All right, here's what Paul has
to say. It is not expedient for me, doubtless,
to glory. I will come to visions and revelations
of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ above
fourteen years ago, whether in the body I cannot tell or whether
out of the body I cannot tell, God knows, such an one caught
up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, whether
in the body or out of the body, I cannot tell, God knoweth, how
that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words which
it is not lawful for a man to utter. Of such and one will I
glory, yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. Although I would desire to glory,
I shall not be a fool, for I will say the truth. But now I forbear,
lest any man should think of me above that which he seemeth
me to be, or that he hears of me. And lest I should be exalted
above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was
given unto me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the
Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he, that is the
Lord, said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my
strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmity, that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in
infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities for Christ's sake,
in persecution, in distresses for Christ's sake. For when I
am weak, then am I strong. Now look at part of verse 9. And he said unto me, My grace
is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Someone has said regarding the
second epistle under the Corinthian that it is mostly and heavily
historical. That is, you read many things
in this epistle that refer to the case as it had been with
Paul and his history and his experience among them in the
past. And it finds the apostle doing
something, though it is necessary, yet made him very uncomfortable
in his own personal life. And that is, it finds him defending
himself, taking up for himself, setting forth himself as a minister
and an apostle of the gospel. Necessary it was to defend his
apostleship and also credibility as a minister of God and of the
gospel that he preached. And especially to defend his
apostleship and ministry and gospel against the slanders of
his enemy. Evidently, some of the Judaizers
had called into question Paul's apostleship, whether he were
an apostle or not. And they used this to discredit
both his ministry and his gospel. So, Paul recounts for them some
of the things that should have raised their appreciation of
him as a minister and an apostle of Christ. They were so evident. that they, the people, the believers,
should have vigorously defended him against the slander of all
of his accusers. Let me read a few verses of Scripture,
Paul telling them that. For example, 2 Corinthians 12,
verse 11. We did not read that far. I am
become a fool in glorying. For you have compelled me, for
I ought to have been commended of you. For in nothing am I behind
the chiefest apostle, though I be nothing. I do not lack the
qualification of the other apostles, though I am absolutely in myself
nothing." 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 2, you are our letter of
commendation written in your hearts, known and read of all
men. He says, you converted under
my ministry and brought to Christ are my epistle. 2 Corinthians
13, and verse 3, since you seek proof of Christ speaking in me,
which to you is not weak, but is mighty in you. Verse 12 of our chapter, truly
the signs of an apostle were done among you in signs wonders
and mighty deeds? And what were the things that
should have commended them to Paul, and for which they should
have defended and commended him unto others?" Well, working our
way to our text in this particular epistle, he was a minister of
Christ. Chapter 3 of this book, God had
made him an able minister of the New Testament or the New
Covenant. Chapter 4, he had faithfully
preached Christ and not as a deceiver and not as a charlatan. He tells him he had robbed no
man. to support himself and take care
of his needs. He strived to his fullest that
he might keep from reproaching the ministry. 2 Corinthians 6
and verse 3. He endured hardships for the
sake of Christ and of the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 6, 4-6. 2 Corinthians 11, 23-27, where
there he enumerates many of the things that he had suffered as
a minister of the Gospel of Christ. That was not all. Paul willingly
did forego some of his liberties which he had in Christ and in
the Gospel. One of them, for example, having
a wife. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 5. He foregoed that liberty and
that blessing and privilege in order that he might devote himself
absolutely and unfetteredly unto Christ, taking no support at
times for his preaching of Christ and the Gospel, 1 Corinthians
9, 18 and 19, so that he sought not only to be a minister among
them, but also to lead by an example. Coming now to chapter
12, and how it fits in with the flow of thought of the epistle
and the subject of his rite, to glory and to boast. Look at verse 1. It is not expedient
for me, doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations
of the Lord. And wouldn't you know it, wouldn't
you expect it, that expositors are not exactly sure of the right
way of framing these words in verse 1 and of interpreting them. So here are some ways that you
might find it in some versions of the scripture. I must go on
boasting, although there is nothing to be gained by it, so I will
go on to visions and revelations in the Lord. You'll find that
in the in IV. Barry's interlinear has translated
