2
Corinthians 11:16-33
16 I repeat, let no one think me
foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a
little. 17 What I am saying with this
boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to
the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with
fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone
makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on
airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we
were too weak for that!
But
whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are
they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I
am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with
countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the
hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with
rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was
adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in
danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from
Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger
from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through
many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and
exposure. 28 And, apart from other things,
there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not
weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?
30 If I must boast, I will boast
of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord
Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor
under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket
through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.
I have
been hearing more and more lately, “If the world is against us, or
something is unpopular, than it is probably the will of God.” I have heard far too many times “Christian teachers” saying that following Christ
will lead to prosperity. This message seems to foster the idea that God blesses
the poor by making them rich.
God
blesses the poor by letting them remain poor. God does not bless the rich by
making them poor. God blesses them all by the forgiveness of sins. Just because
people are attacking something does not make it right nor does it make it
wrong. The Word of God determains what is right or wrong.
St Paul
talks about not boasting of wealth or strength. One could easily turn on him by
saying you are boasting too much in your suffering and “foolishness.” We should not boast in how
many times we have been beaten, because John the Baptist did not suffer as much
or as long as St Paul. St Peter did not even suffer as much or as long as St
Paul, but St Peter may have compromised his message a couple of times.
It is not
about how much you suffer or how good of a Jew or Christian you are. Jesus died
for you. He died to save you from your sins. He died to provide you with
salvation. He died to set you free from your bondage to slavery. He rose to
point you to new life. He rose to give you hope in eternal life. He died and
rose for you, this is something to boast in.
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