June 28, 2 Corinthians 11
I hope you’re not the type, but I’m sure you know the type—the person who is his own favorite subject. Conversation is easy—he does all the talking, and it’s all about him. Nobody else has done so much so well. Like they used to sing about Flipper, the dolphin on TV, “No one you see is smarter than he!”
It’s a common character flaw, even among Christians. We sometimes excuse such behavior, saying, “That’s just their personality.” But Paul labeled boasting as “foolishness.” As he wrote about what he had endured for the sake of Christ and those he had won to Christ, he said he was speaking as a fool and as a madman. He did it to respond to the false apostles who had discredited him at Corinth. Paul not only taught the credo, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord;” he lived by it. Since he was uncomfortable telling about himself, he boasted about things that showed his weakness. That’s unusual boasting!
This passage reveals some information about Paul we sometimes forget. We usually say he accomplished more than any other person for the gospel of Christ. These words remind us he may also have suffered more for the gospel than any other person—far more imprisonments, countless beatings, often near death. He was whipped, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, in constant danger and desperate need—sometimes even of food, clothing and shelter. I don’t want to sit down in heaven and swap stories with Paul about suffering for Christ, do you? “Hey, Paul, that’s bad. But you’re not the only one who’s had it rough. One time the air conditioning was off at church. It was so hot in there! We really suffered that day. This other time, a visitor was in my seat and I had to sit somewhere else. That really hurt. But this was the toughest one—somebody once made fun of me for being a Christian. That was hard, but I didn’t quit!”
One of the finest men I ever knew did not enjoy being introduced before he spoke. People who meant to honor him would praise him, and he would shake his head and say “No” quietly to himself during the accolades. He told me that such introductions actually hurt the presentation, since no one could live up to the expectations created by such a build-up. He wanted God to get the glory. I’d like to be more like him, more like Paul and much more like Jesus, whose greatest glory was total submission to his Father’s will. Wouldn’t we boast less if we were more concerned with God’s glory and less concerned about our own? Maybe our desire not to look foolish will trump our desire to boast.
From The Abiding Companion: A Friendly Guide for Your Journey Through the New Testament,
Copyright © 2010 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—June 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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