it thusly, To boast it behooves not expedient indeed, so I will
come to visions and revelations of the Lord. Linsky renders it
this way, It is necessary to boast, while not a furthersome
thing, yet I will come to visions and revelations. And the NASB
has it this way, boasting is necessary though it is not profitable,
but I will go on to visions and revelation in the Lord. Now this could be, if he desired
to rest upon it, Paul's most convincing boast yet as to what
the Lord had done. That in verse 1 through 6 of
our chapter, he was caught up in the paradise into the third
heaven, as he says in verse 2, and he saw things there that
were not lawful for him to tell any man upon the earth. Almost all agree that Paul is
speaking of himself in these verses, though he tells it at
first as if it were the expression merely of a friend or an acquaintance. Note he said, I know, or I knew
a man in verse 2, and this man was in Christ. Verse 3, I knew such a man. And in verse 4, Paul refers to
this man as he, and however, in verse 7, it is clear that
Paul is referring to an experience which he himself actually had. So real, so mysterious, so divine,
and so spiritual that he could not actually say whether this
man was in or out of body, only God knows that, he said. When
this catching up occurred, he was unsure whether he was in
body or out of body experience. Paul gives us no detail. For it is unspeakable words and
things. They're not permitted. They're
not allowed to be uttered in the presence of mere mortals. And I might as well say Before
we move along, it is useless for us to even guess or conjecture
what Paul heard or what he saw. It is unlawful to be made known
to the children of men in the earth. We dare not, therefore,
even go there. Verse 5 and verse 6. He tells
his readers, therefore also us, that of such a person he would
boast on their behalf of one so highly favored, so highly
exalted and blessed by God. Yet he would not use it as an
occasion to exalt himself. And he would not glory in those
revelations that had been made unto him. He would not glory
in that catching up into the third heaven as God worked that
wonderful and mighty thing. Unlike so many of the deeper
life folks today, that would be the very thing they would
tell. He might. but he would not only glory in
his infirmity, and even if he should glory in them, it would
absolutely be according to truth. But as Gil noted, he would forebear
that. He would forebear it for a specific
reason, that neither he himself nor others would hold him in
too high of a reverence or too high of an opinion. That none,
including himself, have a too high opinion of him because of
the revelation and of the catching up. And beside, verse 7. Let's read again this most amazing
verse and then look at it. And lest I should be exalted
above measure, Through the abundance of the revelation given to me,
there was given a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. Now again, I say, it is almost
useless and vain to conjecture what it was that Paul calls a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me. Some have thought it was his
eyesight, some a bodily weakness, and such like. Some have just
recognized it as a great source of trial. as some great grief
and trouble that was with the apostle almost constantly. Some constant inconvenience that
he had to deal with and that he had to forbear as he was a
minister of the gospel. But then looking at verse 7,
it is bursting with truth and useful information and facts. And let's glean some of them.
As for example, he says the revelation was abundant. Look at that word,
abundant. It was extraordinary in its being
and in its extent. As for example, it is the word
huperbole. and come from a word which I
have read, literally means to throw beyond, or to throw beyond
what is normal, beyond the usual mark it means. It means to excel. It means literally to be excellent. We could say it like this, a
throwing beyond. It was an abundant one. We might see the significance
and meaning and extent of that word. Let's see how it is used
in some other places in the New Testament. For example, it's
the same word that we have in Romans 7 and verse 13, Paul saying
that sin became exceedingly sinful. There's that word. Beyond measure
to the excess that sin might become in abundance exceedingly
sinful, beyond measure, to an excess." Same word. You have
it again in Galatians 1.13. Paul uses the word to describe
the extent of his persecution of the church, calling it Beyond
measure. How that beyond measure I persecuted
the church. Same word. You have it again
in 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 8. when He said that we
were pressed out of measure. In other words, we were pressed
beyond our ability so that we actually despaired of life on
that particular occasion. 2 Corinthians 4, verse 17, far
more exceeding weight of glory that awaits the children of God. Therefore, the revelation was
not minor, it was not ordinary, it was not common, it was extensive,
and it was full. And then Paul makes an amazing
statement. that in order to prevent an undue
exaltation of him, whether by himself or by others, he says,
he was given a thorn in the flesh. May have humbled Paul personally. or to make him personally in
bodily presence weak. II Corinthians 10 and verse 10. Galatians 4, 13 and 14. Now the question is, think about
this man with so many afflictions, trials and troubles, hated by
so many, and rejected by His own countrymen, that were actually
tempted to put Him in the category of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
because of His many sufferings, thought Him to be tempted and
afflicted of God Almighty. But my question was this. Who
