16 I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting.17 In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool.18 Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast.19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise!20 In fact, you even put up with any who enslave you or exploit you or take advantage of you or push themselves forward or slap you in the face.
21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea,26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying.
My thoughts -
This passage reveals to me a bit how my education is lacking. Earlier in chapter 11 Paul refers to people who preach "a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached" and a "different gospel from the one you accepted". He tells the church in Corinth that their "minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ". He laments that the church in Corinth "put(s) up with it (the false gospel) easily enough". He calls out those that are preaching it, saying they are "are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ".
Now, here's where my education is lacking. I don't know to whom Paul is referring or what this false gospel they were preaching is. But look at how he contrasts himself and the gospel he is preaching to this "false" one the church in Corinth is tolerating. That's what he's doing in this passage. And he is doing that by specifically listing what he has endured for the gospel. Sure, he starts with what they have in common, establishing his own credentials, but where they deviate Paul sure gets intense. Look at this again starting with verse 23:
Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.
Not knowing for sure what the "false gospel" Paul is railing about here is (and that is my own lack of education and it will be corrected soon) I would venture a guess to say that whatever they are preaching removes the cost of discipleship from the equation, otherwise what Paul is saying here doesn't make a lot of sense. No one can (or better, no one should) say that following Jesus is easy. It isn't. We are called to not look at things from a worldly perspective. I struggle with this because, quite frankly, there's an awful lot here that I really like. But we are called to acknowledge that what this world has to offer, even at its absolute best, whatever good it has, pales in comparison to that which is eternal. And, let's face it, nothing here will last. We don't get to keep any of it. Ain't no one driving no limo up to the Pearly Gates and getting in with all their stuff.
If someone preaches that following Jesus will give you more worldly success my guess is, if Paul were there to hear it, he would punch them in the face. Well.. he'd at least write a very sternly worded letter railing against that doctrine. I'm not saying that we all have to endure exactly what Paul endured, but we do have to cast aside our cares and worries of this world and all of the material distractions in it. We are called to "lose our lives" to gain new life in Christ. That's an intense message. There's no hedging our bets here. The old is dead. We don't live according to our own will and sinful desires any more.
If we don't know what it is to suffer how can we enter into the suffering of others and work for their redemption and restoration? And what did Jesus mean we he commanded his followers to take up their cross and follow him? If we follow the pattern of this world and "look out for number one" how are we following the example of Christ who laid down his life for us?
I know I say this a lot but what we believe is crazy. I'd like to see us act like we're a little crazy, too. Are we called to be believers or disciples? Are we called to be just knowers or doers, as well?
What would our churches look like if they were filled with people that literally did not care about the things of this world? How would we allocate our resources? What could we accomplish for Christ? I honestly don't know but I would love to find out.
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