I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing. I persevered in demonstrating among you the marks of a true apostle, including signs, wonders and miracles. How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?
- 2 Corinthians 12:11-18
The apostle Paul is finally done with his boasting, which has been going on since 2 Corinthians 11:16. As he is nearing the end of this letter, he shares a heartfelt message with the church in Corinth, including some plans for his next visit to see them.
Paul begins in verse 11 by acknowledging that he feels foolish for defending himself, yet he believes it was necessary. He was reluctant to boast about his credentials and accomplishments because humility is one of the core values of the Christian faith. However, the criticisms against him forced him to respond so the Corinthians wouldn’t be led astray. When he mentions the “super-apostles,” he may be referring sarcastically to those in Corinth who boasted in their eloquence or earthly credentials. Paul, however, remains rooted in the reality that he is nothing without Christ. He challenges the Corinthians to recognize that his authority comes from his calling as an apostle, not from human commendations.
In verse 12, Paul reminds the Corinthians that he performed “signs, wonders, and miracles” among them, which are evidence of his genuine apostleship. These miraculous works were not meant to glorify him but to validate his message and glorify God. Paul’s authority was confirmed by God, as seen through the miracles he performed. The Corinthians should have recognized this divine endorsement instead of comparing him to others who might have impressed them with rhetoric or worldly qualifications.
Paul’s tone in verse 13 is a blend of irony and sincerity. He points out that the only difference in his treatment of the Corinthians was that he refused their financial support, choosing to work as a tentmaker rather than depend on their resources. He intended to avoid burdening them, but his sarcasm (“Forgive me this wrong!”) suggests that the Corinthians misunderstood or resented this gesture. They may have seen his refusal as a slight, but Paul’s purpose was to emphasize that the gospel was a free gift, not a commodity.
Paul’s heart for the Corinthians is clear in verse 14. He is about to visit them for the third time and reassures them he won’t require any financial support. He uses the metaphor of a parent-child relationship, illustrating that his role as their spiritual father is to nurture and care for them, not to take from them. His desire is not for their possessions but for them to grow in faith and love for Christ. Just as parents provide for their children, Paul sees it as his role to pour into their lives without expecting material support in return.
Paul expresses his willingness to “spend” everything, even his life, for the Corinthians in verse 15. His words echo Jesus’ sacrificial love for the church. Yet, he wonders if his selflessness will result in them loving him less, perhaps because they may view his sacrificial love as a weakness. Paul knows that true love isn’t contingent on reciprocity; he loves them unconditionally. This question is Paul’s gentle but poignant reminder to the Corinthians that love requires a response—it is something to be valued, not taken for granted.
Paul’s words in verse 16 are likely ironic. Some critics may have accused him of being deceitful or manipulative, perhaps insinuating that by not accepting money, he had ulterior motives. Paul is sarcastically responding to this accusation by playing into their criticism, essentially saying, “Yes, crafty fellow that I am, I tricked you—by giving you the gospel for free!” Paul’s rhetorical tone exposes the absurdity of such accusations; his actions were rooted in love and transparency, not deceit.
To further prove his integrity, Paul asks in verse 17 if any of his colleagues or representatives exploited them in any way. He knows they cannot accuse him of taking advantage, as both he and his companions acted consistently in serving without expecting anything in return. Paul’s transparency underscores his commitment to a ministry of integrity, contrasting with those who might have come to Corinth seeking personal gain or admiration.
Paul sent Titus and another trusted believer to the Corinthians, knowing they would reflect the same values (verse 18). Paul points out that neither he nor his companions exploited them. By asking these questions, Paul challenges the Corinthians to look back on the consistency and integrity of his ministry team. Paul emphasized how he and his team were united by the Holy Spirit in purpose and conduct. They walked in transparency, humility, and love—a standard he wishes the Corinthians to remember and emulate.
Paul’s message here speaks to a timeless principle in Christian leadership: a life of service rooted in integrity, love, and humility. Despite facing misunderstandings, criticism, and ingratitude, Paul’s heart remained fixed on his mission to build up the church. He did not need their validation, nor was he after their resources. Rather, he poured himself out for them as Christ had done for him.
This gives us a model for selfless ministry. We learn that true love for others often involves sacrifice and persistence, even when there is little or no reciprocation. Paul’s defense of his apostleship was not rooted in a need for approval but rather in a desire to keep the church grounded in the truth.
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As I closed with last week’s post, the Church has quit fighting the spiritual battle on many fronts quite some time ago, and that is why we are so weak, so pathetic, and so easily manipulated. There is an arising, however, it is primarily confronting the politics and not actually addressing the real battles that we need to engage in. Like cleaning a house, you can do the ongoing repetitive light cleaning, or you can wait for it to build up, and then you have a heavier-duty cleaning job that is much harder to do than had you kept on top of it before.
