WEAKNESS AND POWER

WEAKNESS AND POWER

“Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

The Bible word translated as “weakness” in this passage is “astheneia”. It can also translated as “infirmity”. It is found 24 times in the N.T. Scriptures. 7 times it is used in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians.

• Paul came to Corinth in weakness, fear and much trembling (1 Corinthians 2:3).
• When we die our bodies will be sown in weakness but raised in power (1 Corinthians 15:43).
• If Paul decided to glory, he would do so concerning his infirmities (2 Corinthians 11:30).
• In fact, Paul would only glory in his infirmities (2 Corinthians 12:5).
• God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
• Paul would gladly glory in his infirmities (2 Corinthians 12:9).
• Paul would also take pleasure in his infirmities (2 Corinthians 12:10).
• Regarding Jesus: “For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.” (2 Corinthians 13:4)

A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF PAUL

• Paul was originally called Saul.
• He was born a Roman citizen in the prominent city of Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 21:21:39).
• He was educated in Jerusalem under a famous Jewish teacher named Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).
• He advanced in school beyond many Jews of his own age (Galatians 1:14).
• He became a persecutor of Christians going from synagogue to synagogue compelling believers to blaspheme (Acts 26:11).
• He received authority from the chief priests to persecute Christians in Damascus (Acts 26:12).
• Jesus appeared to him on the Road to Damascus and called him to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 26:15-18). Saul became a believer and became an apostle to the Gentiles.
• The story of his conversion is found three times in the book of Acts (Acts 9:1-19; 22:1-16; 26:4- 18).
• His first missionary journey was with Barnabas and is described in (Acts 13:1 – 14:28).
• On this journey Saul’s name was changed to Paul (Acts 13:9).
• At this time Paul assumed leadership of the mission. Before Barnabas was always mentioned first - “Barnabas and Saul” (Acts 13:2). Now it was “Paul and his company” (Acts 13:13), or “Paul and Barnabas” (Acts 13:42).
• After healing a crippled man in Lystra, the people thought Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and Paul was the Greek god Hermes (Acts 14:12).
• They thought Paul was Hermes because he was the “chief speaker.” (Acts 24:12).
• These pagans believed Hermes was the swift messenger of the gods. They pictured him with wings on his shoes. Obviously Hermes was also eloquent as he was the messenger of the gods.
• We deduce from this that Paul was young, athletic, and eloquent like the Greek god Hermes!

PAUL’S WEAKNESS

“I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows —was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses. Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say.” (2 Corinthians 12:1-6)

• Paul said that he knew a man in Christ who 14 years before had been caught up into the third heaven. Obviously, he was talking about himself. The first heaven is where the birds fly (Genesis 1:8). The second heaven is where the stars are (Genesis 1:15). The third heaven is where God is!
• Paul didn’t know whether he was “in the body” or “out of the body”. That is, he didn’t know whether he was dead or alive.
• Please consider that Paul might well have been referring to what he experienced when he was stoned and left for dead in Lystra. “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.” (Acts 14:19-20)
• Remember! Lystra was where they thought Paul was the Greek god Hermes! It seems, however, that after he was stoned and left for dead, his jaws were broken so that he could no longer speak well, his eyesight was ruined, and his bodily presence was weak. “For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” (2 Corinthians 10:10)
• Perhaps Paul’s stoning explains his “thorn in the flesh”.
• It was because of an “infirmity” in his body that Paul first preached in Galatia (Galatians 4:13). The word translated as “infirmity” in this verse is “astheneia” which is the same word translated as “weakness” in 2 Corinthians 12.
• Paul’s “weakness” apparently also involved his eyes: “I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.” (Galatians 4:15) “See what large letters I write unto you with my own hand.” (Galatians 6:11)
• Another indication of Paul’s weak eyesight is found in his appearance before the Sanhedrin (Acts 23:1-5). The High Priest wore distinctive apparel described in Exodus 28, yet Paul stood in his presence without recognizing who he was.
• Also, the scars Paul had from his stoning were apparently obvious because he wrote: “Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear upon my body the marks of Jesus.” (Galatians 6:17)
• The Bible describes eight garments unique to the high priest (see Exodus 28). They are the ephod, breastplate, robe, tunic, turban, belt, crown, and pants. Yet Paul stood right in front of
• the high priest and did not know he was the high priest (Acts 23:5). Obviously Paul’s eyes were “weak”.
• Paul described his “weakness” as a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7) As you know, Paul “pleaded” with God three times to remove this thorn, but God used this “messenger from Satan” to magnify his ministry!
• Consequently, Paul wrote: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

A LESSON FROM GIDEON

Gideon had an army of 32,000 soldiers and was going to attack the Midianites who had an army of 135,000 (See Judges 7:1-3 and 8:10). God reduced the size of Gideon’s army for He said: “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her”. (Judges 7:2)

Under the direct guidance of God Gideon attacked the Midianites with only 300 men and God gave them the victory! God’s strength was manifest in Gideon’s weakness!

There is an old joke about the preacher who read the words of Jesus in Mark 11:24: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” The thought occurred to the preacher that he could fly like a bird. So he got a ladder and climbed to the top of the highest building in town. He was jus ready to jump when he looked down and saw a bird take off from the ground. The bird didn’t need a ladder to climb a tall building in order to fly. At that point God gave him wisdom.

