False apostle among the Corinthian Believers were more than
happy to brag about themselves; and mocking that narcissism, Paul adopted a
similar communication tone; but his {boasting} focused more on his weaknesses
and sufferings than on self-promotion, even when he sarcastically begins
listing his accomplishments of taking the Gospel to those who had not heard it.
A group of deceivers among the Corinthians had been comparing themselves to Paul – but Paul made clear that the goal of those deceivers is to seduce the Corinthians away from their devotion to the true Christ, and Gospel.
And though Paul did not want to play the boasting game … he nonetheless engaged in the boasting competition to keep the Corinthian Believers from being deceived by the falsehoods of the deceivers (much like deceivers moving among the Church Body today), as they promoted themselves by describing unlikely spiritual experiences. Beating back against the fiery darts of the enemy, Paul tells a much more impressive and powerful recount of his personal spiritual experiences – though he is adamant that there is nothing to be gained by playing the boasting game.
Paul felt that boasting is foolish and un-Christlike (2 Corinthians 11:17). Paul didn’t want people to judge his standing on his personal experiences, but rather on his words and actions (2 Corinthians 12:6). Paul did not want the Corinthian Believers to put their trust in Christ based on his visions … but instead, Paul wanted them to trust in Christ because He is trustworthy.
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2 CORINTHIANS ~ Chapter 12
Paul’s Vision of the Third Heaven
“No, it is surely not profitable for me to boast. But I will go on and tell about some of the visions and revelations of the Lord that I have had. I know a Christian man who 14 years ago was caught up to the 3rd Heaven (Paul is referring to himself & speaks in the third person to show his humility and modesty).
Whether he was in the body or out of the body when this happened, I do not know. Elohei knows. I repeat that I know the man, but I do not know if he was in the body, or out of the body. *Elohei Ha’Elohim knows that. I know that he was taken up into paradise, and there he heard words that may not be spoken and that men must not repeat. I am proud of this man’s vision, but otherwise I would not boast of anything except my weakness. If I should choose to boast, it would not be vanity, for I would telling you the truth. But I shall refrain from saying more, for I do not anyone to think more highly of me than he does when he sees me or hears me speak.
And because the revelations that I had were so surpassingly wonderful, I was given a chronic pain in my body – it bothered me like a satanic angel, but it kept me from being puffed up with self-pride. I asked the Lord three times to rid me of it, but His answer always was, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ I should rather … and most gladly … boast in my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest with me. That is why I take such pleasure in weakness, in hardships, persecutions and calamities. Yes, indeed; when I am weak, then I am strong. (vv. 1-10)
Paul Not a Burden to the Corinthians
I have been making a fool of myself boasting. But you forced me to do it, for any praise of me should have come from you. And I am not a bit inferior to your super-great apostles, even if I am rated as a nobody. The marks of a true apostle were works out when I was with you, all done patiently, with signs and wonders and mighty works. In what respect were you less favored than the other churches, except that I myself did not burden you with my expenses? Forgive me if I wronged you in this.
I stand ready now to come to you for the third time, and again I shall not be a burden, for I seek not what is yours, but you yourselves. It is the parents who should lay up treasures for their children, not children for their parents. Consequently, I shall most gladly spend and be completely spent on behalf of your souls, even though it may mean that the more I love you, the less you love.
Perhaps you allow that I was not a financial burden to you, but yet you say that I was crafty and got the better of you by deceit. Did I make a profit out of you by any of those whom I have sent to serve you? I asked Titus to visit you, and I sent a brother along with him. Did Titus take advantage of you? Did not he and I act in the same spirit? Did we not follow the same course? (vv. 11-18)
His Promised return With Authority
Again, you may be thinking that we are trying to justify ourselves in your eyes. Yes, but I am also, as Christ’s follower, giving an account before Elohim. And, my beloved, everything is done for your spiritual welfare. For, I suspect that when I come, perhaps I shall not find you as I should like you to be, and that you will not find me as you may want me to be. I am afraid, that perhaps, I shall find quarreling, jealousy, ill-will, rivalry, slander, gossiping, pride and disorder. I fear also that when I come my God may humiliate me before you, so that I shall have to mourn over many who have continued to sin and have not yet repented of the impurity (corruption, defilement, ruination), fornication (the word used here is Greek ‘porneia’ – a word explicitly meaning sexual immorality; this is the word from which we get our English word, porn or pornography), and licentiousness (extravagance/overindulgence; debauchery/self-indulgence/pleasure-seeking; depravity/moral corruption) they have been practicing.” (vv. 19-21)
*Elohei Ha’Elohim (Hebrew word: אֱלֹהֵי הָאֱלֹהִים) ) = God of gods; above all gods.
**Christ (from the Hebrew word, Ha’Mashiach ישוע המשיח & the Greek word, Christos/khris-tos) = The Anointed, Yeshua the Messiah, in both languages.
**2 CORINTHIANS 11: https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/05/2-corinthians-chapter-11thursday-bible.html