would expect a man bodily presence weak, and speech contemptible,
as he said, to have received such a revelation and to have
been caught up into the third heaven and there be in the very
presence of the Almighty Lord. In verse 6 and verse 7, Paul
makes three mentions of his not being exalted above measure among
or by any." In verse 6, "...lest any should think of me above
that which he sees in me or hears of me." Twice you have it in
verse 7, "...lest I should be exalted above measure." Now,
this application. 1 Corinthians 8 and verse 1,
Paul tells them, knowledge puffeth up. Knowledge has a tendency
to puff up. It is a source of pride unless
God give grace or God give humility and humble those who have knowledge. So let us not be puffed up over
our knowledge of the truth. For truth is a revelation from
God. If you understand and know truth,
it is because of a divine revelation. What have you that you have not
received? Paul asks, 1 Corinthians 4, verse
7. Now be thankful for truth and
revelation, rejoice, bless God evermore, but do not swell up
with pride at what God has revealed unto us, what He has taught us
by His Spirit and grace out of His wonderful Word. Now, we take
Paul's thorn in the flesh to be severe. We must look at it
as being very severe. Methinks that John Gill is probably
right when he says that the thorn in the flesh and the messenger
of Satan to buffet him are no likely one and the same thing. the first figuratively and the
second literal. How thorns prick and how they
wound the flesh. Can you remember the last time
a thorn was plunged into the flesh? How it hurt, how it bled,
how it throbbed and ached? upon our." Paul likens it to
a thorn in the flesh. How many things the apostles
suffered for Christ and the gospel? I've already mentioned some.
In 2 Corinthians 11, 24 through 28. And yet, we don't find or
read that he sought to be delivered from any of them. Yet, so severe
was this thorn in the flesh that verse 8, the apostle did not
once, not twice, but three times beseech the Lord before the throne
of grace that it might be removed from him, that it might be taken
away, that he might be relieved of it and find some comfort and
relief. Linsky, pretty good on the tenses
of the Greek, points out that Paul's trinal beseeching, his
three beseechings are urgings, as we might see the word, pleading
prayer. Linsky says, quote, is permanently
eroist, unquote. That notice, it might be taken
away, that it might stand from me, is what Paul is beseeching
in his prayer. This he did on three occasions. By the way, when we think back
to our Lord's agony in the garden, our blessed Lord also did pray
the third time, let this cup pass from me, if it be possible. Once in Matthew 26, verse 39. A second time in Matthew 26,
verse 42. And a third time, the cup was
indeed very, very bitter. Yet it did not pass away from
our Lord. It was before Him for Him to
drink, and He drank it down and was obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Did we say that the word buffet
literally means to hit with the fist? That seems to be the literal
rendering of the word. blows that are struck with the
fish, a closed fish. You have it, for example, in
Matthew 26 and verse 67, when they buffeted him, that is, our
blessed Lord. And in 1 Corinthians 4 and verse
11, and this one who buffeted Paul is called by him a messenger
of Satan. I do not say literally Satan
himself, but a messenger of Satan to Buffet the Apostle Paul. I think of poor old Job over
in the Old Testament who endured the affliction of one after another
of the blows from Satan by God's sovereign providence and permission. And as God would not let the
cup of bitter dregs of death pass away from Christ except
he drink it, neither would he free Paul from these devilish
buffeting that came against them. He caught up into the third heaven,
there having seen things that are not lawful to tell, now must
be subject to constant buffeting from a messenger of Satan. Now, notice how the Lord does
answer the fervent prayer of this choice servant of the gospel,
the Apostle Paul. First of all, however, let's
consider a point, that being that this text, like so many
others, is no doubt capable of a double application, a primary
and a secondary application. First and principally to the
Apostle Paul, a proclaimer of the gospel, and also bearing
an application to the individual saints of God when they find
themselves in great strife. I know not your mind, but I could
never think of myself as being on the level with Paul, who of
us has personally seen the Lord or been caught up into the third
heaven. or receive such direct revelations
from the Father? And who of us has equaled Him
in being persecuted for our faith or for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Thus, this text is first and
foremost dealing with Paul's situation. And when he prays
three times for the thorn to be removed, the Sovereign of
heaven and earth is not pleased to grant him that blessing and
favor. But notice, promises him grace
aplenty. sufficient grace, he promises
unto his servants, saying, My grace is sufficient for thee,
that is, for you. No, I will not remove the thorn
in the flesh, but you shall find that my grace is absolutely sufficient. Sufficient that you might be
able to bear it. And also, we notice something
else. Number one, to be able to yet
serve me and preach the gospel of Christ. This would not be
a restriction or prevent Paul from preaching the gospel of
Christ being active in the ministry. Two, to even glory and rejoice
in them, showing the power of Christ, that the grace sufficient
unto Him is able to overcome the misery of the thorn in the
