2 Corinthians 10-13

Answers

2009

Chapter 10 - Paul Defends His Apostleship

The Last four chapters of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians deals primarily with the defense of his apostleship.  We don’t know exactly what the charges against him were, but they probably had to do with being accused of acting in agreement with the methods of worldly men.  The Judaizers accused him of being cowardly when he was present with the people.  But when he was absent, he was as bold as a lion.  In v.3, 4, Paul says, “we don’t wage war with human plans and methods.  We use God’s mighty weapons to knock down the Devil’s strongholds.”  The true Christian is always at war with Satan and the evil he brings on this world. 

1. What weapons can we use?  (A) We do not use swords, guns, or the strategy of modern warfare in spreading the gospel of Christ throughout the world.  We do not use wealth, power, glory, smoothness or cleverness to accomplish our aims.  Our weapons are faith in the living God, prayer, and obedience to the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. What enemy does Paul identify?  (A) V.5 – “every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God as well as their rebellious ideas.”
3. V.7 tells us much about why the Corinthians fell into so much turmoil – “you make your judgments on the basis of appearance.”  We can read between the lines that they were swayed by whether or not a man had a commanding presence, impressive eloquence, or great powers of logic.  These are gifts no doubt, but a man’s inward reality must pass the test of the gospel of the humble Jesus.
4. What does Paul say about the authority given him as opposed to the authority of his accusers (v.8)?  (A) As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, Paul had been given authority in connection with the churches he established.  His purpose?  To build up the saints in their faith.  The false teachers had no such authority from Christ and their goal was to tear down the saints rather than to build them up.
5. It is hard to imagine the accusations against him – that he was weak in person and his speeches were really bad (v.10).  Paul in fact is one of the most eloquent of the NT Epistle writers but he refuses to claim, “he is as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are (v.12).”  Paul answered to a much higher standard, while their only standard of measurement was themselves.
6. Paul shows his God given wisdom when he declares; “Our goal is to stay within the boundaries of God’s plan for us (v.13).”  Believers spend so much time and energy wanting to “know their purpose in life” when it is written on almost every page of Scripture.  God has a plan for you, written before the beginning of time.  All He expects you to do is say, “Yes Lord” when He calls and allow Him to lead you in His path.
7. Paul does not claim anything other than what is plainly known to all the Corinthians, that is, he brought the gospel to them.  The Judaizers, on the other hand, boasted in the work of other men.  They tried to steal Paul’s “sheep,” assassinate his character, and assume a false authority.
8. Paul has it right when he says, “we hope that your faith will grow and that our work among you will be greatly enlarged.  Then we will be able to go and preach the Good News in other places (vv.15, 16).”  Want a purpose?  Spread the faith God has blessed you with, bless others with it as well, and watch it grow.

Chapter 11 – Paul and the False Apostles

Paul continues his defense against his accusers.  He tells the Corinthians, “I am jealous for you with the jealousy of God Himself (v.2).” 

1. How are he and/or God jealous?  (A) Paul had such deep concern for the Corinthians, concern to the point of jealousy, not for his own reputation, but for their spiritual purity.  Paul was never concerned about his own causes, but was inspired by zeal for God’s causes, and therefore similar to God’s own jealousy for His holy name and for His people’s loyalty (Ezek. 39:25).  As their spiritual father, Paul thought of the Corinthians like a daughter, whom he engaged to Jesus (at their conversion).  Remember your study of the OT, wherein Israel is pictured as the wife of the Lord.  Paul wanted them to be “a pure bride” until the marriage of the church and the Lamb (see Rev. 19:7) at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom and lasting 1,000 years.
2. Paul raises the age-old problem, as old as man himself (or Eve herself), when Satan deceived her – he didn’t want their minds corrupted from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.  He wanted them to be devoted to the Lord Jesus alone.  There is One Jesus, one Gospel, and One Spirit- anything else is from Satan.
3. Paul raises another problem that he sees in these believers – they showed a readiness to listen to false teachers (v.4).  But Paul isn’t going to back down.  He knows that he is not inferior to these “super apostles” (sarcasm noted!).  As an aside – the Reformers quoted this verse to prove false the papal notion that Peter was the chief apostle and that the popes inherited this dominance.
4. It’s a strange phenomenon that many people measure the importance of a teacher by the fee he could command.  He has to be good if he costs that much!  The false apostles accused Paul of being a counterfeit, since he refused to charge for his services.  They convince the Corinthians to be offended by Paul’s refusal to accept support from them, supposedly evidence that he did not love them (v.11).  His decision to work to support himself embarrassed the Corinthians who felt that such work to be beneath the dignity of an apostle.  Paul asks them how supporting himself could be a sin.  It is amazing that we as people attempt to put these ridiculous, worldly restrictions on one another.
5. Paul serves as his own defense attorney as he confronts the attacks of his accusers, the false apostles that are bringing another gospel and another jesus to the Corinthians.  “Why not?”  - He asks?  They put up with the false apostles as they attempt to make them their slaves, taking everything they have, taking advantage of them, putting on airs and slapping them in the face (vv.19-21).  Paul says that if the way the false teachers acted is real strength, then he has to say to his shame that he never showed that kind of strength, but rather weakness (v.21).
6. As his defense, Paul doesn’t bring a letter of commendation from Jerusalem; he does not present his personal accomplishments or skills.  Rather, he brings before us a moving record of the sufferings he had endured in the work of the gospel.  Put yourself in his shoes as he endures countless hardships if only men might not perish for want of the gospel of Christ.  The false teachers claimed to be Hebrews, descended from Israel and the seed of Abraham.  They still believed that their ancestry gave them favor in God’s sight, while the opposite was true:  Israel had been set aside by God for rejecting His Son, the Lord Jesus.  But Paul too was a Hebrew, an Israelite from the seed of Abraham – these were not the things that proved him an apostle.  He contrasts himself to them.  They say they serve Christ (v.23), but he served Him in devotion, labor and suffering.  Paul was a servant of the suffering Savior.  To Paul, suffering was the mark, or badge, of Christ’s servants, yet his accusers chose the easy way, avoided persecution, and dishonor.
7. Paul lists his hardships in his defense: he worked harder-he traveled throughout the Mediterranean area to make Christ known; been put in jail more – we saw one imprisonment in Acts 16:23, but there were far more; he was whipped times without number by both Jewish and heathen men; he faced death time and again –see his escape in Acts 14:19 at Lystra; five different times the Jews whipped him with 39 stripes – this was used on only the worst criminals and it implies that his own people considered him one; three times beaten with rods – we see one in Acts 16:22; once he was stoned –at Lystra, where they believed him dead after stoning him; three times shipwrecked; a whole day and night adrift on the sea; he traveled many weary miles in his three missionary journeys –countless miles over the most difficult terrain, in hostile territory, with little money, or provisions.  He goes on to list many more dangers and trials he faced at the hands of men and of nature and then in v.28, he mentions that he had the additional burden of how the churches were getting along.  He felt their weaknesses and was angered when they were led astray.  These climax all of the other hardships he faced!  He truly cared for the Lord’s people.
8. In closing, if he is going to glory in the things that concern his weaknesses, he mentions what happened to him in Damascus (Acts 9:19-25), when during severe persecution and danger of death, he was lowered over the Damascus walls to be saved.  He mentions this because others felt he shamed himself in so doing, but his sole object in life was to serve the Lord Jesus and he knew that he had so much more work to be done in His name.

