2 Corinthians 12:11 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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2 Corinthians 12:11

Comments

Paul continues to profess his embarrassment moment and distaste at having to defend or speak of himself. He protests it is contrary to what Christian should do, but he was unique and for him it was a duty to defend his apostleship.‘Though I be nothing.’ The is not just rhetoric: he means it. Of himself in the things that matter he is nothing. All he writes is not his own; he never gives a mere personal judgement. It is the Spirit who speaks through him. And he has no power to persuade. Yes, we all have some power in earthly things but not in heavenly. Paul, although he is founder of that church, says that he is nothing. That is why a preacher should never proceed with self-confidence, and why we should follow God’s methods, otherwise the Spirit is grieved away and there is no blessing. Also, we should never dictate to another believer.‘For I am behind’: some think this is a sarcastic reference to the false apostles, but next verse makes it clear he means the true apostles.‘I ought to have been commended of you.’ Really, the Corinthians should have defended Paul. He was humanly the instrument of so much blessing to them. Tragically, they did not. Most were sound in the faith, so why did they not protect the truth? They should have defended Paul. did they defend the faith? Did they stand up for the Bible when it was minimised, attacked?

Application

You may be saved, but perhaps you will not defend the faith – not against atheism, but from error within the church. How is Satan so successful? There are various explanations. Some have been saved but have never studied the faith and learned it in an orderly way. If people won’t learn the faith of course they will be taken in. Don’t think that doctrine is boring. Many wilfully ignore the defence of the faith because they want everything to be kept vague, wishy-washy. They don’t want to ever take a stand. Others don’t want to be too serious, or take too much responsibility, so they accommodate error, and water down the faith: ‘Yes that is in Bible but not a standard for all of us.’ Some do not accept that there is a war on, that Satan is determined to ruin and spoil the church. Others don’t want to exercise faith. They would rather put faith in a person. I will trust this church. This preacher represents what is right. When that church or that preacher goes wrong, then they go wrong too. Others trust in the denomination instead of the word of the Lord. Some Christians avoid pain at all cost. They may have been hurt in their lives, and suffered emotional pain. They will not put up with any more turmoil in their minds, so they pretend Satan’s assault on the church is not happening. They do not want to see these personable false teachers as wrong. Some are just not saved. We are not immune from penetration of those who think they love God. We look at Rome, the high church, or the cults – they are not saved! Yes, but what causes them to go through all that? Many humans want to feel they are close to God, but they are false formal worshippers. Don’t you think they will come to our church also?

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2 Corinthians 12:11 Commentary and Bible Study