2 Corinthians, 12:11-21
Hal Molloy · Jul 31, 2005
2 Corinthians (2004-05), No. 56
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/4826233026400

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Okay, we're in 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and we're going to start at verse 11 and we're going to go through verse 21. Do you believe me? That's 11 verses. I don't know that I've ever covered 11 verses in one session. Okay, starting at verse 11, 2nd Corinthians, Paul says this, I am become a fool in glorying, you have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for in nothing am I behind the very chief apostle, though I be nothing. Truly, the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds.

And what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong. Behold, the third time I am ready to come to you, I will not be burdensome to you, for I seek not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. But be it so, I did not burden you.

Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with God. Did I make a gain of you by any of them who I sent unto you? I exhorted Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the same spirit? Walked we not in the same steps?

Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you, we speak before God in Christ, but we do all things dearly beloved for your edifying. For I fear, lest when I come I shall not find you such as I would, and that I shall be found unto you such as you would not. Lest there be debates, envies, wrath, stripes, backbiting, whisperings, conceit, disorders, and lest when I come again my God will humble me among you, that I shall bewail many who have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed." As I read through this, it seemed to me there was a theme that went through these eleven verses.

And and that theme, by the way, you've got the notes in front of you. You've got on top of top page, page 16, which I left out from last week. OK. So page 16 is from last week. And then it starts with page one through whatever it is for this week. OK. But as I was saying, as I. as I read through this, there seems to be a theme in all of chapter 12.

And in chapter 12, I think what Paul is doing is he's demonstrating the difference between a true apostle, like himself, and the false apostles that were on the scene there in Corinth. And as you go through this whole chapter, as I went through it, I found at least eight truths about Paul and proofs of a true apostle. And what I did is I'm listing them, and we're going to go through all eight of these truths, hopefully. And the first two, the first one is Paul a proof of a true apostle. So you want to think of a true apostle and a false apostle.

A true apostle, like Paul, he had these revelations directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. And none of these false apostles could say that. They could say they had revelations, but not directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. There's only one other apostle that had revelations directly from the Lord Jesus Christ in the third heaven, right? Paul was caught up into the third heaven in paradise. Who was that other apostle?

John. And then his thorn in the flesh. And God allowed Satan to buffet him and give him this thorn in the flesh. A proof of his apostleship, as we'll see. And then the next one is Paul considered himself totally equal with the most eminent, the chiefest apostle. He didn't feel he lacked anything.

In fact, what was different about Paul than all the other apostles in terms of the revelation given to Paul? given to him directly. The Lord was already resurrected also, so that was different because when the Lord was there talking with the other apostles, the message was really not to the church, it was to the Jews. Okay, so one of the keys is that that the revelation that Paul received was from the resurrected, glorified Jesus Christ, not the earthly Jesus Christ. And what revelation was Paul given that no other apostle was given? That was a mystery. That was hidden before the foundations of the world. That was not even revealed in the Old Testament. to church. And so, did Paul lack anything in terms of being an apostle? No way. Then Paul manifested the signs of an apostle from God.

And then, this is a key one. Paul says in in verse 13 or so, 14, he says this, I seek not yours, but you. Now, think of these false apostles. They were seeking what these believers had, right? They were not seeking them. They were seeking what they had, their possessions. Paul says, I seek not yours, but you." The sixth one is Paul's love and concern for them, and his concern was about their spiritual walk. He was totally concerned about them spiritually. False apostles were concerned about them how? We know materially they were looking for money. They were looking for a following. They taught them false doctrine. They were they were them into false doctrine. OK. The seventh proof of Paul's apostleship.

He never defends the life and ministry of Christ through him. And we looked at this some time ago. It doesn't require a defense. As Christ lives his life through you and through me, and performs his ministry through you and through me, there's no defense. That's the life. You don't have to defend that life, and you don't have to defend that ministry. So we're going to see that Paul says that you guys think that I'm defending myself before you, but I'm not. I'm here for a different purpose. I'm here to edify you. That's why I'm here.

So the last point is that a sign of a true apostle, that a true apostle mourns over a believer's sins. A true apostle is grieved because of a believer's sins. Let me ask this question. Why would a true apostle be grieved over believer sins? Because who else is grieved? The Lord? The Holy Spirit, right? And is it grieved not the Holy Spirit? And that word grief there means distressed, don't distress the Holy Spirit. So Paul is grieved and mourns over their sins.

And here's the other key, a sign of a true apostle, that he's ready to correct them. Number one, he recognizes He recognizes sin, and he's ready to correct them. Do you think these false apostles recognize sin in these believers' life? No way. In fact, they cause them to sin. Right? They cause them to walk according to the flesh and not according to the spirit. All right. So, yes?