flesh. Now, it would certainly seem
to our human reasoning, reasoning strictly from personal experience
or the human standpoint, that Paul could better serve Christ
and that Paul could better preach the gospel if he were free of
these things that are in the flesh. A messenger of Satan fisticuffing
him constantly in his life. Yet saith the one who separated
him from his mother's womb and called him by his grace, as he
said in Galatians 1, 15 and 16, yet the same one who struck him
down on Emmaus road and called him to be a Christian minister
and apostle in Acts chapter 9. My grace is sufficient for you. That is, in regard to this grievous
thing likened to a thorn in the flesh and a messenger of Satan
buffeting with a fist as it were, one time after another. My grace is sufficient. My grace will abound. My grace will meet the need. of your thorn in the flesh, and
of your new and added trouble. Now, this word grace is that
word so often used in the New Testament, and so often by Paul
in his epistle. It is that standard, common word
koresh, meaning graciousness from the hand of God Almighty.
Abraham Booth wrote a book which he published under the title,
The Reign of Grace, dealing with it from its rise to its consummation. Here are some things said concerning
the signification of the term grace. He says that grace in
the writings of Paul stands in direct opposition to works and
worthiness of every kind and of every degree. And always,
says Abraham Booth, presupposes an unworthiness in its object. When grace is bestowed, it is
not for merit or worth, it presupposes an unworthiness in the object,
but also in the giver. God the Father and His beloved
Son are the giver of this grace. Abraham Booth reminded his readers
that the bestowal and the operation of grace is completely independent
of any and every merit or condition performed by the object of grace."
We define grace in the common manner. It is the unmerited,
it is the free favor of God unto everlasting life of those guilty
and undeserving sinners living in the world. We also remember
that grace took its rise before the world ever was. that it was
stored up for the elect in the Lord Jesus Christ, and it appeared
in Him in all of its fullness. He came full of grace and of
truth. Grace came by Him. The grace of God appeared, an
all-sufficient grace. a grace able to out-abound sin
and death, as Paul tells us in the end of Romans chapter 5. When we think, therefore, of
the sufficiency of grace, which took its rise in electing grace,
in choosing in Christ before the foundation of the world,
it is, number one, sufficient to save sinners. My grace is
sufficient. By grace are you saved. Say it, that famous text from
Paul. By grace are you saved through
faith that not of yourself. Thomas Goodwin wrote, if grace
be king, It will reign over all. Nothing shall hinder, neither
guilt nor sin, whether past nor to come." And so we say, if grace
is sufficient to do the first and the greatest work, save a
soul from sin and from death, then we conclude that it is sufficient
to carry out the work all the way to its end or to its completion. Secondly, we find that grace
is sufficient to sanctify. Grace is sufficient to put down
sin and its power and to mortify it in the life of an individual,
and the sin that does so easily beset us. Paul says in Titus
2, 11 and 12, the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared
unto all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly
lusts, we should live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present
world. And contrary to what a lot of
people think, Free, unmerited grace does not encourage nor
does it lead to more sin in the life of the Christian. Then number
three comes the question, what can grace do in times of trouble
and trial and sorrow, when the heart is broken, when grief rushes
in upon one of God's like a flood. Saith the Lord to Paul, though
he would not cause the thorn to depart, my grace is sufficient. Sufficient for you, sufficient
for the added trial, that you may be able to endure it, that
you may be able to bear up under it, that you be not crushed or
swallowed up by this great thorn in the flesh, and even be able
to glory and to boast in the infirmities, literally in the
weaknesses that have come upon you because of it. Now, the promise
of sufficient grace, get this, took effect in the apostle Paul. The promise of sufficient grace
took effect in Paul. And in this text, you can see
that he abandoned any expectation of being free or rid of the thorn
in the flesh. in the promise of sufficient
grace to bear the trial that had come upon him. And when the
Lord communicated the answer to the apostle, and by the way,
whether in an oral voice, I cannot tell, whether by a dream or a
vision, I know not, whether by the Spirit's inward impulse,
who can say? But Paul resigned himself to
endure this thorn in the flesh. And again, let us read verse
10. I take pleasure in infirmity,
in approaches, in necessities, in persecution, in distresses
for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong. Now, let's cast our eye upon
the last part of the Lord's answer to Paul in verse 9. He said to him, first of all,
my grace is sufficient. And then hear this and look at
this and contemplate this and meditate upon it. For my strength
is made perfect in weakness. The two things, my grace is sufficient
for because my strength is made perfect in weakness. that Paul
has this thorn in the flesh will in no way diminish his effectiveness
as an apostle, as a minister, as a preacher of the gospel. Nor must another be brought in
in his place. No one else must take his place.
