Articles
Paul's Foolishness - 2 Cor. 11
Paul's Foolishness - 2 Corinthians 11
Paul twice stated: “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (cp. 1 Cor. 1:31; 2 Cor. 10:17). The object of any ‘boasting’ should point people to the Lord and HIS glory and not self. This is a repeated biblical concept.
Psalm 34:2 — My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.
Jeremiah 9:23–24 — Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Hence Pau’s boasting was ‘not as the Lord would but as a fool’.
A second observation is that Paul goes on to boast not of his accomplishments and strengths but of his weaknesses. While those opposing Paul would boast in their Jewish pedigree and revelatory experiences, Paul spoke of such as ‘foolishness’. What the opponents would consider foolish, weak, and a display of inferiority, it is those things that Paul would ‘boast’ in. “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Cor. 11:30).
In Paul's weakness, the Lord was shown to be strong. In his need for help, the Lord was shown to be faithful. In his reliance upon God, God was glorified. His apostleship was verified in his suffering for the Lord. The list of sufferings is impressive. Paul would point us NOT to himself but to the Lord. The Lord strengthened him. The Lord rescued him. The Lord comforted him. The Lord had died for him and the Lord had saved him, Blessed be the LORD. Thus Paul could conclude: “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong”. Such was true because his strength was not in himself but in the Lord.
It is a bit distressing to see that people yet get this wrong. We boast not in our weaknesses that let the glory of the Lord be shown, but in our ‘strengths’ that glorify ourselves. Often our boasting is about what we accomplish, our abilities. Even though many of us have spent countless hours preparing ourselves for service, it is the Lord that gives us the ability and strength to serve. In Him we live, move, and have our being. Whatever we may accomplish for the Lord, let us make sure we glorify HIM and not self. We need more ‘fools’ like Paul. Hugh DeLong