There is a huge battle before us if we want the Church to be a force with power once again. And I am not talking about politics or to keep our rights and comforts. I am talking about having the Holy Spirit’s power to actually change lives and DO something for the Kingdom of God. The most sound preachers we have today are good, solid preachers who have the truth, but look around them. Is the government asking them what they are allowed to do or telling them what to do? Are schools asking the Church what they have going so they know what to schedule or plan? Do the wicked people plot and plan what they are doing based on what the Church will say about them? I think we all know the answer to that.
We have no power because we have all turned toward the flesh for our power. Even good churches do this. I am not talking about immorality here; I am talking about turning to man’s ideas, man’s methodologies, and especially, man’s intellect. I arrived at my current church about four years ago, in February or March 2021. At the time, we were about sound doctrine, and there is an absolute need for it. I felt there were people there who could actually challenge me and help make me stronger in my faith. And then we had a church split due to an Absalom spirit.
After we recovered, we have been seeking true power and for the Holy Spirit to truly come and let us experience proper evangelism and the seeking of souls once again. We just came back from our church retreat, and this was the second in four years in which the theme was spiritual warfare. The first time was right before that split happened. Two years ago, we spoke about Communion with God, last year was about Holiness, and this year was again about Spiritual Warfare. I summarized the previous three years as this: first year: going into battle, second year: recovering from battle, third year: recharging and building, and this year: a new approach to battle.
We need power. When my church’s teaching elder is on his rotation for preaching, he is going through the book of Acts. A recent sermon of his was on Pentecost. He made some extremely valuable points. First, we cannot explain Christianity in our naturalistic minds. The carnal mind cannot understand our message. Yet we have a wave of apologists who have created an industry of trying to explain Christianity in mundane language, logic, and reasoning. Now, God did not leave us without evidence. Not at all. However, Christianity is not a mere religion, a mere lifestyle, or even a mere relationship. It has the power to do the supernatural: to do things that normal humans cannot do.
While 1 Peter 3:15 is correctly cited to be ready to give an answer for what we believe, it is not correctly cited in that we give an eloquent speech that makes the carnal mind make sense of it. Instead, the actual context is about a suffering church, where people are getting killed for their faith, having joy and hope to the level where James’ executioner chose to be executed with him because he saw so much hope and joy in James that he did not want James to die alone. That’s 1 Peter 3:15. When Paul preached, he did not come with a grand speech that can wow an audience, but with a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. Where is that today? I’m asking myself too.
We are unique in that in no other time of history has a nation actually been trained with Christian thinking as the foundation. However, if we want to see changes happen, it has got to start with us, and it’s not going to change with the White House or Congress. It will start with the Church. We have to get ready for battle, but our battle is not against the politicians but against the spiritual forces that puppeteer them. It’s against the false teachings that they follow. And it has to start in the Church – cleaning out the false teachings IN the Church, even while all the false teachings out there remain prominent.
Before we can fight the battle “out there,” we first have to clean up the battles we are fighting within the Church. Our walls are broken down, the enemy has easy access to us, and we have to fight the enemy WITHIN our walls before we can really start marching outward. That is what my church is seeking to do: continuing healing within, protecting our walls, and strengthening our core, all with the mindset of preparing to go out and do battle and win souls and remind our city and our nation that there still is a God here in El Paso and in the U.S. We may not get that power until persecution hits us full force, but we are tired of playing games. We are tired of playing church. We are tired of religion. We are tired of theory.
And let me tell you, we at Worldview Warriors are saying the same thing. In one of our recent meetings, our president, Jason DeZurik, was sharing his vision about this. It resonated so well with what my church is going after that words cannot describe. Are we going to save the U.S.? No. I don’t believe that even a nationwide genuine revival can do that anymore. The sins of this nation are too great for that, but one thing I can say: I want the Church cleansed and ready for action. I want to see the Church with power again, the power to be seen as a threat by this evil world system that they have to make active moves to try to stop us. I want the Church to be a spiritual force enough that society MUST recognize us once again and that they cannot go about and sin as they please.
The Church is weak and frail right now, but it’s not dead. Every time society thinks it finally put the Church down into the grave, as is being believed in the U.S. right now, we keep coming back. My local congregation is seeking that life and that power to evangelize and to start seeing souls set free once again. It is only with the power that is backed by prayer that this can happen, and when souls are set free, society begins to change because sinners will stop sinning and stop engaging with the businesses that make their money in sin. That’s what happened in Phillipi and Ephesus, and the cities were never the same again. May we unleash a spiritual bomb that so disrupts the status quo that the world will never be able to function the same again and instead be forced to function with a Church to reckon with. Let’s prepare for battle, let’s put on the armor of God, let’s train on how to use it, and let’s go to battle with the King of Kings, our true Commander-in-Chief at our head.
