Living Now in Light of the Future (A Series of Messages on 2 Corinthians 12) Part 7

Linda and I are looking forward to September 23-24 when we will be speaking to the supporters of Camp Elim in Colorado. These posts give me the opportunity to work on my messages (from 2 Corinthians 12) for the Heritage Retreat.

Let’s look at our text one more time:

Paul’s experience of heaven was dramatically different from the often silly and unbiblical reports of people who say they have toured heaven.

We don’t need their testimonies — we have the Word of God to guide us.

We saw that the first challenge in Living Now in Light of the Future is that we have a biblical view of boasting (vv. 1-6).

Our second challenge from this text is that we have a clear focus on the future (vv. 2 & 4 & 7). Having a clear focus on the future does not mean that we try to explain all the sights and sounds of heaven — but we allow its superlative nature to silence us into awe and wonder!

Let’s notice a third challenge from our text that will help us live now in light of the future. Because of the reality of our future we are given —

III. A Practical Primer on Prayer (vv. 8-9)

“Primer” is an old word meaning either (1) an elementary book for teaching children to read; or, (2) any book of elementary principles. Well, we don’t have a book here, but we are given — through Paul’s example — a model of prayer which we ought to follow.

There are, of course, various kinds of prayer in the Scriptures. I find it helpful to use the ACTS formula (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication). Here in 2 Corinthians 12 Paul’s prayer is of the supplication kind, don’t you think? He has a desperate need — and he brings it to the Lord for resolution.

What is Paul’s need? He is talking about an incredible, superior experience of getting a glimpse (both auditory and visual) of heaven! What possible needs could he now have?! Ah, he receives a “gift” for his experience. He says in verse 7 – “in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” What?!?!?!

God gave Paul a “thorn in the flesh” which Paul describes as “a messenger of Satan”! Scholars have long debated what Paul’s “thorn” was (malaria, Judaizers plaguing him, etc.). My suggestion is that it was a vision problem, for he says in the book of Galatians things like “See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand!” (6:11) and “if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me” (4:15). He does refer to this thorn as his “weakness” (vv. 5, 9ff), a Greek term which normally refers to a physical problem.

[One can’t help but think of another “Saul” who had a similar experience. Of King Saul we read — “Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.” (I Sam. 16:14)].

What do we learn about PRAYER from Paul here?
1. We learn that it is never wrong to pray for something more than once. Paul “pleaded with the Lord” three times for the thorn to be taken away.
2. We learn that we are to submit to God’s will and not become disillusioned when God doesn’t answer our prayers as we think He should.
3. We learn about His sufficient grace — that it becomes most real to us in our “weaknesses.”
4. We learn that God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

You may have heard the story of Bill’s meeting with his pastor. “Pastor,” he said, “I have the worst temper! I fly off the handle at my wife and my kids. It’s terrible! I guess it’s just my ‘thorn in the flesh.'” “Bill,” the pastor said, “your temper is not your ‘thorn in the flesh.’ It’s your wife’s thorn in the flesh! But it’s your SIN!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Now in Light of the Future (A Series of Messages on 2 Corinthians 12) Part 4

Linda and I will be at Camp Elim in Colorado September 23-24 for their “Heritage Retreat.” I will be speaking on one of my favorite passages, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. These posts will allow me to think out some of what I want to say in those four messages.

Paul’s final evidence of his apostleship (of which he boasts) is this vision of or trip to heaven.

There have been many who have claimed to literally go to heaven, usually during a traumatic time of injury. Here are several books that make the claim of having actually gone to heaven — and come back!

Each of these books have been carefully read and evaluated by Bible-believing followers of Jesus — and found wanting!

How do these so-called trips to heaven differ from Paul’s trip (or vision) here in 2 Corinthians 12? In every way!  He waited 14 years to tell of his experience (v. 2)! He was clearly told not to give any details about his what he heard and saw (v. 4). For his trouble Paul was given, not book tours, but a thorn in his flesh. To keep him humble (“to keep me from becoming conceited,” v. 7).