Isn't there another big difference between the original apostles and Paul, and that they were looking for the kingdom? Initially, that is true, that the original apostles were looking for the church, because even after the resurrection, they... Yeah, and before and even after, because just before the Lord ascended, what did they ask Him? At this time, are you going to establish your kingdom? That was their question.

And he says, it's not for you to know. My father knows. In verses 1-6, with respect to Paul's direct revelation from Christ, Here's some of the things that we've seen. He was caught up into paradise, into the third heaven, given revelations that no other man ever heard nor seen. And Paul, just think about this, Paul was in the place of his citizenship. He was home. He was home.

And a question was brought up by Doug here a couple of weeks ago after class, and his question was, is this the reason why Paul said what he said in Philippians 21-25, and I've just paraphrased part of it. And Paul says, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. But I'm hard pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is much better." So Paul was betwixt between the two, of being here and being with the Lord.

And so Doug's question is, was that statement influenced by him being up in paradise? What do you think? Boy, I mean, he knew He had first-hand experience of what home was like, didn't he? So obviously, I think he was very much influenced by that when he said what he said in Philippians chapter one.

Paul, as we know, was also given the revelation of the church, and I just quoted here some of these passages that Paul, an apostle not of men, neither by man but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father who raised him from the dead. So he was an apostle and he didn't come out from chosen by man. There wasn't some big committee that said, now Paul, we confer upon you and we knight you as an apostle. but it was the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Galatians 1.11-12 he says, "...but I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." So immediately after Paul, on the road to Damascus, The Lord took Paul, brought him into the Arabian desert for three years. He spent three years with the glorified, resurrected Jesus Christ, and was given the gospel, the totality of the gospel. So Paul didn't have to go up to Jerusalem to talk to Peter and James and John and say, hey, tell me about Christianity. Tell me about the gospel.

Paul went up there, he did go up there, and the purpose of him going up there is he went to make sure that they were teaching the same thing. He went up there to check them out. Not for them to check him out, but he went up there to check them out. But that's a whole other story. of Paul's apostleship was his thorn in the flesh.

And we saw last week that God in his grace allowed this physical infirmity to come upon Paul. In fact, he allowed Satan to buffet Paul. And it was one reason. because God knows our sin nature. God knows the sin nature of Paul, that the sin nature would exalt itself because of the revelations that were seen and heard, and God buffeted Paul and gave him the thorn in the flesh so that he wouldn't exalt himself. The other reason is that thorn in the flesh was there for Paul to glorify God, because Paul could say, when Paul asked God to remove that thorn, and God said what?

He said, no Paul, I'm not going to do it. But what? My grace is sufficient for you. And so Paul could then glory in his infirmities, because we saw last week that when he was weak, in and of himself, then he was what? Then he was strong in the Lord. And the power of Christ was tabernacled, it enveloped him, it encapsulated Paul. The third point, and look now at verse 11 in 2 Corinthians.

And look at the last part of the verse. He says, for nothing am I behind the very chief apostle, though I be nothing. So look at two statements there. He says he's not behind the chief apostle or the chief apostles. Over in chapter 11, Look at verse nine. Wrong verse. Five. Thank you. Look at verse five. In verse five, he says, For I suppose I was not, I like this, I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.

So, did Paul consider himself on par or equal with all the other apostles? He sure did. But, is he bragging here? Because in the very next few words, in verse 11, at the end of verse 11, he says, though I be nothing. We said last week that there's nothing like being a nothing, right? Bob? I was just going to point out this section of 11. Remember, Paul's saying to them, would you God, you could bear with me a little in my folly, right?

I mean, in other words, he's really exemplifying the ways of the world to try to get their attention, right? Exactly. I mean, in a sense, you can kind of look at Paul as kind of copy of times, but yet in context, this is anything but that. Yeah, but what he's saying is the absolute truth, right? He's not saying anything that isn't true. In the eyes of the world, in other words, if you look at earthly lists of things. Yeah, and he's saying from an earthly point of view, from a heavenly point of view, what he's saying is absolutely true.

Now he would elect not to go through this list of what the Lord has been doing through him in his life, right? But, as Bob says, he's doing it to show these believers, you know, because he says, bear with me in my foolishness, I'm going to sound foolish just like these false apostles. I want you to see what foolishness sounds like, because these guys are always bragging, right? Always exalting himself.