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I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
- 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
As Paul begins chapter 12 of this letter to the first-century church at Corinth, he talks more about his personal experience with being an apostle of Jesus Christ. Before this, in 2 Corinthians 11:30 he wrote, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” He continues that theme of boasting here, emphasizing that he will only boast about his own weaknesses and how those will display God’s power.
Paul begins in verse 1 with a seemingly reluctant statement about boasting. Previously, he defended his ministry by reluctantly comparing his sufferings and challenges with those of the so-called “super-apostles” in Corinth. Here, Paul explains that his boasting is not about himself but rather about the extraordinary revelations he received from God. The hesitance in his tone—“there is nothing to be gained”—indicates his discomfort in boasting but also a necessity to clarify the nature of his ministry and relationship with God.
In verse 2, Paul uses a rhetorical device, referring to himself in the third person as “a man in Christ.” The evidence points to this being Paul’s own experience, rather than one relayed to him by someone else. Fourteen years prior, Paul experienced an encounter so extraordinary that he’s unsure if it was physical or purely spiritual. The “third heaven” in Jewish cosmology represents the dwelling place of God, beyond the earthly sky and celestial realms. Paul’s admission of uncertainty about the nature of this experience highlights the mystery and reverence surrounding divine encounters, which can sometimes be beyond our comprehension.
In verses 3-4, Paul reiterates his earlier uncertainty, emphasizing that only God understands the full nature of his experience. This repetition underscores his humility; he’s not claiming special knowledge or power due to his vision. Paul shows that even the most profound revelations don’t necessarily bring clarity but may deepen our awe and dependence on God. He reveals that he was transported to “paradise”—a term often synonymous with heaven or the afterlife in early Christian and Jewish thought. Here, Paul encountered “inexpressible things,” secrets that he is “not permitted to tell.” This phrase shows that Paul’s revelation was deeply personal and sacred, meant for his understanding rather than public proclamation. It’s a reminder that some spiritual experiences are intended to strengthen our private relationship with God, not for display or status.
Paul draws a line between himself as a mere vessel of God’s revelation and the extraordinary experience he had in verse 5. While he can boast about this encounter, he chooses only to “boast” in his weaknesses. This counter-cultural approach to boasting is one of Paul’s hallmarks. Instead of flaunting his visions, he elevates his vulnerabilities. He shifts the focus from his spiritual achievements to his need for God’s grace.
Paul acknowledges in verse 6 that if he wanted to boast about his experience, it wouldn’t be irrational since he’d be telling the truth. However, he refrains to prevent anyone from elevating him above others. Paul’s humility here serves as a model, reminding us that spiritual gifts and experiences are not for personal elevation but are given by God to fulfill His purposes. Paul’s desire is that people see him as he truly is—a servant of God, not a spiritual celebrity.
In verse 7, Paul introduces the concept of a “thorn in the flesh,” a phrase that has intrigued theologians and readers for centuries. No one has conclusively determined what this “thorn” is, other than that it is something painful and persistent. It was possibly a physical ailment, psychological burden, or even a spiritual struggle. Paul sees it as a “messenger of Satan,” a source of suffering allowed by God to keep him humble. This painful reminder prevents him from boasting about his revelations, teaching him dependence on God instead of his own strength.
Paul’s response to his suffering is prayer (verse 8). Three times he asks God to remove this thorn, mirroring Jesus’ own three pleas in the Garden of Gethsemane. Despite his persistence, God’s answer is not to remove the suffering but to redefine its purpose. Paul’s unanswered prayer resonates with anyone who has experienced suffering and prayed for relief. God’s response isn’t always to take away our struggles but to help us see them through a new lens.
In one of the most powerful verses in the New Testament, God answers Paul’s prayer with a profound statement in verse 9: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Rather than removing Paul’s affliction, God provides grace, the strength to endure it. God’s power “made perfect in weakness” reveals a paradox: human limitations become the avenue for divine strength. This shift in perspective transforms Paul’s view of his own struggles, allowing him to embrace his weaknesses, for in them, God’s strength is most evident.
Paul concludes in verse 10 with a remarkable statement: he “delights” in his weaknesses and hardships. This isn’t because he enjoys suffering but because he has discovered that through these trials, he encounters the strength of Christ. When he is at his lowest, most vulnerable point, God’s power is most evident in him. This verse encapsulates a radical way of viewing life’s challenges, where weaknesses are not merely to be endured but are opportunities for Christ to reveal His strength within us.
