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. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 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. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 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; 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; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.—2 Corinthians 11:21–33
 

Introduction 

It is good to be back at Bethlehem after spending time overseas with our global partners in Chad. I send you greetings from the Braatens, the Morgans, and the Morrisetts. What a joy it was to speak at a conference and to see the wonders that God is doing. I got to hear about some of the first known believers among some unreached people groups in Chad. I got to see the amazing ministry that Club 4^th is doing as an arm of Bethlehem blessing the nations. I got to see how these global partners and others come to this conference under a cloud of discouragement and watch as the Lord met us and filled us and how they left so full of God and faith and willingness to press on for the preeminence of Christ. I also got to see the giving updates and the increase of giving that is happening here at Bethlehem. Don’t stop giving. I have seen it firsthand. Your giving is literally changing the world.

God is not just at work around the world, but across the street—as we heard from Steve Treichler—and across our nation—as we heard from Tim Cain. Next week we get to hear from Jonathan Parnell and our newest church plant. I am a very happy pastor—so privileged to be here together for the sake of Jesus’ fame among the nations and among these cities. Let us turn to the Lord in prayer and ask his blessing upon this body and upon his Word.

Prayer

We come now in our series on 2 Corinthians to the fool’s speech. Paul looks at the opponents and speaks from three vantage points: same (v. 22), higher (v. 23c), and lower (vv. 23–33). The main point of these verses is that Paul boasts in a way that demolishes all man-centered boasting.This is the boast to end all man-centered boasting.

He begins the boast in verse 21 as an introduction reminding them that he is going to boast on their man-centered terms. “But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that” (v. 21). As the boasting duel begins, Paul starts at the same level or on equal footing with them. 

1. Same (v. 22)

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I.

He starts the comparison on their terms. They boast in their ethnic heritage: Hebrews, Israelite, offspring of Abraham (v. 22). Both Paul and his opponents are Hebrews. He probably refers to the fact that they both would claim to be full-blooded Hebrews. They were not like Timothy, who had one parent who was a Jew and one who was a Gentile. The opponents could also go to the next step and say they were Hebrews who were fluent in the Hebrew (and/or Aramaic) language and culture, and thus they were unlike those Hellenistic Jews, who were immersed in Greek culture and had lost close contact with Hebrew language and culture.

The term Israelites probably refers more to the Jewish people as the people of God, with all of the rights and privileges that Paul talks about in Romans 9:4–5. Paul was an offspring of Abraham, just like them. This phrase probably refers to becoming part of the covenant with Abraham and circumcision on the eighth day. Paul can match their Jewish credentials point by point. But he can also exceed them.

2. Higher (v. 23a–c)

Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, 

Now Paul takes his boasting higher by saying he is better than them, not equal to them. He is a better servant of Christ. But remember, he does not want to talk this way. Remember the sermon on Paul’s introduction to this boasting—he is like a guy holding a purse several inches from himself to symbolically say to everyone watching, “This is not my purse. Can I make that clear? Let me hold it out a few more inches away from me. This is not my purse.” 

Paul is doing that same thing: “Let me remind everyone—this is not the way I want to speak. I am speaking like a madman holding a purse.” 

He then begins his better boast about being a better servant of Christ with a little teaser of where he could go: “far greater labors” (v. 23c). Yes, he definitely worked harder. He could have said the same thing as 1 Corinthians 15:10.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.—1 Corinthians 15:10

He could have said the same thing here, but the opponents are not talking about all that they have accomplished by the grace of God. It would be a lie if they did because they are servants of Satan.

Here is what the teaser was doing: Paul was just raising the wrecking ball and getting it ready to demolish all proud pretensions. Paul aims his wrecking ball not high but low—right to the bottom of their proud building.

3. Lower (vv. 23d–33)

Far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 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; 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; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

We can talk about each statement in basic summary form, but here is what you need to see first. Paul is following the accepted conventions for a brag sheet. I was really helped by a short and sweet explanation of these verses by Bible scholar D.A. Carson. Carson points to the fact that Caesar Augustus is a well-known example of this convention. He wrote a eulogy in his own honor in which he listed his many accomplishments. This eulogy was known widely, and Paul probably read it because it was inscribed on monuments in many of the provinces. Augustus Caesar was careful to include numbers: once I did this, three times I did that, etc. Notice that Paul even followed the convention of using the numbers: five times this happened, three times this happened, one time this happened.

