Digging Deeper Days
Finding the original intent of Scripture and making good application to our everyday lives as we become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Yesterday’s Journey Study connects with today’s!
Check out Samson!
The Questions
1) What is the “therefore” referring to?
2) What was the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh?
3) How is it possible to take pleasure in weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty?
2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
…Therefore, so that I would not exalt myself, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to torment me so that I would not exalt myself. 8 Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.”
Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. 10 So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Original Intent
1) What is the “therefore” referring to?
One of the biggest clues for studying Scripture well is wrapped up in this word: therefore. When reading, always look back to see what the author is referencing, literally asking what is “therefore” “there” “for”? When we look back a few verses, we read a potentially confusing text about Paul, who he refers to as “a man” in the 3rd person. Scholars generally agree that this “man” was indeed Paul himself, but downplayed it because the whole paragraph emphasized Paul’s own weakness, not his greatness. “The man” was caught up in a vision from the Lord and was blessed “to see and hear” things too wonderful to even express. Paul was literally beyond-words-speechless at the breathtaking majesty of the vision he received. He used this glorious experience to point out that no matter what wonderful things he had seen or what glories he knew, he still had zero reason to boast about Himself. The vision given to Paul wasn’t about Paul’s glory or edification, it was intended to steadfastly point to the beyond-words-description of the Majesty of the Lord God! After seeing the Lord in His glory, “therefore”, he couldn’t possibly boast about himself or his experience. Paul knew firsthand that everything was rubbish except Christ and Christ alone!
2) What was the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh?
When studying Scripture, it can be so easy to focus in on one particular detail, or a handful of words that really don’t sit well with us that we end up missing the whole point of that passage. When studying, remember to back up first. Read through the entire chapter, or a couple of chapters, making notes of what the big-picture is. What key phrases or themes are often repeated? For this particular section, Paul has been addressing the Corinthian church. On one hand, he is giving them solid reasons as to why he has the Lord’s authority as a true apostle, therefore they would be wise to listen to his instruction. But, at the same time, he is saying that none of the “clout” of accomplishment or “authority” means anything at all to him. Paul insists that it is only knowing Christ that ultimately matters. Even so, Paul admits how easy it can be to fall into human vanity and pride. This being true, the Lord gave Paul a “thorn in the flesh”. Was it an eye problem as some scholars suggest? Was it a physical sickness? Was it an emotional weakness? We have no idea…and that is exactly the point. Scripture records this “thorn” vaguely that we might understand with greater emphasis how none of our accomplishments are worth boasting in on our own strength.
3) How is it possible to take pleasure in weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty?
Strange words, aren’t they? Paul says, “I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Though the words certainly don’t appear to be very encouraging or comforting, the secret of their veracity is cocooned in the middle with one phrase: “for the sake of Christ”. For Paul, for Samson (when he finally “got it” at the end of his life), for Ezekiel (who gave up his life as bizarre illustrations for God’s purposes), for Isaiah (who was killed by being sawed in half), for Peter (who was killed by upside down crucifixion), and for countless others all the way through history, this key phrase has changed everything. “For The Sake Of Christ” Why? Because we are weak. Because we are finite. And He, the Lord God, is not. He is mighty, He is glorious, He is everlasting, He is victorious! Because He Is Worth It!
Everyday Application
1) What is the “therefore” referring to?
Likely, you, like me, haven’t experienced a glorious vision of Christ and His indescribable majesty and power in the same way Paul did, or Isaiah, Ezekiel, or John, but the Lord and His glory is not hidden away waiting, hoping, that you will be able to find Him. His glory is seen in the intricacies of creation, the beauty of relationships, the community of the Church, and in the wonder of a child. Experiencing His glory is meant for 2 things. One, to encourage and comfort us, as He reminds us that we are not alone and He is for us. Two, to expand our desire to search after Him; longing, hungering, thirsting for so much more of Him! As anyone who has truly experienced the Lord knows, the only proper response is worship. Whole life worship. Worship that points steadfastly to the glorious, risen Lord Jesus Christ because we know, we know, we know, that the real life offered by Jesus, is not about us, it’s about Christ and Christ alone! If you’re feeling a little stuck in your walk with the Lord, or maybe you’re curious about this whole “everyday Savior” we like to talk about, take time to slow down, reflect on how you’ve already experienced Him. Silence your thoughts and welcome His voice enough to hear how He wants to take you deeper to know Him better!
2) What was the “thorn” in Paul’s flesh?
For Samson in yesterday’s Journey Study, his greatest downfall was that he trusted in his own strength. Even when he had given away the secret of his strength and lost his supernatural ability, he still fully believed he could take down the enemies exactly as he had done before, but this time on his own power. Samson epically failed in this endeavor. God had given Samson incredible abilities, just as He had given Paul indescribable visions of glory, and just like He offers Himself to each of us in tender, glorious, intimate sweetness, but the moment we shift our eyes from the majestic glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will find our eyes locked onto our own glory. We have traded the worship of the One True God for a “god” of our own making, and it will never be worth it. For Samson, the “thorn in the flesh” was his loss of strength as well as his vision. It was through these “thorns” that he was finally able to see that the Lord wanted more with Samson; He wanted Samson’s total trust and dependence to be on God instead of Himself.
3) How is it possible to take pleasure in weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty?
What weaknesses do you see in your everyday life and relationships? What would it look like if you took those instances as opportunities of worship? Opportunities to surrender your weakness in order for God’s glory and strength to be made much of? Wouldn’t it take off the burden of performance? Might it remove the need to control? Perhaps, like the stories of faith in the Bible, these hardships and weaknesses will point steadfastly to the glory of an eternal King of Glory! I have a friend who lost her son, who nearly lost her life due to significant illness, I have a friend who loves Jesus most. When I asked her why she would try again for another baby, or why she would move to another country to proclaim Christ, her answer is simple, but her faith is deep and intricate, “He has been so faithful to us before, why wouldn’t we trust Him for this?”
“For The Sake of Christ”. It’s not a pithy saying, it’s a hard-hitting truth to battle your “weakness, insult, hardship, persecution, and difficulty”. Surrender your weakness, friend, and rest in the faithful, un-ending strength of the God who will always do the incredible with our frailty!
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Missing the connection to our other Journey Study?
Catch up with Samson!
Digging Deeper is for Everyone!
1) Take this passage (or any other passage).
2) Read it, and the verses around it,
several times
3) Write down your questions
as you think of them.
4) Ask specific culture related questions and be ready to dig around for your answers. Google them, use www.studylight.org, or look them up in a study Bible and read the footnotes (click on the little letters next to a word and it will show you
other related verses!). (www.esvbible.org)
5) Check your applications with other trusted Christians that you are in community with and embrace the fullness of God
in your everyday!
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Why Dig Deeper?
Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.
In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!
Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.
Study Tools
We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources, providing the original Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament) with an English translation.
Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Discover “origin”, “definition” and hear the original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!
Want more background? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))
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