Paul’s experience reminds us that suffering, while painful, is not without purpose. God’s grace doesn’t always eliminate our struggles, but it gives us the strength to persevere through them. In our weaknesses, God’s strength is revealed, and we learn to lean on Him in ways we might never have if life were easy.
As we face our own “thorns in the flesh” – whether physical challenges, emotional struggles, or spiritual battles – let’s remember that God’s grace is sufficient. His power is perfected in our weaknesses, and through them, we can find a deeper relationship with Him, grounded in trust, humility, and resilience. So, like Paul, let’s boast in our weaknesses, knowing that “when we are weak, then we are strong” through the unfailing power of Christ.
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One of the things I have learned about spiritual warfare and living in society is that the enemy plays dirty. The enemy of the soul plays a dirty game. Why? Not only because cheating helps him win, but he knows he cannot win a fair fight. His game is deception and subtlety. He was a liar from the beginning, and it is pure naivety to think he is going to play by the rules. He plays dirty, he cheats, he lies, he does not honor codes of ethics, and he has one agenda: to steal, to kill, and to destroy.
The enemy also is a brilliant strategist and plays the long game as well as the short one. He knows how to play generations as well as individuals in the moment. And there is one target he loves to get more than any other: children. As the lion goes after the weak, the slow, the old, and the young in the pack, not after the strong ones, so Satan goes after our weak ones. He targets the children, the wives, and the widows, and he uses the poor and defenseless to get easy prey. Ever notice how when the government and the media go after taxing the rich, they don’t actually go after the rich? The rich are either party with them or strong enough to stand in their way.
As an educator, one of the things I see in the system is the purpose and intention to get children to believe what the “elite” want them to believe as early as possible. Evolution is a classic example. Instead of letting kids actually figure out the science from the start, the idea of millions of years and the theory of evolution are thrown at toddlers through Sesame Street, Dinosaur Train, Dr. Seuss, and everything else. The details aren’t given until later, but at that point, the idea of “millions of years” has been so driven into us that we have a difficult time separating the Deep Time story from the actual evidence.
The tactics used to teach evolution are the same tactics that were used by Hitler to reach the youth of Germany and the same tactics used by Castro to reach the youth of Cuba. The pastor’s wife of my previous church was raised in Cuba, and she remembers being a six-year-old girl when the Communist takeover took place. The new teachers asked the children to pray to God for a piece of candy, and obviously, no candy showed up. They then had the kids pray to Castro for a piece of candy, and of course, while eyes were closed, a piece of candy was put on each desk. I should not need to further explain what was going on there. Hitler was well known for similar tactics. When a man approached Hitler and said he’d never support him, Hitler simply retorted, “You will pass away. I already have your children.” And he did. The “Hitler Youth” was not a mere propaganda piece but a political tool to eliminate opposition.
Another part of the tactic is to blame the opposition for what you are doing. I see this one everywhere, and it’s primarily used on Christians. Pro-evolutionists make a point and purpose of saying that Christians are indoctrinating their kids and needing echo chambers when they think we aren’t letting them have a voice (by that, they mean dominate it all and never give an account for what they do). Yet, who are the ones who need echo chambers and practice indoctrination? Around 90% of students go to public schools where they only hear about evolution, and 90% of churches and denominations are not teaching the Biblical side of creation; they teach the evolutionary side. So, who is actually indoctrinating, and who needs the echo chambers? Creationists actually tend to know the evolutionary side better than the evolutionists themselves. And the evolutionists, especially the “ex-Christian” types, can hardly get a thing we say right. Don’t fall for that.
But evolution is just the “gateway drug.” Flowing out of it has come the real heinous junk we are seeing today. Evolution is what has opened the door for certain people to deny that God actually did create people as “male” or “female;” because we evolved, we can be whomever we want to be. The whole gender identity crisis is targeting these youth and starting with preschool books. Yes, there are preschool books out there to start teaching these tiny kids about sexuality and to prepare them for receiving and engaging in such activities. Parents who get word about this are rightly outraged, and school board meetings are being regularly hounded by parents who are livid that these are being allowed in the school libraries. The books for middle school and older get much worse with pictures and very detailed pornographic descriptions of sexual activity engaged by kids as young as 10 or 11. The “system” has gotten so many kids away from their parents for so long through schools, sports, and other activities, though there’s nothing wrong with these individually. Both teachers and counselors are speaking to kids outside of the influence of the parents, telling kids NOT to tell the parents. This is why we are seeing these issues. School board members have been caught on a hot mic saying they don’t listen to any of the parents’ complaints.
