PAUL’S DEFENCE OF HIS APOSTLESHIP AND MINISTRY BIBLE TEXT : II Corinthians 10:1-18; 11:1-33; 12:1-21. LESSON 397 Senior Course MEMORY VERSE: “I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (II Corinthians 12:10). BIBLE TEXT in King James Version BIBLE REFERENCES: 2 Corinthians 10:1-18 I Paul’s Defence 1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the 1. Paul sets forth the spiritual power with which he is armed meekness and gentleness of Christ, who against the adversary, II Corinthians 10:1-9; in presence am base among you, but Ephesians 6:13 being absent am bold toward you: 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that 2 But I beseech you , that I may not be ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. bold when I am present with that 2. Paul’s opposers said his letters were weighty, but his speech confidence, wherewith I think to be bold contemptible, II Corinthians 10:10,11; against some, which think of us as if we Galatians 4:13 walked according to the flesh. 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do the gospel unto you at the first. not war after the flesh: 1 Corinthians 2:3-5 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are 3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in not carnal, but mighty through God to the much trembling. 4 pulling down of strong holds;) And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit 5 Casting down imaginations, and every and of power: high thing that exalteth itself against the 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, knowledge of God, and bringing into but in the power of God. captivity every thought to the obedience 3. Paul accuses them of reaching out beyond their measure and of Christ; boasting in other men’s labour, II Corinthians 10:12-16. 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all 4. Whom the Lord commendeth is approved, II Corinthians disobedience, when your obedience is 10:17, 18; fulfilled. Proverbs 27:2 7 Do ye look on things after the outward 2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a appearance? If any man trust to himself stranger, and not thine own lips. that he is Christ's, let him of himself think Romans 2:29 29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose are we Christ's. praise is not of men, but of God . 8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord II Paul’s Suffering for the Gospel hath given us for edification, and not for 1. Paul is forced to commend himself, II Corinthians 11:1-22; your destruction, I should not be John 8:44 ashamed: 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your 9 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your That I may not seem as if I would father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, terrify you by letters. and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in 10 For his letters, say they, are weighty him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for and powerful; but his bodily presence is he is a liar, and the father of it. weak, and his speech contemptible. 2. Paul recounts his suffering for the Gospel, II Corinthians 11 Let such an one think this, that, such 11:23-33; as we are in word by letters when we are Deuteronomy 25:3 3 Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he absent, such will we be also in deed should exceed, and beat him above these with many when we are present. stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee. 12 stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee. For we dare not make ourselves of the 1 Corinthians 9:22 number, or compare ourselves with some 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the that commend themselves: but they weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all measuring themselves by themselves, means save some. and comparing themselves among Acts 20:31 31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of themselves, are not wise. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of 13 three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day But we will not boast of things without with tears. our measure, but according to the Acts 27:41 measure of the rule which God hath 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the distributed to us, a measure to reach ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained even unto you. unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. Paul’s Defense of His Apostleship and Ministry 1 of 5 14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond III Paul’s Revelations our measure , as though we reached not 1. Paul caught up to Paradise, II Corinthians 12:1-6. unto you: for we are come as far as to 2. Lest he be exalted above measure through the abundance of you also in preaching the gospel of these revelations, he was given a thorn in the flesh, II Christ: Corinthians 12:7-9; 15 Not boasting of things without our Galatians 4:13 measure, that is , of other men's labours; 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached but having hope, when your faith is the gospel unto you at the first. Galatians 4:14 increased, that we shall be enlarged by 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised you according to our rule abundantly, not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even 16 To preach the gospel in the regions as Christ Jesus. beyond you, and not to boast in another 3. He gloried in these infirmities, for when he was weak then he man's line of things made ready to our was strong, II Corinthians 12:10; hand. 2 Corinthians 7:4 17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in 4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my the Lord. glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful 18 For not he that commendeth himself is in all our tribulation. 2 Corinthians 13:4 approved, but whom the Lord 4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he commendeth. liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but 2 Corinthians 11:1-33 we shall live with him by the power of God toward you. 1 Would to God ye could bear with me a Romans 5:3 little in my folly: and indeed bear with 3 And not only so , but we glory in tribulations also: knowing me. that tribulation worketh patience ; 2 For I am jealous over you with godly 4. He received wages from other churches that he might preach jealousy: for I have espoused you to one the Gospel free of charge to them, II Corinthians 12:11-21; husband, that I may present you as a Acts 20:33 33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. chaste virgin to Christ. 3 2 Corinthians 11:8 But I fear, lest by any means, as the 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, service. so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. NOTES: 4 For if he that cometh preacheth The Greatest Missionary another Jesus, whom we have not Paul was a native of Tarsus, a city noted for its learning. He preached, or if ye receive another spirit, was well versed in Greek culture and philosophy. He was also a which ye have not received, or another pupil of Gamaliel, the noted Jewish teacher of that day. He gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye knew the Law. All this was not a requisite to being an Apostle might well bear with him . but we do believe the Lord used these things, and made him the 5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind greatest missionary the world has ever seen. the very chiefest apostles. Requirements to Be an Apostle 6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not There were some requirements the people deemed necessary in knowledge; but we have been in order for one to be an Apostle. One of these was that he throughly made manifest among you in must have seen the Lord. In I Corinthians 9:1, 2, Paul asks the all things. questions: “Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not 7 Have I committed an offence in seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? If abasing myself that ye might be exalted, I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for because I have preached to you the the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.” In I Corinthians gospel of God freely? 15:8; “And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages out of due time.” Paul tells them plainly that he had seen the of them , to do you service.