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KESWICK CONVENTION 12 JULY 2024
MORNING BIBLE
READINGS – JOHN RISBRIDGER
2 CORINTHIANS
12 VERSES 1 – 12
Imagine for a
moment someone in the pulpit - a brilliant speaker, huge sparkling personality, impressive
physique known for healing and could report on such extraordinary experiences. That he could tell you amazing things you
never heard before, not even the bible knows about. Now imagine a man of no status, with a bald
head, crooked legs, in a good state of body eyebrows meeting in the middle and
a hooked nose. This is how Paul was – stumbling
style, known for droning on and on through the night. He would preach the old gospel stuff. It is not difficult to guess which would burn
out the wires of social media well. Paul
is like that second man. The Corinthians
wanted the first kind. In the celebrity
driven Christian world of the 21st Century many of us share that
view of things. We like our big strong leaders. That is why this letter including these
latter chapters remain so important for us today. There is an intoxication with celebrity
leadership that needs to be broken and left behind.
Paul’s vision in which
he chose not to boast. Verses 1 – 7 “I
must go on boasting.” The previous 2
chapters he has to be doing a certain kind of boasting. Paul is meeting the accusations head on. Paul is not impressive enough but the
Corinthians intoxication with celebrity leadership is putting them in danger –
verses 2 and 3 chapter 11. This is how
serious and dangerous the intoxication with celebrity leadership is. Paul is left with no choice. He needs to respond to it. He fears he has to – chapter 11 verse 21 –
23. He hates doing it. Then he gives 10 verses to a catalogue of all
his troubles, weaknesses and burdens – verse 30. Chapter 12 he is squaring up to latest
accusation. There is nothing to be
gained about this. Neither add to nor
take away from. His apostleship came
solely from Christ on the Damascus road.
He is forced to do this by the Corinthians – verse 12. It becomes clear – verse 7 – it is Paul
himself but he is reluctant to say so perhaps because too uncomfortable for him. He had done enough boasting not prepared to do
anymore. Maybe he is reluctant to speak
of this vision – verse 4. Just not
willing to play along with the idea that his apostolic credibility stands or
falls with his with his supernatural experiences. They are just not relevant. What was this experience he talks about? AD 42 near his home town of Tarsus. We don’t really know very much of it. No obvious thing that fits. He is talking about that. During the end of the Old Testament and the
beginning of the New some of the writers began to speculate about multiple levels
of heaven. Some suggest 3, 5, 7 and some
even got to 10. Paul seems to be
referring to this three level scheme, the highest level, paradise. Verse 4.
When Christ himself lived. I know
someone who was snatched up to the highest heaven. The exact nature of that experience was
mysterious to Paul himself. Was I in the
body or not, he is not sure. He would
say himself it was so wonderful that he found neither able nor permissible to put
into words. What would you do with such
a story? You would go everywhere and
tell the story. To prove you are a big
strong leader after all. Rather than
doing that in verse 5 “I will boast only of my weakness” – why - because he
doesn’t want people to think more of him than they really should. Verse 6. Note the last phrase “so that no one will
think more of me than is warranted by what I do and say.” That is what Paul is about. Not celebrity leadership, not mystical visions
but a message spoken and a life lived. A
life of love, a life of care for the poor, a life of care for the church, a
life of weakness through which God’s power has been astonishingly revealed. Romans 15 verse 6 “leading the Gentiles to
obey God by what I have said and done.” Then
he elaborates further. A gospel
ministry, not a celebrity ministry. A gospel
ministry of words, works and wonders. That is the ministry the Corinthians need
to learn to live again and so do we. We
must value the gospel words, gospel living and gospel power that is what to prize.