Pornography is one of the deadliest “drugs,” and Satan is so crafty that he will get a toddler who looks at another naked baby as a seed to start planting deeper and darker sexual thoughts. With smartphones today, the moment a kid gets access to the internet, it will be a very short time before he or she is exposed to pornography for the first time. Just one look can start it, whether through exploring a web page, a link by a peer, or on social media. I read one story of a 10-year-old boy who was found watching porn on his phone by his mom. The kid said it started with exploring the web, and soon, naked men came up, and one thing led to another, and the kid was grieved that he could not get the images he saw out of his head. It starts young, and we need to be alert and ready to guard our kids from the start. Have those discussions with them, even at younger ages, about good stuff and bad stuff so they can learn to recognize, “Hey, that is wrong.” No amount of sheltering them will prevent their exposure, but if we can train them to reject it when they are, it will save them from a whole lot of peril.
Again, the enemy fights dirty, and one of the key tactics in all this is the removal or neutralization of the “father” of the home. When the Industrial Revolution shifted jobs away from the home and the farm to factories and white-collar businesses, it also removed the father from the home to raise the kids. Since they no longer lived on the farms where there were always things to do, the kids got bored, needing centralized school, and mom began to work as well, requiring daycare for the kids. As a result, parents are no longer actually raising their kids; the programs are.
The schools do not speak to Dad very often when dealing with kids but instead, they speak to Mom. This reminds me of the Garden, where the serpent bypassed Adam and went to Eve. Unless Dad is very active, involved, and intentional about raising his kids, the only thing he will be in the home is the money maker (which is good, however, he won’t be the active father). And the kids, needing a father figure, will go to where they can find one, be he a coach, a teacher, or find that role in a woman or in a gang. This is no knock on kids who legitimately don’t have a dad. However, in every institution God sets up, Satan sets up a counterfeit to usurp or replace. Instead of a father, there is school. Instead of a church, there are gangs and peers of grade/age level segregation. Instead of a proper nuclear family, there is anything that whoever wants to fulfill whatever lusts they want. And instead of a father for authority, there is either the mother or all their activities. Again, there is nothing wrong with extra-curriculars, but parents, you are responsible for running the home, not the kid and their schedule.
Remember, all these tactics, and I’m just giving a brief snapshot here, are to get at you and get at your kids. Satan desires to either destroy them, neutralize them, or recruit them to fight for darkness. We’ve been so accustomed to a comfortable lifestyle that few of us realize what kind of battle is going on, and we’ve essentially raised a white flag and gone into hiding rather than rise up and confront this. That is what we have done for the past couple of generations; the net is set and ready to be sprung. The fight that we have refused to fight as a whole generation would have been nothing if we stood up when we had the chance, compared to the battle we are about to fight if we want to get out of it.
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Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 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 fellow Jews, 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. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
- 2 Corinthians 11:21b-33
In this section, Paul offers an autobiographical account that contrasts his personal suffering and challenges with the boasting of the so-called “super-apostles.” It’s a reflection of Paul’s apostolic authority, his willingness to endure trials for the sake of the Gospel, and his unwavering commitment to Christ.
Paul introduces the passage with a bit of sarcasm in the second half of verse 21, acknowledging that boasting is foolish but still engaging in it for the sake of contrast. Paul is not comfortable with boasting, as it contradicts his view of humility in Christ, but he feels compelled to do so to defend his ministry against false teachers.
Paul then establishes his Jewish credentials in verse 22, which were important in the context of the Judaizers (the Jewish Christians who insisted that non-Jewish believers follow Jewish law). By affirming his heritage, Paul shows he has the same roots and background as his opponents, yet his authority comes from Christ, not lineage. Paul’s emphasis here reminds us that while our identity may be important, our spiritual authority comes from our relationship with Christ, not from our cultural or ethnic background.
In verse 23, Paul begins to discuss his suffering, which far surpasses that of his opponents. The phrase “I am out of my mind” underlines his discomfort with boasting. Paul’s apostleship is not marked by power or status but by hardship and self-sacrifice for the sake of Christ. Paul’s testimony challenges the modern tendency to equate success with comfort and security. In Paul’s case, the more he worked for Christ, the more he suffered.
Then in verses 24-27, Paul outlines all of the specific ways he suffered for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He recalls the beatings he received at the hands of Jewish authorities, referencing the 39 lashes, which was a standard punishment (40 lashes were considered to be the maximum allowed by law, but one was subtracted to avoid breaking the law). The fact that Paul endured this five times demonstrates the extreme opposition he faced from his own people. The beatings with rods were a Roman punishment, and Paul’s stoning (Acts 14:19) nearly resulted in his death. His shipwrecks illustrate the peril of his missionary journeys, which were often fraught with danger. Spending "a night and a day in the open sea" suggests near-death experiences that many others might have taken as signs to stop. Yet, Paul pressed on.
