* The illustration is from the Art Bible, 1896, comprising the Old and New Testaments, with numerous illustrations. Publisher, London: G. Newnes. 2 Corinthians 12:3 is the source material of the scene.
>1. About what had Paul been boasting in the previous chapter?
* Paul boasting had consisted of his hardships, suffering, and dangers.
>How did he regard talk about visions and revelations from the Lord? (1)
* 2 Corinthians 12:1 "I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord.
* "I must go on boasting." -Paul moves to another subject.
* "Although there is nothing to be gained" -Paul has stated his disdain for boasting, though his reason to do it was it was a last attempt to get them to change their ways and stop following the directions of false apostles. He will gain nothing from it. However, perhaps the congregation will change for the better.
KJV translates the first half of verse 1, "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory."
ASV translates, "I must needs glory, though it is not expedient"
CSB and HCSB translate, "Boasting is necessary. It is not profitable..."
YLT translates, "To boast, really, is not profitable for me..."
GW translates, "I must brag, although it doesn't do any good."
* "visions" -(Luke 1:22), a vivid apparition, not a dream (Compare Luke 24:23; Acts 26:19; 2Co 12:1). (Illustrated Bible Dictionary: And Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature)
* "revelations" -An uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen. God has been pleased in various ways and at different times (Heb 1:1) to make a supernatural revelation of himself and his purposes and plans, which, under the guidance of his Spirit, has been committed to writing. (See WORD OF GOD.) The Scriptures are not merely the "record" of revelation; they are the revelation itself in a written form, in order to the accurate presevation and propagation of the truth.
Revelation and inspiration differ. Revelation is the supernatural communication of truth to the mind; inspiration (q.v.) secures to the teacher or writer infallibility in communicating that truth to others. It renders its subject the spokesman or prophet of God in such a sense that everything he asserts to be true, whether fact or doctrine or moral principle, is true, infallibly true. (Illustrated Bible Dictionary: And Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature)
* "from the Lord" -Distinguishing from the devil who gives visions too.
>2. What does it mean to be "a man in Christ"? (2a)
* 2 Corinthians 12:2a "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago..."
* "a man in Christ" -The person is in the body of Christ. They are one with Christ.
* "fourteen years ago" -Paul in approx. 41 A.D., fourteen years before the writing of 2 Corinthians in 55 A.D., was caught up to the third heaven where he heard revelations and also inexpressible things. (Galatians 1:11-12; 2 Corinthians 12:1-7)
* "We do not know the details of this revelations. Paul is referring to something other than his experience on the road to Damascus. His point is that his words are more than his own speculations or ideas." (Life Application Bible Studies)
>Describe the spiritual experience which a certain "man in Christ" had. (2b-4)
* 2 Corinthians 12:2b-4 "... was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows. And I know that this man--whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows-- was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell."
* Galatians 1:11-12 "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ."
* Ephesians 3:2-6 "Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus."
* "was caught up to" -The Greek verb "harpazo" is used thirteen times in the New Testament, including 1 Thessalonians 4:17, were it is also translated as "caught up", there when describing believers meeting Jesus in the air at his second coming. It is a derivative of the Greek verb "haireomai", used three times, probably akin to "airo" meaning "to take for oneself". "Harpazo" means "to seize, snatch, or take away by force".
* "to the third heaven... paradise" -If the sky is the first and space, the place of planets and stars, is the second heaven, then he might be speaking of the place where Jesus is now.
* "Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know--God knows."
* "I know that this man" -Paul had been and continues to refer to himself in the their person.
* "He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell."
>Why might this have happened to this man?
* Jesus gave him one-on-one teaching the same as Jesus taught the twelve apostles, preparing him for his mission.
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Paradise.
How would I react if someone said, "I have been to paradise, the third heaven," as Paul did in these verses? He'd continue, "An angel came to my bedroom two separate nights while I was sleeping, reached out his hand, and when I took it, I was taken to paradise." I suppose my reaction would depend on why he is telling me this extraordinary story. Would I believe him? Certainly, I would have doubts unless he gave proof that he came from the presence of God.
Paul does not say an angel came to take him to paradise. He uses the Greek verb "harpazo", the same word used in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 to describe Jesus coming to take his people to meet him in the sky as he descends to earth. Paul said twice he did not know whether he was in the body or out of the body (2b, 3b), as was the man in the story I recalled. Would I believe Paul? This is not the first time Paul's visit to heaven is described. He also mentions it in Galatians 1:11-12, Ephesians 3:2-6, and he even hinted at it in his first letter to Corinth.
Why did Paul tell the congregation at Corinth about this event that happened shortly after his conversion? Why would anyone? Paul did not do it to gain anything for himself. (1) He wrote, "There is nothing to be gained for myself." He boasts of this in the third person (as he has been doing in most of the letter) as a last resort to persuade the congregation to change before he and others from other congregations arrive there. He brings up this event to show the gospel he preaches is more than his own speculations or ideas.