Chapter 12 – Paul’s Vision and His Thorn In The Flesh

Paul seems to face an unending onslaught of problems from his accusers.  The Corinthians are caught up in the alleged vision and false prophecies of the false accusers and Paul must continue to defend himself with what he calls “boasting, as much as he hates to do it.  Paul was so humble that he didn’t mind boasting of his weaknesses, but when it came to boasting about visions and prophecies that he experienced personally, he spoke as if they had occurred to someone else.

1. Paul relates that fourteen years prior, he was “caught up into the third heaven –caught up into paradise (v.2).”  What is the third heaven?  Is paradise a different place?  (A) The first heaven is earth’s atmosphere (Gen. 8:2); the second is the stellar heaven, that part of the heavens containing the planets, stars, and galaxies; the third is the highest heaven where the throne of God is.  Whether he was there in the body or in the spirit, he didn’t know (and didn’t care!) –he knew he was in the same place of bliss that the Lord Jesus took the repentant thief after his death, that is, to God’s dwelling place in paradise.  What he heard there he could not repeat - the words were for him alone and he was forbidden to repeat them (even if he could have!)
2. God knew that this experience was life changing for Paul and for many, it would lead to exceeding arrogance and self-pride.  What did God do to Paul to keep him humble?  (A) V.7- he was given a “thorn in the flesh,” a “messenger from Satan.”  Some believe that, because Satan is mentioned along with the thorn, that this was a demon that afflicted Paul, possible this demon was indwelling the ringleader of the Corinthian false apostles.  We know that Satan and his demons cannot ever inhabit the souls of a believer – Light and darkness can’t co-exist.  Some believe that it may have been some kind of eye disease or maybe malaria, migraine headaches, or something connected to Paul’s speech.  Either way, in one sense it represented Satan’s effort to hinder Paul in the work of the Lord.  But God is greater than Satan, and He used the thorn to further the work of the Lord by keeping Paul humble.  Successful work for Christ depends on a humble servant.  The weaker he/she is, the more the Christ gives power to his ministry and preaching.
3. How did Paul react to this thorn in the flesh?  How did Jesus?  (A) Paul longed for relief from this painful problem and went to the Lord, begging Him three times (the use of “the Lord” indicates he prayed directly to Jesus) to remove it.  This prayer reminds us of the request of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:32-41).  Both Paul and Jesus had their requests denied, but were granted grace to endure their ordeals.  Jesus answered, “My gracious favor is all you need.  My power works best in your weakness (v. 9).”  What words of comfort for those of us who are suffering or have family and friends who are.  Jesus gives us all the strength and grace we need to see it through.
4. What was “proof” in the statement “I certainly gave you every proof that I am a true apostle (v.12)?”  (A) It included, but was not limited to, the signs and wonders and mighty deeds that the Apostles were granted to establish and validate their ministry.  Actually, one of the best signs was the salvation of the Corinthians themselves!
5. Paul was coming to them for the third time and we see a glimpse of the love he had for these people of God in Corinth.  He was willing gladly to give himself in tireless service and sacrifice for their souls, that is, for their spiritual welfare (v.15).

Chapter 13 – Paul’s Final Advice

Paul knew that there were many believers in Corinth that still were swayed by the Judaizers, doubted his authority as a true apostle, and sought proof.  He tells them that when he comes to them this third time, he was going to use his apostolic authority and power to deal with any sin and rebellion he found there.  It was not Paul’s power, but Christ’s that was going to be revealed.  He challenges the rebels not to look at him, but rather to examine themselves to see if their faith was genuine.  He pointed out that as their spiritual father, if his apostleship was false, so was their faith.  Paul in his love asks them to do no evil but to lead godly lives, even if they continued to doubt him.  If his weakness, humiliation and reproach resulted in their being strengthened in the things of God he was glad.  His prayer was for their restoration to maturity.  He closes with words that should encourage us all: “Rejoice.  Change your ways.  Encourage each other.  Live in harmony and peace.  Then the love of  God will be with you.”  Amen and Amen!