Secondly Paul goes
on to speak about his weakness and in this he is very happy to boast about –
verse 5. He has done a lot of boasting about
his weaknesses in 2 Corinthians already but now we are reaching the classic
strength in weakness passage. Verse
7. This is not an unfamiliar theme in the
rest of scripture. So often the most startling
experiences of God in scripture leave people walking with some kind of limp –
like Jacob’s hip after his encounter wrestling with God and his hip out of job or
Jeremiah with his tears and near death experience in the muddy cistern. Think of Hosea’s troubled marriage. Or even the apostle John with his painful
imprisonment and isolation on the isle of Patmos. A greater experience of God often leads to
walking with a limp. For Paul we think
of his thorn in the flesh. Commentators
differ to what it is. It was more than a
thorn, possibly a stake. The Greek word
is scollops - something sharp. It could
be a thorn, stake or surgical scapel. Flesh-
that could point to something in the body and indicates some physical or mental
illness. It is possible he is referring to
his eye condition that he refers to in Galatians 4. Flesh in the bodily or physical sense. This word flesh is quite elastic in its meaning
and can mean something that is worldly and fallen and flawed. Humanness that is broken and turned against
God. He could be referring to persecution
or awkward troublesome people or relentless temptation that he struggles with
and that never seems to subside. The
truth is we just don’t know for sure what the thorn in the flesh was. We really don’t know what it was. I am pleased I don’t know because if I knew
it was one specific thing and my trouble was something really different then I
would be inclined to think well that was good for Paul but it does not help me
very much. The fact that we don’t know It
gives us freedom that we could apply to what he says to a whole range of
troubles. Painful, recurring challenges,
setbacks, difficulties. Makes life
difficult. Makes serving Jesus uncomfortable.
Paul’s wisdom speaks into them all.
His thorn in the flesh was given to him in order to stop him becoming
conceited. Suggests it was given by
God. Also suggests it was a messenge of
Satan to torment. Was hid from God or
for Satan answer yes. Satan the deceiver
is involved with horrible intentions to trip him up and cause him trouble. In the same sovereign God is at work with
different intentions. To make him more like Christ to keep his pride in
check. If we are going to come through
such hard times we need to hold both ends of this tension – on the one hand the
real agency of Satan. Trips us up but on
the other hand sovereign purpose of God who is at work to mould us into image
of Christ. Lose the first and you turn
God into cruel tyrant without much feeling.
Lose second, the sovereignty of God we lose hope and opportunity to
grow. If from Satan I should ask the Lord
to take it away and Paul does that 3 times.
Even though from the enemy in this case Jesus didn’t take it away –
verse 9. Important and some of the most
sobering words in the whole of 2 Corinthians “my grace is sufficient for you,
for my power is made perfect in weakness.
They are hard to absorb and be really deep in. Not a promise of weakness removed but it is a
promise of grace to bear it. Whose grace
is it – the Lord’s. It is to Jesus that
Paul asks for the thorn to be taken away.
Whose grace – it is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ who though he was
rich yet for our sakes he became poor that we through his poverty might become rich. His grace is sufficient. He understands. The
Lord who ordains that the thorn in the flesh stays is the same Lord who wore
the crown of thorns, the Lord who lets the stake stay was the same Lord whose
side was pierced for our transgressions.
He understands, in his tender grace he comes to our troubled souls and
weak bodies with comfort of his presence.
So often if we are going to experience his tender grace and his
comforting presence we have to let go of the desire for vindication and validation
that locks out the grace of God. The big
issue is that the Lord understands false accusation as well as true and he is
ready to come alongside with comfort and grace. In the case of Jesus it was through this
chosen weakness that his true power was revealed. His power of salvation to all who believe. As for the master so for the servant, just as
Paul will share in Master’s suffering and weakness so too he will share in his
power. As trusting in the God who raises
the dead the mission of God advances across the Gentile world through Paul’s
costly, contested weakness. He will
still have that thorn in the flesh. The
power of Christ received. He still
rejoices as a result. “Therefore I will
boast so that Christ’s power shall rest upon me” – verse 10. “For when I am weak then am I strong.” Here is sufficient grace to comfort us in our
weakness. Here too is perfected
power. Comes to its full realisation and
strength precisely through our weakness.
Instead of trusting in ourselves we exercise faith in the God who raises
the dead. Boasting about our weakness
doesn’t mean shrug our shoulders and giving up, walking away, leaving it to
others or doing everything to avoid hard things. It means we press forward trusting in God who
helps us. His strength is revealed in us
for his glory. When we are weak then we
are strong. Are we willing to take that
verse to heart?