Paul lists various dangers he faced as a traveling missionary. The breadth of this list shows that Paul was vulnerable from all sides—both Jews and Gentiles opposed him, and he was not safe in any location, whether urban or rural, land or sea. Even within the Christian community, he encountered opposition from false believers. Paul’s work ethic—laboring to the point of exhaustion and experiencing hunger, thirst, and exposure to the elements—shows for Paul, that ministry was not glamorous or easy but involved significant sacrifice.
In addition to the physical hardships he just outlined, in verse 28 Paul experienced intense emotional and spiritual concern for the churches he founded. The “daily pressure” suggests that Paul carried the weight of the spiritual well-being of many believers across different regions, a burden that added to his overall suffering. Paul’s concern for the churches shows that ministry is not just about physical endurance but also about the emotional and spiritual weight of caring for others.
Paul’s empathy is evident in verse 29. He identifies with the weaknesses and struggles of the believers, feeling their pain as if it were his own. The phrase “inwardly burn” could refer to Paul’s deep distress over sin within the community or his anger at seeing others be led astray. Paul did not just preach to people; he deeply cared for them and shared in their struggles.
In verse 30, Paul flips the human notion of boasting on its head, choosing to boast not about his strengths or accomplishments but about his weaknesses. This goes against worldly wisdom, which values strength and success, but Paul understands that his weakness points to Christ’s strength. He emphasizes this in verse 31 by invoking God’s witness to the truth of his words, reinforcing the seriousness of his claims. His life of suffering and sacrifice is not exaggerated, and he appeals to God as his ultimate judge and defender.
Paul concludes this section in verses 32-33 with a specific incident in which he narrowly escaped arrest in Damascus. Being lowered in a basket was not exactly a dignified escape for an apostle, yet Paul includes this as part of his story, further emphasizing his vulnerability and reliance on God for deliverance. This final story encapsulates Paul’s approach to ministry. He doesn’t shy away from telling of his undignified moments because, for him, they highlight God’s protection and provision.
Paul’s recounting of his sufferings in this passage is not just a boast about what he has endured but a testimony to the sufficiency of Christ. His experiences show that true apostolic authority is not marked by status, ease, or worldly success, but by suffering, sacrifice, and humility. Paul’s willingness to boast about his weakness challenges us to examine our own lives and priorities. Are we willing to embrace weakness and suffering for the sake of Christ, trusting that in our weakness, He is strong?
In a culture that often glorifies power, wealth, and success, Paul’s words call us back to a Gospel-centered perspective. It is in our struggles and vulnerabilities that Christ’s power is most evident. May we, like Paul, find our boasting not in our own achievements but in the One who sustains us through every trial.
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One of the greatest problems in the church today is the embracing of the cultural practice of “tolerance.” We are not talking about the tolerance of “I disagree with you but will fight to allow you to have and say your opinion,” but a tolerance of “How dare you question me from doing what I do?” And the acceptance of every form of deviancy but completely intolerant of those who actually believe in morality and integrity. When it comes to spiritual warfare, this form of tolerance has allowed two types of people into the church: Diotrephes and Absalom. I am indebted to John MacArthur for pointing out Diotrephes to me, and I am indebted to Eric Ludy regarding Absalom. In both cases, the goal and intention of those who carry this spirit are to divide, conquer, control, and silence any voice that could expose them or rule in their place.
In 2 John, we learn of an “elect lady” who was a dear member of the church of Ephesus that John had been pastoring. This elect lady was known for hospitality and loving those in her church. However, word got to John about her unknowingly hosting a false teacher, and he warned her that there are people we are NOT to entertain or even give a welcome. Yes, the command is that severe. When someone brings in teachings that are contrary to the Gospel, we may have a friendship with them for the purpose of evangelism, but we are to give them no acceptance of any form other than being a lost soul on the way to Hell who needs to be saved. We especially are not to give them a platform through which they can give their teachings.
In this case, John did not identify the culprit, likely for the reason that the principle mattered more than the specific person. However, in 3 John, a letter to a man named Gaius, we do see a false teacher called out by name: Diotrephes. In calling Diotrephes by name, it is clear that Gaius and Diotrephes knew each other, or at least Gaius was very familiar with him. Diotrephes was a man who sought preeminence. He wanted positions of influence and power. He was very likely an elder or at least a deacon and had a big sway in the church. Diotrephes was called out for seeking to subvert the Gospel and prevent good people, including the Apostle John himself, from preaching there, lest they find out about him and expose him.