But notice where he does not follow the standard format: He does not boast about his accomplishments—I planted this many churches, my preaching has won this many converts, I have written more, travelled more, seen more visions, done more miracles, etc.—which he could have done. 

No, Paul chose not to brag about his victories and exploits. Instead, he documents his sufferings, weaknesses, losses, and embarrassments. Here is what Carson said: 

There is very little for triumphalists to say once Paul is finished. The systems of values espoused by Paul and his opponents are so diametrically antithetical that there remains very little common ground. (A Model of Christian Maturity, p. 125)

First, Paul chose to boast about “far more imprisonments” (v. 23). At this point in the Acts narrative, Paul would only have been in prison once, in Philippi (Acts 16). Acts later records imprisonments in Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Rome. A later document from the first century tells us that Paul was imprisoned seven times, but it could have been more. One thing is certain: The false apostles would not have started their list with this boast.

Second, Paul boasts about “countless beatings” (v.23). I marvel at this one. I have not been beaten, but I feel like I would remember every one. But Paul says, “I lost count.”

Third, he boasts that he was “often near death” (v. 23). Here he says that he nearly died many times—too many times to give a number.

Fourth, he boasts that he was scourged five times with “forty lashes less one” (v. 24).Jesus predicted these synagogue beatings (Matthew 10:17). The fact that Paul had already received this punishment five times means that he had been zealous to bring the gospel to the Jewish people. 

The Old Testament limited the maximum number of lashes a court could impose at forty, but the practice in Paul’s day was to keep the limit to thirty-nine to ensure no one went over the maximum. The lashes had to be divisible by three because the scourge had three thongs. The middle one was made of calf hide, and the two on the ends were made of donkey hide. Since one blow would administer three lashes, the maximum number of lashes was thirteen.

These lashings could kill a man.

Listen to D.A. Carson describe it:

It took place by binding the prisoner’s arms, as he lay on his back, to two pillars, one on either side. The minister of the synagogue then tore open the prisoner’s clothes, baring his chest. One-third of the blows were then administered, the whip ends long enough to extend from the prisoner’s shoulder to his navel. The prisoner was then released, rolled over, tied down again; and the remaining two-thirds of the prescribed number of blows was administered to his back. (Ibid, p. 127)

The Jewish writings also said that the blows were to be hard.

And he that smites, smites with his own hand with all his might.—Makkoth 3:13

Fifth, he boasts, “three times I was beaten with rods” (v. 25). Again, the book of Acts only records one of these, in Philippi (Acts 16:22–23). Beating with rods was a Roman punishment, and there was no limit to the number of blows or where they landed on the naked body of the prisoner. It was not supposed to be carried out on Roman citizens—which Paul was. Paul mentioned that to the Philippian officials in Acts 16, not to protect himself, but to help the fledgling church plant in Philippi for the future.

Sixth, Paul boasts, “once I was stoned” (v. 25). Acts records this stoning, which happened at Lystra (Acts 14:19). Paul was stoned by a mob and then left for dead, but when Paul revived he went back into the city. You couldn’t keep this guy down or keep him from sharing the gospel.

Seventh, he boasts, “three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea” (v. 25).Remember that Paul wrote these words before the shipwreck of Acts 27, so he must have survived at least four of these terrifying experiences. They could have occurred during his first and second missionary journeys in Acts, but they could also have been at other times. One of the shipwrecks proved very dangerous as Paul was too far from land to swim and was adrift, probably floating on wreckage, for a night and a day until he was rescued.

I am not going to walk through the rest item by item because Paul just highlights what was a regular part of life (vv. 26–27). It was a way of life to be constantly on the move and to be in constant danger from rivers, robbers, Jews, Gentiles, city, the country, the sea, or false brothers. He continually faced hard work and sleepless nights, perhaps having to work at night because he didn’t accept support from the Corinthians. Paul was often exposed to a lack of food or water or warmth. 

Now Paul adds, “apart from other things” (v. 28). He could mean beside the list of suffering that I just mentioned, or beside everything I have left unmentioned. Paul says that a major source of suffering in his life was his anxiety concerning the churches.