This “thorn” was so severe that it drove Paul to his knees in repetitive prayer for rescue! We don’t need extra-biblical (outside the Bible) experiences of others to convince us that heaven is real. We have God’s infallible Word! (to be continued)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Now in Light of the Future (A Series of Messages on 2 Corinthians 12) Part 2

Friends: As Linda and I look forward to being with the supporters of Camp Elim in Colorado September 23-24 for their “Heritage Retreat,” I will be speaking on one of my favorite passages, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10. I want to begin fleshing out those four messages on this blog.  Let’s take another look at the text first:

We’ve seen in our previous post that boasting is a prominent theme in 2 Corinthians (you did read through 2 Corinthians chs. 1-10, right?).

There is, of course, godly as well as ungodly boasting. Notice in our text that Paul uses the term “boast” five times (vv. 1, 5 [2x], 6, & 9). Paul feels the need to defend his apostleship, so he pulls out what we might call his “trump” card (that used to be a perfectly good word. Just saying).

What’s Paul’s final evidence of his apostleship? He has either had a VISION of heaven or he has actually TRAVELED there! Let’s make a few general observations on this passage before we look at four major themes in this text.

1. Paul  pulls out this experience from FOURTEEN YEARS AGO! Why did he wait so long to tell us of his trip (or vision) of heaven? Perhaps it was because this has brought him a world of trouble!
2. It is fascinating how he speaks of his experience. He begins talking about a man he knew who got “caught up to the 3rd heaven.” But Paul switches from 3rd person (“he”) to 1st person (“I” or “me”) in verses 5 and following.
3. We are given some extremely brief (and tantalizing) details about heaven: “heard inexpressible things” (v. 4) + “surpassingly great revelations” (v. 7).
4. We learn what Paul got for his experience — not book deals and TV appearances, but a THORN in his flesh!
5. Paul serves as our example when it comes to PRAYER and responding to OUR WEAKNESSES!

We will unpack each of these points in subsequent posts. (to be continued)

 

 

The Joy of Unit-Reading #10 (the book of 2 Corinthians)

We are on a journey of unit-reading 65 of the 66 books of the Bible. By “unit-reading,” we mean reading through the book at one sitting (I’m not sure the book of Psalms is meant to be read that way). The overall theme or focus of many of the books of God’s Word will be readily seen when one sits down (with a strong cup of coffee or two) and reads straight through the book.

What a fascinating book — 2 Corinthians!  Some of the themes that jump out at me are the themes of persecution, the need for comfort and for comforting others, and the deceptiveness of our enemy Satan. (you see some of my brief notes on the right).

Questions:

(1) Am I expecting at least a little persecution as a believer?

(2) Where might I comfort another brother or sister in Christ?

(3) What do I learn from Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”?

 

VANISHING PROBLEMS (Part 3)

Friends:

In our last post we talked about the Nationwide commercial about vanishing deductibles. We asked, “Wouldn’t it be great if all our difficulties vanished like the problems depicted in that commercial?”

I then posted the Apostle Paul’s extensive testimony about his “thorn in the flesh” described in 2 Corinthians 12. Let’s look at that text again and make a few more observations:

We noticed last time the principle that God has the power to do what He needs to do to keep us humble and trusting Him.

Let’s move on to a second lesson from 2 Corinthians 12.  And it is this:  We can ask the Lord to take away our thorns, but we cannot demand that He do so. He is sovereign over our lives.  (to be continued)

Questions:

1.  Have you asked the Lord to take away any weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, or difficulties in  your life?

2  How have you responded when He did not remove from your life what you asked for?

 

VANISHING PROBLEMS (Part 2)

Friends:

In our last post we looked at the Nationwide commercial about vanishing deductibles.  We asked, “Wouldn’t it be great if all our difficulties vanished like the problems depicted in that commercial?”

I then posted the Apostle Paul’s extensive testimony about his “thorn in the flesh” described in 2 Corinthians 12.  Let’s look at that text again and make a few observations:

There is so much here, it’s hard to know where to start!
The context, of course, is Paul’s description of his having had a tour of heaven!  We learn in verse 7 that God sent or allowed to come into Paul’s life a “thorn of the flesh” to torment him, to keep him “from becoming conceited.”

Bible scholars debate what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was.  I’ve discussed it at length in my little book Heaven:  Thinking Now about Forever.  I believe it was some sort of vision problem (see several passages in Galatians for support).

At any rate, let’s not miss the point of today’s blog.  Which is:  God has the power to do what He needs to do to keep us humble and trusting Him. (to be continued)

Questions:

1.  Where might God be humbling you through a trial or difficulty?

2.  How have you responded to that circumstance — and why?