew, but Paul also
wanted them to understand that his Jewish heritage as well as theirs means
nothing now since Christ came, died for our sins, and resurrected from the dead
for our justification (Romans 4:25).
The fact that these men were boasting of being Jews testified that they did not
know Jesus Christ personally and were not His true Apostles because Paul
likewise boasted of these things prior to knowing Christ, but after he came to
know Christ Jesus personally this is what he wrote to the Church at Philippi
regarding his Jewish heritage, “But whatever things were gain to me, those
things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count
all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but
rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a
righteousness of my own derived from the
Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith”
(Philippians 3:7-9).
Paul’s concern for the Corinthian believers was legitimate and therefore, he regarded this boasting or bragging of what he endured and suffered as a minster of Jesus Christ to be justified in order that he would debunk and expose the vaunting and false claims of authentic Apostleship by these Judiazers who were trying to bring the Corinthian Church into bondage by declaring to them that they must be circumcised and observe the Jewish ceremonial laws. Paul declares the contrast of their claims to his suffering persecution from Jews in many of the places where he proclaimed the Gospel of Grace (2 Corinthians 11:24). Paul wanted the Corinthian believers to see that if these men were true Apostles, they too would have suffered stripes or beatings by Jews who reject or resist the Grace of God through Jesus Christ as he did. Paul declares that he has suffered hunger and thirst and been in danger of losing his very life on many occasions all and only for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the unsaved world. Paul was not only beaten by Jews but he list three times he was beaten by Gentiles or Non-Jews and even on one occasion stoned to death at Lystra (Acts 14:19). Paul did die physically on this occasion, but our Lord Jesus Christ resurrected him as we will hear him describe in the next Chapter of this same letter. Paul suffered being shipwrecked on some of his journeys traveling from place to place to proclaim the Gospel and being naked and cold. Paul had written to them in his first letter giving a prelude of these specifics when he said, “For, I think, God has exhibited us Apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now” (1 Corinthians 4:9-13).
None of the Judiazers who were trying to supplant
Paul had any such testimony showing evidence of their love for our Lord Jesus
Christ. Despite all of this hardship (that would make some renounce Jesus
Christ), Paul was most concerned about the spiritual well-being of every Church
bearing the Name of Jesus Christ whether he planted the Church or not. These
Judiazers were not concerned for the spiritual well-being of the Corinthians,
but only that they are accepted as true apostles so they could rule over them,
control them, and take their money and goods to themselves. Paul was
continually troubled in mind over the spiritual purity of the Church at Corinth
and this is what compelled him to speak with such boldness regarding himself
because God the Holy Spirit had shown him what would happen in many of the
Churches after his departure to Heaven as he declared with these words, “Be
on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His
own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you,
not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the
alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease
to admonish each one with tears” (Acts
20:28-31).
Paul was severely grieved when he saw or perceived that genuine believers were being offended or the Greek word skandalizo which means to be tripped up or entrapped or enticed into sin and apostasy by abandoning or departing from true faith in Jesus Christ and His Word. Paul knew that our liberty was and is found in Christ alone and not in Jewish rituals or ceremonial laws or outward physical acts such as circumcision which is what these false brethren were trying to do in all the Churches (Galatians 2:4). It not only grieved Paul, but it greatly angered him and stirred within him a paternal instinct to guard and protect his spiritual children as a Mother bear would fight to the death to protect her cubs from all who would harm them. Paul expressed his anger toward these Judiazers with these words written to the Galatian Church, “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love. You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion did not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough. I have confidence in you in the Lord that you will adopt no other view; but the one who is disturbing you will bear his judgment, whoever he is. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? Then the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished. I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves” (Galatians 5:6-12). Paul was confident that God the Father knew the truth that was in his heart regarding his love and concern for the Corinthian Churches spiritual well-being.
My
own Personal Note: It is only the true agape
love flowing from the Grace of God that enables any of us to care for our
fellow brothers and sisters “in Christ” so much that we would guard them from
spiritual error and lies as a Mother Bear guards her cubs everyday of their
lives until they become adult Bears and this is exactly what the Apostle Paul
did for the believers in the Corinthian Church; remember what he wrote to them
in (2 Corinthians 11:2).
If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...
Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
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