2 Cor 12: Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 2 Cor 12:1-6

1 I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows. 3 And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. 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,

A. Find Out:    

1. What does Paul go on to speak about? v.1
2. What happened to this man he refers to? v.2
3. What alternative designation does Paul give? v.4a
4. What had that man heard? v.4b
5. Who will he and won’t he boast about? v.5
6. Why would his boasting not make him a fool? v.6

B. Think:

1. What was the experience Paul was now speaking about?
2. If it was him, why wasn’t it a matter for boasting?
3. What did he still boast in?

C. Comment:

     As Paul continues to appeal to these Corinthians, to challenge their allegiance to these other men who had been leading them astray, he now moves on to the topic of visions. If these other men claimed divine revelation, so could he, yet the way he does it is quite enigmatic.

     He refers to a man he knows who had been caught up to heaven in a vision. Third heaven means heaven where God dwells, as against heaven meaning the earth’s atmosphere and heaven meaning beyond into outer space and the stars. Whether Paul was referring to himself or another is unclear. It seems unlikely that he is referring to someone else as there seems little point in that beyond boasting about the sort of people he knew. If he refers to himself, it is typical of his humility that he does it in such an unclear way.

     What he is in fact saying, assuming it is himself, is “I could boast about that experience because I did nothing to bring it about, so it brings no glory to me”. What he is still willing to boast about is his own human weakness for, as we’ll see tomorrow, that simply points to the wonderful grace of God. If Paul is to be compared with others, he wants it done in such a way that it will point his listeners back to God and His wonderful provision.

D. Application:

1. Any great vision we receive is no grounds for our boasting.
2. Great revelation is purely by the grace of God.

Passage: 2 Cor 12:7-10

7 Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What was Paul given by God? v.7b
2. Why was he given it? v.7a
3. What was his response to this? v.8
4. What did the Lord tell him? v.9a
5. So what was Paul’s attitude towards weakness etc.? v.10a,b
6. Why? v.10c, 9b

B. Think:

1. What suggests that the third heaven revelation was to Paul?
2. How did the Lord deal with potential pride in Paul?
3. Yet how was there comfort in that?

C. Comment:

     Having just written about heavenly revelations, Paul gives us an indication that that revelation had been to him. He had received “surpassingly great revelations”. The only problem with such revelations is that they require much maturity to avoid becoming proud over how much we have received. God has a way of dealing with this!

     The Lord sent Paul a “thorn in the flesh”. There has been much speculation as to what exactly this was, but Paul doesn’t tell us. It may have been physical affliction, it may have been natural difficulties, it may have been something else, we just don’t know. Whatever it was it wasn’t pleasant and it was something Paul didn’t want. Three times he pleaded (note the urgency in that) with God to take it away but to no avail. Whatever “it” was, it left Paul feeling weak.

    It was then that the Lord spoke those famous words: My grace is sufficient for you. Whatever the circumstances God’s grace, God’s divine provision for our lives, is sufficient to enable us to cope with it. How does that work? Well, when we feel weak, inadequate or insufficient for the task we cry to the Lord, we come close to God and He imparts His powerful presence into us more fully, His strength becomes ours. He becomes greater, we become less.

D. Application:

1. Revelation requires maturity to avoid pride.
2. When we are weak, then we rely on God.

Passage: 2 Cor 12:11-13

11 I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the ‘super-apostles’, even though I am nothing. 12 I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. 13 How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!

A. Find Out:

1. What does Paul feel about what he’s said? v.11a
2. Why shouldn’t he have had to do it? v.11b
3. What signs mark a man an apostle? v.12a
4. What does Paul say about them? v.12b
5. How does Paul say his time with them had been different? v.13

B. Think:

1. How ought the Corinthians have responded to Paul?
2. Why?
3. What had Paul had to do instead?

C. Comment:

     In passages like these we may be tempted to write them off as of little significance, which compared with some of the truths of say John’s Gospel they are. Yet ALL Scripture is inspired and useful for teaching (2 Tim 3:16,17). So what do these verses teach?

     First note the quality of this man, Paul. By his own testimony the Corinthians should have commended him for his ministry. He was an apostle and he had regularly performed signs, wonders and miracles among them, a sure sign of an apostle. He was easily equal to these others who had come in after him with their pretensions and in fact, while he was with them, he had not relied on them for resources, he had not been a burden to them (see Acts 18:3).