Absalom was King David’s son who had some serious problems. What brought them out was when his older brother Amnon raped Absalom’s sister Tamar. David did nothing that we know of or in the timing that Absalom wanted, and so Absalom set up a party and assassinated Amnon. This made Absalom go into self-exile because he feared David’s retaliation. Then he used Job, David’s general, to get him to come back to the capital. While there, Absalom spent three years at the gates of the palace, interacting with the people and telling them that David could not deal with their problems, but he would if he were king instead. He used this to build up the trust of the people and then prepared for the coup to overthrow David, which nearly succeeded.
Both of these people are in the churches today. An illustration of a Diotrephes is given in Frank Peretti’s Piercing the Darkness. In the book, a church is under attack and the pastor, who is also a principal at a Christian school, is arrested on child abuse charges. During the battle, the church has a prayer chain (because back in the 1980s they didn’t have group chats), and one of the women early in the prayer chain would gossip, all in the name of prayer, and make accusations that kept putting the pastor in a bad light. We don’t get to find out who she is until later.
In the real world, I have seen and heard first-hand stories of dealing with Diotrephes. One of the clearest examples is what happened to a Young Earth evangelist whom I will not mention by name. He told me how he had been sharing what he was doing at his church, had a huge and successful event with people getting saved and so the pastor wanted to have a meeting with him to find out more. Both he and his wife were brought up to sit in a love seat and then for over an hour, the pastor and the elders grilled him over his creation stance. Every time he answered both scientifically and Scripturally, both the pastor and one of the lead elders glared at him with an evil hatred. THAT is Diotrephes. Needless to say, the evangelist left that church. But he has told me directly that the range of 90%+ of churches will not allow him to speak at their events, thus blocking life-saving truth from the youth who are departing at a rate of at least 90%, often over the topic of origins. There is a Diotrephes whom the church leadership knows if you cross that line, you cross that person. This person is often one of the biggest donors to the church and one whom with a word can pull away a large chunk of the congregation away too, even to the point of pulling an Absalom and throwing a coup to drive that pastor out if they dared speak the truth on that particular topic. Yes, they are in there. Diotrephes is the type of a tare that Jesus warned about.
While Diotrephes seeks to have the dominant say in what goes on in the church, Absalom seeks to actually be the ruling voice. Diotrephes may try to pull strings and hide in shadows at the time, but Absalom wants the title and the throne. Absalom shows up in an influential voice who intentionally steals the hearts of the people and seeks to tear down and overthrow the pastor. I have seen this, too. I have seen people who through teaching “studies” seek to undermine the authority and the integrity of the pastor and the leadership and seek to get people to follow them instead. They may seek to get votes from congregants to override the church leadership and eventually remove them and install themselves.
We have to be very careful about always looking “out there” for these people, because sometimes, this spirit can creep up in ourselves. Looking back, I can see times when I had moments where an Absalom spirit started to rise in me at my previous church because some of the things I was seeing did not agree with where I was as a believer in my faith, and some of it was more serious than others. I had to watch myself because I would realize that if I went down that route, it would cause a church fight. Church fights are ugly, and behind them is a Diotrephes or an Absalom.
That spirit can show up with any of us, including those who are active defenders of the faith. This is one of the reasons why Scripture says we must respect those in leadership, especially when we are not. Their job is NOT easy and yes, chances are you have some ideas that could make things run better, but if you are not in charge, you need to honor and respect the authorities who might know more than you do. There is a time for addressing error and there is a way to do that, but Diotrephes and Absalom are not the way to do it. If you reach a point where you will not be able to reconcile where your faith is going and where the church is, then it is better you move on somewhere else in a respectful manner.
What should we do if we see such spirits? Do we uproot them? Jesus said we will always have tares among the wheat until Judgment Day, but at the same time, both Paul and John removed sinful people lest they affect the whole congregation. It’s a case-by-case situation, but in all cases, the Matthew 18 method of discipline should be the primary guideline. Sometimes, church leadership needs to go straight to ex-communication depending on the severity of the crimes, but sometimes you can also nip the Diotrephes and Absalom spirits in the bud and prevent them from blossoming, and hopefully restore such a person quickly. But we must be on guard because it does not matter what church you go to, the enemy is always going to seek to get one of these two spirits in your church. If you are not careful, it might be you. Don’t go looking around for them, but I write this so when you see it, you can recognize it. We must always be on guard.
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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. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
- 2 Corinthians 11:16-21a
In this section of his letter to the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul defends himself against accusations and comparisons made by those undermining his authority. He shared previously about boasting only in Christ, so his boasting here is ironic, only “boasting” because he must use that technique to make his point.
