JULY 3/ 2022
PAUL’S DEFENSE OF HIS APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY (CONT.)
INTRODUCTION:
1. This chapter begins with an apology from the Apostle for something that he was about to do – something, though it was necessary, yet was uncomfortable for him, and against his nature. He felt forced, because of the insinuations of false brethren against him regarding his authority as an apostle of Christ, to prove that he was no fraud. This would require a certain amount of self-laudation which he was very loathe to do. Boasting, to Paul, was foolishness, and something not worthy of the Christian profession which promotes humility.
2. However, out of a holy jealousy over these Corinthians, he ran the risk of sounding like a braggart in order to prevent the undermining of their faith by some at Corinth who preached another Jesus, were of another spirit, and promoted another gospel. (Verse 4) Those men who were about this diabolical work Paul justly refers to as Satan’s ministers. (Vrs. 14, 15)
3. Now, having digressed a little from his original mode of defense, he makes another preface to what he was about further to say in his own justification. (Verse 16)
4. He will proceed to show that he was not in any way inferior to those to whom some were apparently submitting, but was, as a minister of Christ, abundantly their superior, both in labors and suffering for the Gospel’s sake.
I. HE WAS NOT INFERIOR TO THE FALSE APOSTLES IN ANY OF THEIR BOASTED CLAIMS. (VS. 16-22)
A. A FURTHER EXCUSE FOR WHAT HE WAS ABOUT TO SAY. (VERSE 16)
1. He acknowledges that those who are want to magnify and praise themselves are ordinarily judged to be fools.
2. Nevertheless, to everything there is a season, and self-commendation is in season when God’s glory is concerned, or even one’s own vindication.
3. Since God’s glory was imminently concerned that so great an instrument of promoting the Gospel was being vilified, this defense was certainly in order.
4. Therefore, if they wished to consider Paul a fool, let them hear him as such, but it was needful that they hear him out.
B. HE ACCOUNTS THAT THIS MANNER OF DEFENSE WAS BY LIBERTY, AND NOT BY COMMANDMENT. (VERSE 17)
1. Such talk, or language, is not such as would characterize Christ, nor would it become one who was His disciple.
2. It is the ordinary manner of a Christian to be self-deprecating and humble, yet for Paul to have refused to engage in this folly would have ill-served the cause of the Gospel.
C. HE GIVES GOOD REASON WHY THEY SHOULD SUFFER HIM TO BOAST A LITTLE. (VRS. 18-22)
1. Because they suffered others to do so who had less reason. (Verse 18)
a) By “the flesh” is meant carnal, external things, which, though they are gifts of God, do not commend a man to God.
b) “Many glory after the flesh,” says Paul, and that is always to be expected, because men “walk after the flesh.”
c) There were doubtless many in this famous church, where some gloried that they were native Jews, others that they were wise Greeks, others in the attainment of great wealth, etc.
d) Paul asserts that as to such favorable gifts he had somewhat to boast in himself. “I will glory also.”
2. The Apostle seems to use a little irony, a little sarcasm. (Verses 19-21)
a) The meaning is “notwithstanding all your wisdom, you willingly suffer yourselves to be victimized by fools.” (Verse 19)
b) They suffered themselves to be brought into bondage under the Jewish yoke; to be tyrannized; to be devoured or made prey; to be taken for hire and exploited; to be lorded over; and all of this, right to their faces. Yet they thought themselves wise. (Verse 20)
c) They were being upbraided as being weak because of their regard for Paul, who was being reproached.
(Verse 21)
3. In any boast that the false apostles might make as pertaining to carnal external favor, Paul declares himself their equal. (Verse 22)
a) It would seem reasonable to assume that a large part of Paul’s opposition at Corinth came from false teachers that were Jews, who had endeavored to corrupt the Gentile churches with their traditions and ceremonial rites.
b) These apparently gloried in their Jewish stock and parentage.
c) In this, they had nothing more of which to boast than Paul had. (Acts 22:3; Phil. 3:5)
d) This was a great boast of the Jews of Christ’s day too. (Matt. 3:9; John 8)
e) But, as to any spiritual benefit, not even Abraham himself had whereof to boast. (Rom. 4:1ff)
4. So, with respect to any of the claims of the false teachers at Corinth having to do with things after the flesh, Paul was not inferior to any of them.
