THE GOSPEL OF WEAKNESS
I think 2 Corinthians could be called “The Gospel of Weakness.” There is hardly a better apology for the state of weakness on the pages of the Bible. In a world and culture that extolled power and success (always a pagan obsession), the apostle Paul embraced everything that made his life miserable.
…if I am going to boast, let me boast of the things which have shown up my weakness![1]
Now, this is weird. And Paul seems to give an anticipatory response to any suspicious retort tainted with disdain when he adds:
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, he who is blessed for ever, knows that I speak the simple truth.[2]
Paul truly meant what he said; he was not being theatrical. He was truly boasting in “exhaustion, pain, long vigils, hunger and thirst, going without meals, cold and lack of clothing.”[3] Not in a monastic, self-flagellating, or self-righteous way, but in a very sobering and liberating way—in full command of his emotional and rational capacities. The guy was happy when miserable and yet of sound mind. How? Why? HOW? I would complain about all these things, not boast. But that’s me, not Paul. At least to him the devil could not say in such circumstances, “Where is your God?” Unfortunately, he is still asking me this every now and then.
The Corinthians praised power and success in ministry. Don’t you dare laugh—we have all been Greek in this respect! Paul’s magnanimity consists in reining in his wit and irony toward the Corinthians, and how his overall rebuke and correction sound so helpful. I am not able to do this either. When faced with spiritual stupidity, I lose hope and I say… things.
How does Paul remain so constructive in the face of such an aberration? His beloved Corinthians could not add up 2 + 2 and see how Christ “was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.”[4] Was he kind and fatherly because he was utterly weak and hurt inwardly, and hence now able to speak to the Corinthians like Christ does? Yes, I think Paul felt knocked out, hurt, disappointed, and weak—and because he had learned to embrace all that as the necessary precondition to experiencing supernatural enabling, he could write that letter.
But why do people so easily forget the basics? Never mind. What we learn from Paul is that being apostolic also means teaching the basics of faith again and again if needed. And of course, he could also be ironic, even derisive:
You have such admirable tolerance for impostors who rob your freedom, rip you off, steal you blind, put you down—even slap your face! I shouldn’t admit it to you, but our stomachs aren’t strong enough to tolerate that kind of stuff.[5]
Ha-ha. And yet, Paul knew what he aimed at. The Corinthians would allow self-aggrandizing usurpers to lord it over them because they were self-aggrandizers themselves! If you know that true apostolic character means to embrace weakness so that the power of God may rest upon you, you would immediately see through the sham of people who distort the walk with Christ. This is what Paul wanted to correct in the Corinthians—their perception of what our walk with Christ means in practice when life is raw and rude. What was it like to walk as an apostle of Christ, actually?
Surrounded and battered by troubles… not sure what to do… spiritually terrorized… thrown down…[6]
Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me? I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life.[7]
Feel the glory! The great apostle, born on the road to Damascus—the man of visions dangling on a rope, crouching in a woven basket let down from some window in some outer wall of Damascus. He would gladly put that in his CV and go on to pretend he wasn’t that other man raptured to heaven whom he mentions a bit further on.[8] For Paul, that was right. That was normal. That was what walking with Jesus meant. To be weak—even ridiculous, incompetent, and confused—was the recipe for experiencing God’s presence and enabling power.
I have cheerfully made up my mind to be proud of my weaknesses, because they mean a deeper experience of the power of Christ. I can even enjoy weaknesses, suffering, privations, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ’s sake. For my very weakness makes me strong in him.[9]
So, basically, everything I would consider annoying, disturbing, hurtful, and outright misery in my normal way of living, Paul viewed as an extraordinary opportunity. I still shake my head at this thought. This man embraced weakness the way Christ embraced the Cross—as ultimate victory.
I bet Paul was not looking for this stuff, but it is obvious he did not run from it. He learned from his weak Lord, now living through the power of God. Paul was experiencing in measure what the resurrection is all about—dying and coming back to life through the power of God.
Are you sick? So was Paul, and when he prayed, health was denied to him. Are you lonely, in danger, dishonored, beaten, perplexed? So was Paul, and he learned the secret of enjoying all this as a prelude to experiencing God’s comfort in Christ Jesus. He would never have said all that unless he believed it.[10] Do you? Are you able to teach others this kind of walk? Are your humiliating “basket episodes” a chance to glory in the God who resurrects the dead and chooses ridiculous people like you to put to shame the ambitious and self-reliant spirit of paganism?
…we know for certain that He who raised the Lord Jesus from death shall also by Him raise us. We shall all stand together before Him… This is the reason why we never collapse. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. These little troubles (which are really so transitory) are winning for us a permanent, glorious, and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain.[11]
You should read Romans or Colossians for doctrinal purposes. But you should read 2 Corinthians when knocked out. When you feel ridiculous, stupid, unable, unfit, overwhelmed, anxious, or sick and see a man of flesh and blood embracing his circumstances and our human condition to experience firsthand the power of God.
Embrace your weakness. Not in the whimpering “I’m only human” kind of way, but like the apostle Paul.
Like Christ.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Is it difficult for you to embrace weakness? Why or why not?
Think of a time when you have experienced weakness, ridicule, sickness, or rejection. How was God’s power shown through this moment? Were you able to identify Him? If not, how could you be more aware of Him in the future?
How could embracing weakness make you look more like Jesus? Think of practical examples you could put into action in your everyday life.
Nikolai is a translator, a teacher, and loves simple fellowship. He authored the book Eschatology in the Psalms, which is available for purchase online or for free on THE EMMAUS TABLE app.