God can use the
weakness you feel in the place he has put you precisely. It is precisely in your place where your weakness can be
used. At work, where you live, in your heart
for your local community. He longs to use
you as you love the people and serve the community and take the opportunities
that service gives you. You don’t have
to be a great speaker, a forceful personality, a life that is sorted. If you are strong then chances are your
strength may get in the way. God loves
to use the weak. Your weaknesses,
setbacks, disappointments don't have to be a obstacle to him. We need to step out of the comfort bubble, into
the world seeking the grace and strength of God, to love people well, to serve
people humbly. Tell them simply what
Jesus has done for you. You don’t have
to be able to answer every questions. Love
with the love with which you have been loved.
Serve as Christ has served you and share the good news of what Christ has
done for you. We need to take this verse
to heart not just at an individual level but at a church level too. We have been used, as churches to being in a
position of strength over the recent centuries.
There were a lot of us. We had
resources, institutions, buildings, money, we were even generally seen as good
guys. Politics tended to protect
us. We liked that and came to expect it. We cling to it and begin to hate the culture
when it turns against it. Big
mistake. What is the principle - when I
am weak then I am strong. The tiny
church of the first century with just a few thousand people across the Mediterranean
world, no buildings, a despised people weak so weak but when they were weak
that is when they were strong. In a
couple of centuries they had changed the whole of the Roman world. What if we are being taken back to the
margins? What if that is a good thing not
a bad thing? What if the evangelisation
of our nations hinges on us first becoming weak when we prefer to be
strong? What if it is our addiction to our
strength strong is the barrier to our mission?
What if it takes the loss of our resources, the loss of our political
influences, power to win our nations for Jesus and the gospel. That is unquestionable the challenge for the
churches. What if here in the particular
challenges of this island of Ireland so beautiful yet so painfully divided - what
if we only see breakthrough for Jesus in other communities by our own community
experiencing weakness? What if it is really true then when we are weak then we
are strong will we like Paul delight in weakness and accept the loss of strength
in power in order to be truly strong?
Strong for mission, in love, in loving and serving our community, strong
not in ourselves and accomplishments but in Jesus and his victory. That is the most challenging bite of this
passage and this book for us right now - Paul’s weakness in which he chooses to
boast.
He finally rounds
off the letter with his longing – his longing for the heart of the
Corinthians. He explains that he is
preparing to make them a third visit when he will bring all the issues to head
and deal with what he finds. Read about
that in chapter 13. The purpose of
writing this letter is to prepare them for this third visit. That is why he has written so strongly and challenges
them to break their intoxication with shallow celebrity leadership and come
back to Christ and the chosen apostle for them. Having put the challenge before them he says
verse 5 examine yourselves, look inside yourself, take responsibility. Test yourselves he says. He longs that his third visit will not be one
of painful discipleship but restoration – verses 9 and 10. That is his heart. He longs for restoration and he hopes that
they will listen and respond humbly.
What Paul wants all along is not that he wants their money for himself
or the Jerusalem church. He wants their
hearts. That is the issue. Chapter 12 verse 14. He wants their heart for himself because he
wanted their hearts for Christ to whom he had promised. The Corinthians church as a bride betrothed
to her husband. Chapter 11. He wants their hearts. It is the loyalty and love of our hearts that
the Lord most desires. We too if we know
him are betrothed to be his bride. He
wants our hearts, hearts that are comforted by him in our troubles and trust in
his resurrection power, hearts that contemplate his glory in worship and so are
moulded into his likeness. That are all
in on his mission, turned outwards to the world into the great ministry of reconciliation. Ready to step out courageously to step out
with gospel word, love and power. Not
turned in on themselves in slavery to stuff.
Opened up in generosity and invested in the kingdom, willing to embrace
the weakness of the margins. The
weakness of powerlessness without being defined by that weakness. Because they know that exactly in such weakness
is true strength to be found. May he
have our hearts and may his grace, the grace of the Lord and the love of God
the Father and intimate fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.
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