Now, I'm going to tell you something about myself, but what he says is absolute truth. The ministry, the very life and ministry of Christ through him, right? It's the very life and ministry of Christ through him. So, what he's saying is still absolute truth. So when he says, he says in 1 Corinthians 15, 9, 10, look, just look what he says.

He says, for I am the least of the apostles who am not fit to be called an apostle, because he goes on to say, because I persecuted the church. And, but I've labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. So, is Paul crediting himself for the labor? No way. No way. But all Paul is doing is saying, here's how the Lord used me, it's by His grace. And it just so happens, yeah, I've labored more than they. That's just the truth. Because that's the way, that's what God has done in my life. Look in verse 11, when Paul says, I am become a fool in glorying, you have compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I ought to have been commended by you.

So what it's saying is, number one, that they didn't commend him, right? But they ought to have commended him. Now, if you remember when we were in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, back in 1492. That seemed like a long time ago. But when we're back in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul said this, he says, you know, I come to you and I don't have a letter of commendation from anyone, neither do I need a letter of commendation from anyone, neither do I need a letter of commendation from you, right? And what does he say?

You are my commendation, written in our hearts. You are an epistle of Christ. That's all that needs to be said, because if you remember, when Paul was persecuting the church, he always had a letter of commendation wherever he went. He was going up to Damascus with this letter of commendation from the big the Pharisees in Jerusalem, saying that he had the authority to drag out and persecute these Christians, right? He had this letter of commendation. So here he comes to these believers in Corinth, and he says, I don't need any letter.

You are my letter. So here's the question. When it says, I ought to have been commended by you, What does that infer? These are to the believers that are following the false apostles in Corinth. Earlier, he writes to the majority of the believers that you are my commendation. Why were they his commendation? Why did they present Paul as worthy? How did they present Paul as worthy? Because they were following the teaching that he had presented to them originally.

And so now, they're not. They're following the false teachers. And what he's saying is, instead of following the false teachers, you should be commending me or being my example of people in Yeah, right. So if if they truly were an epistle for Christ, they would be his commendation, but they're not. So, OK. The.

See, we're up to point four already. the fourth proof or characteristic of a true apostle. Paul manifested the signs of an apostle from God. Now, look at verse 12. It says, Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders, and mighty deeds.

And notice that the word signs appears two times. It says, truly the signs of an apostle, and then it talks about signs and wonders. OK, so what's the first signs there, and what's the second signs? If you look at the word signs, signs is used several different ways in scripture. Signed sign can be used as a distinguishing mark. So, for example, it talks about circumcision being a sign. You can see where circumcision would be a distinguishing mark. Right. OK, so.

So if we take that first word sign as a distinguishing mark, what What distinguishing mark or marks could we see in Paul that was a proof of his apostleship? What I think it is, is that the very character of Christ, that they saw the very character of Christ being manifested by Paul. Because he goes on to say in verse 12, truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all what?

In all patience. Is patience a distinguishing mark? Yeah, patience is a distinguishing mark. Patience, hupomone, this abiding under. And Paul was abiding under, he was abiding under all of the trials, the persecutions, the suffering that he was going through. He was abiding under and he was resting in the Lord. And that was a sign. Let me just go through some of these.

He also manifested the power of the Spirit of God. In Romans 15, 19, He says, through many signs and wonders, now here's where he uses the term signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about into Luke, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ. So, here's where he uses that word, science and wonders, and I think in this case, when it talks about science and wonders, it's just talking about some supernatural events. So, a proof of his apostleship was that God performed supernatural events through him. First, the character of Christ. supernatural events were done by him and in Acts 15 12 it says and all the multitude kept silent and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating to what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Can you think of some signs and wonders that that God did through Paul? How about miracles? Because the last part of that verse talks about miracles, and it's dunamis, it's the power of working miracles. Paul had the power of working miracles. Can you think of a miracle that Paul had the power to do?

A young man fell asleep, and he was preaching, and you revived him. Okay, and he was dead. and he brought him back to life. Okay. Interesting. Faith healers back then could raise people from the dead. Give you a message today about faith healers? Have you seen any faith healer raising somebody from the dead today?

No. That's why the gift, I think the gift is ceased. OK, the fifth point. Look at verse 13 and and the point is this, it says, Paul seeks not what they have, but then. OK, he and. And this is emphasized in many verses here, verses 13 and 14, and verses 16 through 18. So let's just reread through them. 13, for what is it in which you were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? Forgive me this wrong.

Behold, the third time I am come ready to come to you and I will not be burdensome to you for I seek look at it this is you want to see a sign of a true apostle a true minister of God for I seek not yours but you he for the children ought not to lay up for the parents but the parents for the children question Most of us here have children.