Paul opens this section in verse 16 by repeating his earlier statement from 2 Corinthians 11:1. He does not want to be taken as a fool, but he realizes that some in Corinth already view him as one due to the accusations from the "super-apostles" (11:5). These so-called apostles have been presenting themselves as superior to Paul, undermining his work and authority. Paul, knowing that boasting is not the behavior of a true follower of Christ, decides to engage in it reluctantly to demonstrate the absurdity of the situation.
The phrase “if you do, then tolerate me” is filled with irony. Paul is playing along with their perspective, knowing full well that such boasting is foolish. This sets up the sarcasm he will employ in the following verses.
In verse 17, Paul distances his upcoming words from the teachings of Jesus. He makes it clear that the boasting he is about to engage in is not from divine guidance but rather from his human frustration. He is breaking away from his usual Christ-centered teachings to show the Corinthians the absurdity of comparing him to the false apostles based on worldly achievements or self-promotion. Paul’s statement shows his discomfort with the approach he’s taking. He knows that it goes against the values of humility and servanthood that Christ exemplified, yet he feels compelled to engage in this foolish boasting to make his point.
Paul contrasts the behavior of the false apostles with his own in verse 18. These men were boasting of their own accomplishments, credentials, and experiences in a worldly way. They were appealing to the Corinthians by promoting themselves, likely using their rhetorical skills, physical appearance, or Jewish heritage to make themselves seem more impressive.
Paul, seeing that this is what the Corinthians seem to respect, decides to engage in similar behavior—but with a twist. His boasting will not be the kind that the world esteems. Instead, Paul’s “boasting” will reveal his weaknesses, sufferings, and hardships for the sake of the gospel. This verse highlights an important lesson: the world tends to value the wrong things—strength, status, and self-promotion—while the gospel turns these values upside down. Paul’s upcoming boast will serve to critique these worldly values.
Paul’s irony becomes sharper in verse 19. The Corinthians have allowed themselves to be influenced by these false apostles, and Paul sarcastically congratulates them on their wisdom. This “wisdom” is, of course, foolishness, as they have allowed themselves to be deceived by outward appearances and worldly boasting rather than focusing on the gospel message.
This line is a rebuke disguised in sarcasm. The Corinthians, in their so-called wisdom, have made themselves vulnerable to being led astray by people who lack true spiritual insight. Paul calls this out in a way that both highlights their error and sets the stage for his own countercultural boasting.
Paul goes on to describe the abusive behavior of the false apostles in verse 20. The language he uses—enslaving, exploiting, taking advantage, putting on airs, slapping—conveys the level of oppression and mistreatment these supposed leaders were inflicting on the Corinthian believers. Paul is incredulous that the Corinthians have not only tolerated this but have seemingly accepted it.
The term "slaps you in the face" is likely metaphorical, referring to public humiliation or mistreatment. These false apostles had exerted control over the Corinthians, manipulating them emotionally, spiritually, and perhaps even financially. This verse offers a profound warning: not all who claim spiritual authority have the right to lead. Even today, we must be vigilant against leaders who exploit or manipulate rather than serve and care for their communities.
Paul’s sarcasm reaches its peak in this final line, the first half of verse 21. He admits, ironically, that he was "too weak" to exploit or mistreat the Corinthians in the same way the false apostles had. Of course, this is not a true confession of weakness but a critique of the Corinthian values. Paul is not weak in the gospel; rather, his strength comes from his humility, service, and dedication to the truth of Christ.
This is a powerful conclusion to Paul’s ironic boasting. In admitting he was "too weak," Paul highlights the absurdity of valuing those who boast of worldly strength, control, and dominance. His real strength lies in his willingness to suffer and serve, as he will explain in the following verses.
Paul’s use of irony in this passage serves to expose the foolishness of the Corinthians in following the false apostles. We, too, can be tempted to value things that the world considers wise—success, influence, power—over the true wisdom found in humility and service to Christ. True Christian leadership is not about power, control, or self-promotion. It’s about serving others, often at great personal cost. The approach that Paul takes to boasting speaks to the heart of the gospel message: it’s not about what we can achieve, but about what God does in and through us, often in spite of our weaknesses.
Paul’s message is clear: true leadership comes from humility, service, and suffering for the sake of the gospel, not from self-promotion or exploitation. As followers of Christ, we are called to reject the values of the world and embrace the wisdom of the cross, boasting not in our own strength but in our weaknesses, where God’s power is made perfect.
This forum is meant to foster discussion and allow for differing viewpoints to be explored with equal and respectful consideration. All comments are moderated and any foul language or threatening/abusive comments will not be approved. Users who engage in threatening or abusive comments which are physically harmful in nature will be reported to the authorities.
