2 Corinthians 12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; you have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you… I. THE APOSTLE'S CLAIM. A large claim, put strongly. Paul claimed to be on a perfect equality with the leading apostles. Unwillingly he referred to this matter, which might look like self-glorification; but when the occasion came, his utterance was full and unmistakable. There is nothing derogatory in magnifying our office, the evil lies in magnifying ourselves in it. It is not conceitedness but righteousness to assert for ourselves what God has already asserted for us. Paul felt that he must not lightly esteem, or allow others to lightly esteem, a high office conferred upon him by God, and. an office in which God had signally witnessed to his efforts. Paul speaks about "the signs" of an apostle; the interesting question arises - What were these signs? We may note the following: - 1. Knowledge of the gospel derived by immediate revelation from Christ (Galatians 1:12). 2. Being specially under the influence and teaching of the Divine Spirit, so as to be able to announce truth with authority (1 Corinthians 2:10-13; 1 Corinthians 12:8, 29; 1 Corinthians 14:37). 3. External manifestations of Divine favour sanctioning claim to the apostleship. 4. Continued faithfulness to the gospel (Galatians 1:8, 9). 5. Success in preaching the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:2). 6. Power of communicating the Holy Ghost by imposition of hands (Acts 8:18). 7. Power of working miracles (ver. 12; Romans 15:18, 19). 8. Holiness of life (2 Corinthians 6:4). Such of these as could be exhibited to the Corinthians, had been, and there was one respect in which his readers would scarcely contest Paul's claim, and to this with his accustomed dexterity the apostle refers. If founding great Churches was a mark of great apostleship, what an apostle Paul must have been to found such a Church as the Corinthian (ver. 13)! This was a perfectly sound argument, but it was an argumentum ad hominem of a singularly happy character. There was only one thing lacking, and here the apostle blends irony with pathos - "I myself was not a burden to you: forgive me this wrong" (ver. 13). For reasons given elsewhere in the Epistle, he had resolved not to derive any part of his temporal support from them. They might esteem this a slight. Had they lived in later days they would have counted it a virtue! II. THE APOSTLE'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Paul's humility is marvellous. Yet it was not one whit greater than it ought to have been. The "thorn in the flesh" (ver. 7) has accomplished a gracious work. Paul has at the same time the clearest view of the Divine power and glory, and of his own insignificance and impotence. He does not take to himself for a moment what was not of himself. Note in ver. 12 he says, not "I wrought," but "were wrought" - he distinguishes between God and Paul! We have a beautiful insight into the apostle's mind. He has risen too high to deck himself in plumes stolen from his Lord. Though divinely endowed, strikingly witnessed to in his labours, beyond question the pre-eminent apostle, he says, "I am nothing." We wonder not that God used such a man. We magnify God's grace in him. Truly the promise had been amply fulfilled, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (ver. 9). Our pride is our folly - it drives God out and lets the devil in. We cannot be great because we will be so great. The bag is full of wind, so that it cannot be filled. III. LEARN: 1. Humility becomes us. It became Paul. If he had so lowly an estimate of himself, how little should we think of ourselves! Even if we are "great men," we are very small men compared with him. 2. Humility is reasonable. It is not fiction, but fact, to say that we are nothing. Pride is based on a lie. 3. Humility is generally associated with large usefulness. - H. Parallel Verses KJV: I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. |
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