Can you imagine the Corinthians as they read that line? Anxiety for churches like the Corinthians is not the worry that Jesus spoke against. That kind of anxiety was set up against seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Seeking God’s kingdom and righteousness is “the very virtue Paul’s concern for the church’s most deeply displays” (Carson, p. 131).

Paul is overcome when others experience weakness, which is obviously something that he can empathize with. This makes him unlike the false apostles. Who would ever want to be counseled by one of them? Jesus is a high priest that can sympathize with our weakness, and Paul is a pastor that can sympathize as well.

Paul is also not indifferent to sin (v. 29). He has many responsibilities for oversight of the Corinthians, which is why he has constant anxiety for them—a constant roller coaster of one crisis to the next.

Paul then closes by boasting about an experience that draws attention to his weakness (vv. 30–33). He probably refers to this because it was one of his first experiences of suffering and weakness as a Christian. He was in Damascus after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. He has been preaching Christ in Damascus, and now he hears that the governor of Damascus under the authority of King Aretas is out to get him. Paul writes, “the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands” (vv. 32–33).

Contrast the “strong” way that Saul the persecutor entered the city with the weak way that Paul the apostle escaped the city.

If the main point of these verses is that Paul boasts in a way that demolishes all man-centered boasting, then we must ask what kind of boasting would Paul put in its place. The answer, of course, is boasting in Christ. 

Application 

Boasting in Christ

We could apply this passage by talking about suffering for the sake of the gospel. It is hard to compare the suffering that could come our way when we share the gospel and the suffering that Paul endured. We should be prepared to endure an environment calculated to cultivate scorn or mocking or awkwardness, but most of us are not going to receive thirty-nine lashes at work. We are not in danger at this point of losing our lives, but some are in danger of losing their livelihood. Christian bakers and florists lose their businesses because they cannot join in celebrating a homosexual marriage. We will face forms of persecution as we stand up for the gospel at work. I would urge as many as can attend to come to the “Our Faith, Our Work & Cultural Renewal” seminar, where we explore more of these questions.

But I want to guard us from a couple of ditches as we apply this passage. Paul is undercutting all man-centered boasting by drawing attention to his weakness and seeming defeats rather than parading his victories in front of everyone.

We must beware here lest we lift up how much we suffer as a basis for boasting. That is not what Paul is doing. We can turn almost anything into an occasion for man-centered boasting that draws attention to ourselves. There is a temptation people have to boast either in how much they have or how much they do without. Bethlehem is not a place by and large where we are in danger of people bragging about how big their house is or how nice their boat. We have preached to not waste our lives by having a big seashell collection. 

At Bethlehem, we are more vulnerable to the temptation to boast about how much we give up to follow Jesus. It is a very real temptation for the global partners I visited who are working in the hardest places in some of the hardest conditions to boast about how much they have left to follow Jesus. But they are not doing that. It would be flat out wrong, and it would miss the whole essence of our boast. Our boast is, “Look how much we gain when we follow Christ!” not “Look how much we lose!” Following Christ is gain, not loss. 

That is what Jesus told Peter when Peter looked at the rich young ruler and all that he was not willing to give up to follow Christ (Mark 10:17–27). Peter immediately drove his soul into the other ditch: “See, we have left everything to follow you” (Mark 10:28). Jesus did not applaud Peter. He helped him out of the ditch with a strong hand. 

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”—Mark 10:29–31.

Don’t focus on how much you have given up to follow Jesus. Instead, boast about how much you gain in following Jesus even with persecutions. Look what you have a hundred times more of in this age: “houses, and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions” (v. 30). But more is coming: “and in the age to come eternal life” (v. 30). Get off any self-pity high horse you are riding. Our focus is not how much we lose when we follow Jesus but on how much we gain—now and forever.

So here are the two things I want to focus on together. First, ask yourself what you think you deserve as a Christian and take another look at your expectations. Second, take another look at Christ so you can boast in him instead of grumbling what you face while you follow him.

First, ask yourself what you think you deserve as a Christian and take another look at your expectations. There are so many commands in Scripture, but perhaps the most surprising command is the command not to be surprised at fiery trials, as if they are something strange happening to us (1 Peter 4:12). John said that we should not be surprised that the world hates us (1 John 3:13). Where did John get that idea? He looked at Cain and Abel and showed that this enmity or hatred has been there since the beginning (1 John 3:12). It was promised way back in Genesis 3, where we were told not to be surprised at the enmity that exists between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15). Jesus raised the stakes when he came. He helped all of his followers with expectation management.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.—John 15:18–20.