     Second note, how the Corinthians had responded to him: they had not acknowledged his ministry and had obviously given their hearts over to these others who had subsequently come in. When Paul has to bring corrective teaching to them, he has to plead with them to heed him and much of this letter is to that purpose.

     The lesson that comes over so strongly, therefore, is do we honour true godly leadership, or do we get carried away with personalities? Paul was not being honoured by this silly church and so had to go to great lengths to get them to listen. May we not be the same.

D. Application:

1. Godly leadership is not about “image”. Respect godliness.
2. “New” gimmicks are no substitute for old truth.

Passage: 2 Cor 12:14-18

14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 15 So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? 16 Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! 17 Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? 18 I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?

A. Find Out:

1. What was Paul getting ready to do? v.14a
2. What didn’t he want to be and why? v.14b
3. So what did he say he would do? v.15
4. What hadn’t he been, but what did they say of him? v.16
5. What does he ask, to clear himself? v.17
6. What was his and their testimony? v.18

B. Think:

1. What, obviously, had Paul been accused of?
2. How do his feelings for them contradict that?
3. How does what has happened contradict that?

C. Comment:

     The accusation has apparently been made against Paul that in some way, presumably financial, he has tricked the Corinthians. Perhaps over the matter of taking a collection for the saints in Jerusalem.

     First of all, Paul defends himself by reminding them of the way he came to them originally. He had not been a burden financially to them (v. 16), as we saw yesterday. Things haven’t changed, he says. When I come on my next trip, I still don’t intend to be a financial burden to you (v.14). I’m not concerned with money, just with you. Look he says, parents don’t take from their children but give to them, and that’s how it is with me. You’re my children so it’s my desire to give not to take from you.

     Second, he defends himself by an appeal to what has already happened in respect of the collection. Titus and another had already come and their behaviour towards the Corinthians had been faultless. Similarly, Paul himself had acted in the same way.

     Again and again here, Paul is having to refute the lies of the enemy that these believers in Corinth had taken on board. How tragic that this man who had done so much for them, who had given his very life for them, should have to defend himself in such a way. It makes you realise the foolishness of mankind – even Christians!

D. Application:

1. May we not accuse others unfairly and unjustly.
2. Think well of others. Pray for them if you have doubts about them.

Passage: 2 Cor 12:19-21

19 Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you? We have been speaking in the sight of God as those in Christ; and everything we do, dear friends, is for your strengthening. 20 For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder. 21 I am afraid that when I come again my God will humble me before you, and I will be grieved over many who have sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual sin and debauchery in which they have indulged.

A. Find Out:

1. What might his readers have been thinking? v.19a
2. How, does he say, he’s been speaking and why? v.19b
3. Of what was he afraid? v.20a
4. What did he fear he might find? v.20b
5. What did he fear God would do? v.21a
6. Why did he fear he would be grieved? v.21b

B. Think:

1. Summarise verse 19 in your own words.
2. Do the same with verse 20.
3. Do the same with verse 21.

C. Comment:

     As he has a sense of drawing near to the end of this letter, Paul puts himself in their shoes, as he so often does, and asks do they think he is being defensive – because it could be read like that. No, he says, that’s not my heart. I’m aware that I’m speaking before God and in my role in the body of Christ, and so everything I say is intended to be for your good.

     He then speaks of various fears that he has. First, that if he comes now, he won’t find them as he wants them to be and he won’t therefore be able to be the “Mr. Nice Guy” they would like him to be. Second, he fears that when he comes, he’ll still find a whole range of things they have not yet put right. Third, he fears that because of this it will be as if God will humble him, showing that his ministry has been a failure, with the fruit of his ministry still being in a state of unrighteousness. Fourth, he fears that if he comes now, he will only grieve because he is afraid that some of them are still living immoral lives.

     In all of this we have an amazing mixture of humility and correction. In the way he presents this, Paul is clearly emphasizing yet again his desire for the Christians at Corinth to put their lives right before God, yet in the way he says it, is comes with a great gentleness.

D. Application:

1. When we correct, is it was sensitivity and gentleness?
2. When we seek to bring correction, are we seeking to bring the very best to those we have to correct? Are we really working for their good?