And should we be laying up for our children? Should we be laying up physical wealth for our children? I've heard that talk a lot. What do you think? Should we be? Should we be? Should we be laying up an inheritance that wants the children to take care of her?

I'm with Bev. OK. The point is this. I forgot to look at 16. But be it so, I did not burden you. Nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Did I make a gain of you by any of them who I sent unto you? I exhorted Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? Walked we not in the same spirit? Walked we not in the same steps? So Paul is saying that whether it be he or his workers, they never posed a financial burden to any believer.

And he says, notice what he says there? He says, forgive me if it's wrong. Why would he say forgive me if it's wrong? And this was their expectation that that Paul would be taking money from them. This was their expectation. Right. All the churches and pastors today. Yeah, look at TBN. And it's interesting. I always comment on Benny Hinn because he's the money raiser of all of them. He is the best. There is no one better than Benny Hinn because I've seen people just throwing money off of balconies to him. By the way, I didn't tell you this. I got a letter from Benny Hinn. And he invited me to breakfast here in Denver. He invited all these pastors to breakfast. And he's on a campaign to make more money. And he's going to make money in Denver. Now how I got on his list, I don't know. I don't have a clue.

But Paul says in Philippians 4.17, and he's talking to these Philippian believers and he's saying, he's thanking them for their support, their monetary support for him. And remember, as far as you can find out in the New Testament, that's the only church he ever received a gift from. and they were the poorest church. When we started out 2 Corinthians, we saw that they were in deep poverty. Why would Paul accept a gift from a church in deep poverty and not these Corinthians who had the wherewithal?

Why would he do that? Doing for the right reason. Strengthen their faith. And it was a sacrificial gift. And the Philippian believers were giving to who? Who were they really giving to? Well, they were giving to the Lord, right? Yeah, they were giving to the Lord. And Paul knew their heart. He knew their heart. And they were giving to the Lord and he could not refuse that gift because it was done unto the Lord. Okay. So here's the question.

Should we be laying up a physical inheritance for our children? And I've seen this verse used time and time again, where somebody will get up there and teach, boy, this is what we should be doing for our children. Well, so the question is, when it talks about children and parents, what children and what parents is it referring to? Physical or spiritual? See, the big question is, physical or spiritual. If it's physical, then it's talking about where to be laying up an inheritance. So Jim has got to start right now in making money and laying up an inheritance for Calvin and Henry. Are you behind? Are you ahead of the game?

Okay, point is this, as you go through, like even back into 1 Corinthians, Paul talks about him being their spiritual father, and he had begot them spiritually, and so what Paul is talking about is not laying things up, treasures up physically, but spiritually.

And he wasn't seeking any earthly treasure for them. And so it's Paul that he says he's bound, he's determined to lay up. And how does he lay up a treasure for them? It's only by revelation. He can only reveal the spiritual truths to them. and the treasures that they have in Christ. And they had no clue of what they were. And so Paul's desire was to lay up that treasure for them. So as a spiritual father, he's concerned about their spiritual growth.

In 2 Corinthians 10.8, which we just finished chapter 10, says, for though I should boast of glory somewhat, more of our authority which the Lord has given us, for what?

For edification. For building up. Building up saints spiritually. And he goes on to say, and not for your destruction. And the word destruction is pulling down. Pulling down spiritually. And the difference between a true apostle and a false apostle, here's a true apostle, is for edification, for building up. And a false apostle is going to tear down. He's going to tear down, spiritually, believers. He's going to put them under a lost system as opposed to grace.

As as you go on here and. The. I think in verse 16, Paul says somebody have a new American standard. Gladys is it doesn't say crafty fellow that I am. I took you by deceit. Just I think I quoted this from the new American standard. I took you in by deceit. Okay. Now, I left the preposition out, which is, I took you in by deceit, because it's not in the Greek text. It's not there. He says, what he's saying is, I took you. I took you by deceit. Now, why would he say that? Why would he say that?

Okay. All right. Good point. Good point. Because they were being taken in by deceit. Okay. Good point. This was the very accusation also that that these false teachers were making against Paul. And so all he's doing, I think, is quoting them, just playing back what what they're saying. OK, that's what they were saying.

Now. Well, in relation to the false apostles and their methods and his, OK, they were trying to what what these false apostles were were saying is that that Paul put his finger in the till that he availed himself of the money that was being collected for the poor saints in Jerusalem. And, you know, Paul sent Titus and another brother and and And what Paul was doing behind the scenes saying, Titus, come over here. How much you got?