Many false prophets since Paul have said, "An angel came to me and revealed to me..." However, the teachings they give counter God's word through his Son, Jesus. The gospel Paul preached did not contradict Christ Jesus nor the Old Testament. Don't believe everyone who says, "I have been to paradise"; only believe the gospel according to Jesus and his apostles.
Listen to the above Chapter 12:1-4.
>3. Did Paul boast about his spiritual strength? (5)
* 2 Corinthians 12:5 "I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses."
* "I will boast about a man like that"
* "but I will not boast about myself"
* "except about my weaknesses."
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>Why would he not have been a fool even if he had boasted? (6)
* 2 Corinthians 12:6 "Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say."
* "Even if I should choose to boast"
* "I would not be a fool"
* "because I would be speaking the truth"
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>4. Why did he not try to gain special recognition from talking about his spiritual experiences?
* "But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say."
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>What did he talk about?
* Paul talked about his weaknesses, according to his own words.
>Why?
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Boundaries.
Apostle Paul is going out of his way again and again not to go beyond a line where he would actually be boasting. He approaches the line from many directions. Yet, he does not go beyond it. I tire of counting the number of attempts Paul takes in making his point without crossing that line.
Humility and self-control within wisdom is the mark of a man who has a sincere and frank fear of his Lord. The only person who excelled beyond Paul's capacity was Christ Jesus, who without limit responded to continual attacks against his person, personality, and ministry with grace and truth.
Verses 5 and 6 appear to be a hidden claim that he is the man who was brought to paradise, whereas in verse 7 he makes it clear that he is indeed the man. Verse 7 is also clear that the fear of the Lord's discipline was real for Paul, for he was given a "thorn in the flesh" to keep him from conceit. So, Paul was very careful with his words, talking in the third person for most of this letter while at the same time keeping the desire to help the Corinthian congregation to stop listening to pseudo-Christians.
The Lord has done many amazing things in my life. I have shared some of them with others when asked to share my life testimony. I am not comfortable with revealing some things because of how people responded in the past. Also, following the example of humility set by Christ, I do not want to draw attention to myself, but to his exceeding grace and compassion. I seek the Lord's wisdom not to go beyond limits that establish that I am not the focus, but instead Christ Jesus is, his exceeding grace to me.
II. Paul's Thorn (12:7-9a)
>5. What had happened to him to counterbalance the great spiritual revelations which he had received? (7)
* 2 Corinthians 12:7 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me."
* "a thorn in the flesh"
* "messenger of Satan"
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>Why did he believe that this problem had been given to him?
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Thorn in My Flesh.
God protected Paul from the pit of conceit (7). Conceit is a word not in much use these days, probably because conceit, vanity, and pride are considered, at best, normal and, at worst, good mindsets. However, conceit ignores some blatant truths about the human condition, that is, my state of being. When self-truths are not accepted, I miss out on God performing character improvements and gaining peace of mind and heart.
Conceit, vanity, and pride ignore God's providence. I do not live in a self-fulfilling vacuum. I do not have the capability to control everything all at once all the time. In fact, I can control little. I can make decisions. Yet, my decisions do not make what I decide to happen. Many unforeseen things always happen that counter what I decided to do. A wise person can admit, "I spent most of my life planning for things that did not happen the way I planned." Foolishness is to believe that all the good and great things I do and say are by my design and total control. They happen because God wills them to happen.
Then there are the bad decisions that I make. The misspoke word, the promise I made and did not keep, the good thing I could have and should have done and did not, and then there is the wrong thing I chose to do and did not stop. Conceit ignores these and robs me of allowing God to create a godly character in me and thus gain contentment and rest.
Paul had experienced and done a lot of amazing things. He is the man who went to the third heaven (1-5). God performed miracles through him. He would have become conceited if God did not give him a thorn in his flesh, a small messenger of Satan, to torment him (7)." Paul wanted it to stop. He could not make it stop. He asked God to stop it. He did not. God revealed why the pain stayed." It kept him from becoming conceited.
I too have asked God to do things that were not answered in the way I asked and wanted. Perhaps they too are to keep me from being conceited and proud. God's NO can be good even though it means I will endure some pain.
Listen to the above comments on 12:7.
* "to torment me"
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>6. What might be the problem that he describes as a thorn in his flesh?
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>Why does he call it a "messenger from Satan"?
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>What did he do about it?
* 2 Corinthians 12:8 "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me."
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>7. How did the Lord answer his prayer? (9a)
* 2 Corinthians 12:9a "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
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>Why did God answer him this way?
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>What does this teach us about prayer?
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>About God?
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>8. What is God's grace?
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>What does God mean by saying that his grace is sufficient? (1 Tim. 1:15; and 1 Co. 15:10)
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III. God's Grace (12:9-10)
>9. What does it mean that God's power is made perfect in weakness?
* 2 Corinthians 12:9b "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."
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>What did Paul consider his weaknesses?
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>How could he delight in and actually thank God for not only his weaknesses but also his suffering?
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>10. What did Paul mean by "When I am weak, then I am strong"?
* 2 Corinthians 12:10 "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
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>How can God's grace make a person strong?
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>How can grace change one's attitude toward suffering?