II. AS A MINISTER OF CHRIST, IN LABORS AND SUFFERINGS FOR THE GOSPEL’S SAKE, PAUL WAS FAR SUPERIOR TO HIS OPPONENTS. (VERSES 23-31)
A. WHEREIN IT REALLY COUNTED, THERE WAS REALLY NO COMPARISON. (VERSE 25)
1. As a minister of Christ, both with respect to his call to the work, and also the performance of it, he was abundantly more so than they. Of this he was reluctant to speak, even though it was true, because especially of such things as these men ought not to boast. Thus the parenthesis: “I speak as a fool.”
2. As to labor, he had traveled more, preached more, written more, not only than they, but more than even the true Apostles of Christ. (I Cor. 15:10)
B. AS TO SUFFERING, ONLY ONE WHO WAS TRULY CALLED OF GOD WOULD EVER HAVE ENDURED SO GREAT TRIALS AND AFFLICTIONS. (VERSES 23b-27)
1. He labored under a sentence of death every day. “In deaths oft.” (See Ch. 1:8-10)
2. He was beaten to the maximum extent of the Mosaic Law on five occasions. “…in stripes above measure.” (Verses 23c, 24; Deut. 25:3)
3. Besides these, he was beaten with rods, stoned once (Acts 14:19), shipwrecked three times, etc. Of most of these horrible experiences, we are not elsewhere told, and are informed of them here only with the greatest reluctance.
C. HIS FREQUENT JOURNEYS IN THE GOSPEL MINISTRY WERE ALWAYS PERILOUS BECAUSE OF A VARIETY OF REASONS. (VERSE 26)
1. Often the terrain was perilous, and threats of natural disasters loomed (storms at sea, swollen rivers, wilderness dangers, etc.).
2. Besides the perils of nature, there were robbers to fear.
3. As to the perils of his own countrymen, the aforementioned beatings and stonings speak for themselves.
4. Besides these, he often had to confront false teachers who corrupted the truth, many of whom did not take well to being corrected or disciplined.
D. IN ADDITION TO THESE PERILS PAUL HAD TO DEAL WITH NUMEROUS PHYSICAL SUFFERINGS. (VERSE 27)
1. Some were ordinary, and incident particularly to such as travel and labor intensely. These include weariness and painfulness.
2. Some were due to deprivation. These may include hunger, thirst, cold due to nakedness (insufficiently warm clothing).
3. He mentions what may have been voluntary acts of discipline, these being watchings, i.e. fastings.
E. BESIDES THESE THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO THE OUTWARD MAN, THERE WERE MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL STRESSES. (VERSE 28)
1. We were made aware of his intense concern for the Corinthian church, which had him pressed into a state of anxiety and downcast spirit. (Ch. 7:5, 6) This was only one of the many churches of which he had the care. This was a daily burden.
2. Any minister worthy of his calling will agonize more over the spiritual well-being of the church than over any physical pain or suffering.
F. THERE WAS NOT AN INFIRMED OR SCANDALIZED CHRISTIANS WITH WHOM HE DID NOT SYMPATHIZE. (VERSE 29)
G. PAUL CHOSE TO GLORY IN THE THINGS HE SUFFERED FOR SAKE OF THE GOSPEL. (VSE. 30; COMPARE ACTS 5:41)
H. HE SOLEMNLY ASSERTS THAT THE ALL-KNOWING GOD HAD PARTICULAR KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH OF HIS TESTIMONY ON THIS MATTER. (VERSE 31)
III. HE MAKES PARTICULAR MENTION FO THE FIRST INSTANCE OF HIS SUFFERING FOR SAKE OF THE GOSPEL. (VERSES 32, 33)
A. LUKE HAS GIVEN US A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY OF THIS EVENT. (ACTS 9:23-25)
1. His initial dispute was with the Jews at Damascus where he confounded them with his arguments proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
` 2. This so enraged them that they sought to kill him.
3. The Jews had somehow persuaded the governor to side with them. He shut up the city so that none could go out or come in.
4. Thus, Paul’s first escape from death was providentially arranged and effectively carried out. (Verse 33;
Acts 9:25)
B. THAT THIS EVENT IS MENTIONED OUT OF ITS ORDER IS MOST LIKELY BECAUSE PAUL SAW THE REST OF HIS LIFE AS A CONTINUATION OF THAT DAY.
1. The persecutor became the persecuted, and that, from day one of his call to Christ.
2. Yet, not then or ever after did this great Apostle consider recanting.
3. Suffering was to Paul a way of life, and he counted it all joy for Christ’s sake.
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