You know, it's just like Benny Hinn. Let's see. Put the hundreds here, 50s here and all the rest here. I'll take these hundreds. You can have all the rest. And so behind the scenes, behind the scenes, they're saying that's what Paul was doing. Yeah. So that was their charge, if you will. Look what Paul says.

He says, didn't we walk in the same spirit? You saw Titus. You saw these other brothers. Didn't we walk in the same spirit? didn't we walk in the same steps? So when he talks about walking in the same spirit, he's talking about walking in the Holy Spirit. And so he's talking about an inward walk. And when he's talking about walking in the same steps, this is the peripetuo, how you conduct your life. And so, step by step. And in the steps, so that's an outward walk. So the outward walk, was the same.

So, if you looked at Paul, if you looked at Titus, if you looked at all these other brothers, they looked the same. Why? Because the source of their walk was the same, they were walking in the Spirit, and so they were manifesting the very life of Christ. That's all they could manifest. They could not manifest anything else but the life of Christ if they were walking in the Spirit and abiding in Christ. And so they walked inwardly in the same Spirit, they walked outwardly in the same steps. Paul says in verse 15, he says, I love you. Now there's a little if there, right? If I love you, if I am loving you. Yeah, in verse 15. I love you. I'm looking at the last part of the verse, the less I'd be loved. What am I doing? First part of 15, and I will gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, etc. So when he says, I will spend, he's saying, I'll spend all I have, all I physically have I'll spend on you." And he says, and I'll be spent. He's talking about all that he is. So his entire life, he's talking about his life. All that I am, I'll be spent for you. So when he's talking about this, he's talking about all of the persecution and sufferings and trials that he's gone through.

He gave them his all. And then he says that he loves them. And the love there is Agapao. And it's the very fruit of the Spirit. It's a continuous present. He loved them in the past. He's loving them now. He's going to love them into the future. His love for them is never going to change. and it's always active.

And love is always active, just like faith is always active. And as it indicates that love can be known only from the action it prompts. So the way you see love is because love is active and you see the active results of love. The second point is not drawn out necessarily by any excellency in this object.

So that think about when you were raising your kids and even now. Is there any excellency in them that causes you to love them? I mean, sometimes you get real angry at them, right? So is there any excellency in them that causes you to love them? Answer, no. So why do you love them? So there is no excellency in these erring Corinthian believers, right?

But that love is drawn out when the object is on the Lord Jesus Christ. So Paul's focus was on the Lord Jesus Christ, because his focus in his life was on the Lord Jesus Christ. Then love was being manifested through Paul. Love is sacrificial. It gives all. And he suffered for them. It's a giving love. Agape love is a giving love. It never expects anything in return. And once you say, I'll love her if, or I'll love him if, then it's a conditional love, and it's not unconditional. As soon as you put a condition on love, it's conditional, and it's not agape love.

OK. We're done. Our last. The last point I want to make it and we won't get through point eight, but but is the fact that Paul never defends the life and ministry of Christ through him. As you look. And I think I've quoted the New American Standard. Gladys, is this right in terms of verse 19? He says, at this time you have been thinking that we are defending ourselves to you. Right?

That's what they have been thinking. But that's not what Paul was doing. So, as we've said, that his purpose and focus was never to defend his apostleship, never defend his life, never defend his ministry, because his life and ministry was the very life and ministry of Christ. And did Christ ever defend his life and his ministry? No way. He just was who he was.

So, Paul says in verse 19, Paul's purpose and focus, as I indicated here, was, as it says there, speaking in Christ, speaking before God, in Christ, concerning. And I think it's concerning God's eternal purpose, revealing, sharing the very glory of Christ for their edification. Because he goes on to say in the rest of 19, he says, actually, it is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ And all, notice this word all, all for your edification. The New American Standard says up-building, but the word there in the Greek is edification. But notice all, so there wasn't some defending of his apostleship or his life, his ministry. No. Everything he did and said was all for their edification. OK. Bob is going to start Chapter 13 next week. And he says he's going to be referring back to 12. And that's great.

Maybe you can pick up anything that we've left out. Let's close in the word of prayer. Father, again, we just thank you for your word. We just thank you that you have provided your spirit to reveal to us the Lord Jesus Christ. Father, we thank you for Paul. We thank you for his life in ministry and knowing, Father, that his very life and his very ministry was the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ being manifested through him as he walked by faith. And Father, our prayer is just that, that Let the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ be manifested through us as we walk by faith and abide in Him. That you might be honored and glorified through us. And Father, that the world and those around us, especially those in our sphere of influence, may see Christ and ask Him and ask us about the hope that's within us. We give you thanks now in Christ's name. Amen.