We will grumble about suffering and persecution if we believe that we deserve better. Let me say a lot stronger: When we grumble about suffering and persecution, we believe that we deserve to be treated better than Jesus. We believe that we the slave are better than Jesus, who is the master.

Steel yourself for suffering. Jesus left us an example so that we would follow in his steps. But Jesus is much more than our example. He was higher, but he went lower than anyone else to save us, and he is now exalted higher than anyone else.

Second, ask yourself what Christ did and take another look at our Lord. Christ was higher, he went lower, and now he is exalted higher. The Son of God was in the form of God in the sphere of majesty. He experienced continual worship and adoration, but he was not too proud to wear our flesh. He emptied himself by taking on humanity. He tasted the weakness of human flesh even though he was the One who had only known divine strength. But that was not the only step down. He emptied himself by taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7). He adopted the status of one whose very vocation was to serve and serve and serve. He was despised and rejected when once he was only adored and worshipped. 

But that was not the last step. He humbled himself and become obedient to the point of death even the death of the cross (Philippians 2:8). Jesus died. When Paul faced death at the hands of King Aretas, he fled or he would have died. It is not like he had an army at his disposal to fight.

Jesus was different. He said that he could have called down armies of angels to fight for him. Or as the giver of life and breath, he could have just taken it all away. Instead, he chose to give up his life and last breath.

The preposition Paul uses here in Philippians emphasizes not just direction (that he obeyed and it took him to the cross).  It emphasizes degree (he obeyed to the nth degree, to the max, to the lowest place he could go). Why? Because that is where we were. 

If a rescue team was going to do a rescue operation for people trapped in a mine in West Virginia, would the rescue team go part of the way and ask the trapped people to work their way up some of the way? No. That doesn’t work if you are trapped and can’t move at all. 

That is the way we were—trapped in sin, dead in sin. Jesus came all the way down to the depths and the dregs and the sewer of our sin and rescued us. How low will we be willing to go? Jesus was higher and went lower than anyone ever did and lower than anyone ever could.

The cross of Christ is the wrecking ball to human pride. In the rubble of man-centered pride, it is replaced with Christ-exalting boasting. We want to lift Jesus high. Jesus made himself low, so God raised him high (Philippians 2:9–11). He is exalted on high. Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess. All will be forcibly humbled, but we gladly and willingly bow our knee now. We gladly confess with our tongues now. Jesus is Lord. We exist to worship the one who came to rescue us. We rejoice in the hope that he is coming back for us from on high and that he will take us to be with him where he is.

Conclusion

Humble, Humble Jesus

What is truly surprising and truly shocking is that when we were opposing God in our pride and contending for supremacy with him, when we were his opponents and his enemies, Christ humbled himself and died for us. I pray that your soul never recovers from the shock of that moment. 

Humble and human, not too proud to wear our skin, not too proud to bear our sin, humble, humble Jesus. Let it be a wrecking ball to all of our pride. We bow our knees, and we must decrease. He must increase. We lift him high.

 

Sermon Discussion Questions

Outline: In the first part of the fool’s speech, Paul looks at the opponents from three vantage points: same level (v. 22), higher level (v. 23), and lower level (vv. 23–33). 

 

1. Same Level (v. 22)
   2. Higher Level (v. 23)
   3. Lower Level (vv. 23–33)

Main Point: Paul boasts in a way that demolishes all man-centered boasting. Thus, the application will focus on what Paul puts in its place: Christ-centered boasting.

Discussion Questions
1. How did Paul demolish the common values that opponents would have used with their brag sheets?
2. How can we avoid focusing too much on either what we have or what we don’t have while following Jesus?
3. How does Jesus help us establish expectations for how Christians will be treated in this world?

Application Questions
1. How would you describe your overall sense of what you deserve? How is this sense different than what the Bible tells us to anticipate? How can we adjust our expectations?
2. Are you more tempted to boast about how much you have or about how much you have given up to follow Jesus? How can you focus on how much you have gained in following Christ?
3. Why does focusing on the work of Christ become a wrecking ball for human pride and boasting? How low did Jesus go to save us? 

Prayer Focus 
Pray that God would do a deeper work of grace in your life to replace man-centered boasting with Christ-centered boasting.