Paul will not be cast aside as useless and worthless because
of this thorn in the flesh. He need not, quote, retire, unquote,
from the ministry. In fact, God would accomplish
his work in or through one as weak and as infirm as Paul, that
in all of his infirmities, God would bestow a grace sufficient
that Paul, weak, buffeted Paul, whose bodily presence was weak,
II Corinthians 10 and 10, would be an instrument of God's steel
in calling and edifying the elect. Again, I wonder out loud how
the Pentecostal and the deeper life folk would view this Paul
giving himself up to enduring this thorn in the flesh. Would they say that Paul as a
Christian was living below his level and his privileges in Christ? I've heard them say that. Why
did he not name it and claim it that he might be free of this
and have his healing? Why did he not rebuke the devil
that he might go away from him as he rebuked him out of others
at times in his ministry? No, Paul resigned and submitted
himself to the will of God in relationship to the promises
of the Word of God. My grace is sufficient, sufficient
for you, for my strength or my power is made perfect in weakness."
When God uses afflicted men like Paul, and ignorant and unlearned
men like Peter and John, Acts 4, verse 13, He has chosen the
weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty, saith
1 Corinthians chapter 1. What an example of this sufficient
grace working in Paul even to perform the ministry. Let's come to speak of Moses
and of some others. What a task did God lay upon
Moses. Have you ever thought about the
responsibility and the task that will lay upon this man called
Moses? To go into Egypt and to deliver
Israel out of their bondage and lead them over into the land
of Canaan. Moses, you will remember, at
first resisted, made all manner of excuses why he was not capable
of doing that. But God said to Moses in Exodus
chapter 3 and verse 12, certainly I will be with you. And when
we look at it and read it, God sustained Moses under the weight
of his great burdens, the rebellion of the Israelite, the hardness
of the way in the wilderness and such like, and set his people
in the land of Canaan. Again, I mentioned Job. who endured
two great assaults from Satan directly against him and upon
him. And yet we read in that book
that God blessed the latter end of him double that which was
at the first. And what of us, my brother and
sister, sitting here today in this congregation? Over the years
we have seen unfaithful spouses who tore the family literally
apart, who lost loved ones, some who suffered long and greatly
in the flesh, some absolutely brokenhearted, some have lost
their spouses. And over the years I have seen
the grace of God prove sufficient in the saints of God and sustain
them in their hours of sorrow, in their losses, in their trials,
in their temptation, while the same things have blown away many
empty professors and caused their profession to be at an end. Great trials may manifest both
the worst and the best in the saints of God. There our weaknesses
are clearly seen in our trials. They're more manifest than at
any other time, the weaknesses of our faith. What a weakling
we are when times are hard and troubles come, and even resentment
may arise in our heart. because of the misery. And here
it is, in great temptation, that we are actually able to realize
not only how weak we are, but also how wicked our hearts are
before God. But again, we find the grace
of God is sufficient, that He giveth more grace and then more. And comes a great paradox. of Christianity, that as Paul
said, when I am weak, then am I strong. This, our text teaches
us, do not be lifted up or puffed up by pride. Be thankful, but
not proud that God has taught you, for God has ways of curing
pride. The heart is a fertile soil in
which pride may grow. Don't let others unduly exalt
us, especially as preachers and ministers, while at the same
time defending them from unjust slanders by the wicked. And we do mean all. Even the
most devoted Christian will sooner or later meet with trials and
with troubles, and perchance find the grace of God is sufficient
for it, and become strong in their weaknesses through the
grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, God, who has
exercised His saving grace will give all grace to accomplish
that end. My grace, saith God, is sufficient. Thank God for that.