We must try the spirits for there are many false prophets that have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1). God has deliberately made us to be skeptical so we won’t be deceived by Satan. So gave Gideon supernatural signs as evidence to prove to him that he was really dealing with God. Any time you are tempted to do something that seemed contrary to common sense, you need a sign from God. Here is the “evidence” God have Gideon:

• First, an angel produced supernatural fire (Judges 6:20-22).
• Then, at Gideon’s request, a fleece of wool was covered with dew while the ground around it was dry (Judges 6:36-38).
• Then, also at Gideon’s request, the fleece of wool was dry while the ground around it was wet (Judges 6:39-40).
• Finally - “During that night the Lord said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” (Judges 7:9-11)
• Please don’t do anything contrary to common sense without a sign from God!
• Paul gave great care in analyzing his thorn in the flesh. He had suffered weakness and pain for 14 years and specifically pleaded with God three times to take away this thorn. When God did not do so it dawned upon Paul that his weakness gave him to the power of God that was able to do far more than he could ask or imagine.

THE PROMISE OF POWER

• Before ascending into heaven Jesus promised His disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
• The word “power” occurs 119 times in the N.T. Scriptures.
• With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Acts 4:33).
• Stephen was a man full of faith and power (Acts 6:8).
• Jesus told Paul: “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. ‘Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (Acts 26:15-18)
• Paul wrote to the Romans: “Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:17-19)
• To the Corinthians he wrote: “And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)
• Paul prayed for the Ephesians that the eyes of their heart might be opened to the incomparably great power available to us who believe. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to us (Ephesians 1:17-23).
• Please consider Paul’s prayer: “For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21)
• To the Philippians he wrote: “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)
• To the Colossians: “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through
• all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1:9-14)
• To the Thessalonians: “For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:4-6)
• To Timothy: “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.” (2 Timothy 1:7-8)
• THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE MANY SCRIPTURES PROMISING US POWER!

MOSES AND THE POWER OF GOD

• God promised Abram that his descendants would be enslaved and mistreated 400 years in a country not their own, but God promised to punish that nation and liberate his descendants and give them great possessions (Genesis 15:13-14).
• At the time drew near for God to fulfill His promise to Abraham “Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.” (Acts 7:20-29)
• Please remember that Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
• The book of Hebrews reminds us that “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:24-27)
• In Midian Moses was a shepherd tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law (Exodus 3:1)
• Remember! “All shepherds are detestable to the Egyptian.” (Genesis 46:34)
• It was at that time that God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and told him “Take off your sandals”. (Exodus 3:5) Moses put on his sandals when he went to work, and took off his sandals when his work was over. This symbolism was to teach Moses that God was going to work for him to deliver Israel from bondage.
• Then God told Moses “Go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelite out of Egypt.” (Exodus 3:10).
• In Exodus 4:1-17 God gave Moses a series of “signs” to convince him to do what seemed irrational.
• Moses was 80 years old at this time and never did he seem more weak and unqualified to deliver Israel, but God’s power was manifest in his weakness!
• Moses had a shepherd’s staff in his hand and God decided to use that lowly shepherd’s staff to perform miracles (Exodus 4:17).
• That lowly shepherd’ staff was used to bring about 5 of the 10 plagues and when the Israelites came to the Red Sea God told Moses: “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelite can go through the sea on dry ground.” (Exodus 14:16)
• Even after crossing the Sea God used this “staff of God” to triumph over the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13).
• THERE IS NO DOUBT – THE POWER OF GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE WEAKNESS OF MOSES!

JESUS AND THE POWER OF GOD

• Jesus was a prophet like Moses. Moses said: “The Lord your God will raise up a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him.” (Deuteronomy 18:15)
• The Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levite to ask if John the Baptist was “The Prophet” predicted by Moses. John answered “no” (John 1:21).
• Peter corrected identified Jesus as this prophet! “Now, fellow Israelites, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Messiah would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’” (Acts 3:17-23)
• In 1938 Sociologist Willard Waller identified what he called “The Principle of Least Interest.” In 1972 a major study confirmed the truth of this principle. The basic idea is that in a relationship between people, the person with the least interest has the most power. For example, a young man falls madly in love with a girl he met in school. She is his only girl friend, but she is very popular and is dating a dozen different boys. Because he loves her more than she loves him, she is in a position of power.
• BECAUSE JESUS LOVES US MORE THAN WE LOVE HIM THIS PUTS US IN A POSITION OF POWER. “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:16)
• “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)
• THERE IS NO DOUBT – JESUS CAME WITH LOVE AND NOT POWER!
• When Jesus was born in the manger at Bethlehem he was utterly helpless. He could not feed himself or even hold up his head without help.
• Because He loved the world more than the world loved Him we had the power to nail Him to a cross.
• His human weakness, however, unleashed the power of God! “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11)
• Napoleon was a great warrior who conquered the world of his day. He reflected upon Jesus and wrote: “I know men and I tell you, Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded his empire upon love; and at this hour, millions would die for him.”
• Remember – Jesus came the first time as a Lamb (John 1:29), but He is coming back as a Lion (Revelation 5:5).

GOD IS ALL POWERFUL

• While Jesus emptied Himself of power when He became a human infant, God never lost one bit of His power.
• God is “Omnipotent”, He is “all powerful” (Revelation 19:6). God does whatever He wants to do (Psalms 115:3; Isaiah 55:11); Nothing is too hard for God (Jeremiah 32:17; Genesis 18:14). Etc.
• God is “Omniscient”, He is “all knowing”. His understanding has no limit (Psalms 147:5). Nothing in creation is hidden from His sight (Hebrews 4:12-13). He knows everything (1 John 3:20). God even knows the future (1 Samuel 10:2; 1 Kings 13:1-4; 2 Kings 8:12; etc.)
• God is also “Omnipresent.” He is “everywhere at the same time”. While this truth is stated many times in the Bible these inspired words of David should suffice: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” (Psalms 139:7-12)
• As we have said, Jesus came the first time as a sacrificial Lamb (John 1:29), but He is coming back as a Lion (Revelation 5:5).
• The second coming of Christ is mentioned over 300 times in the New Testament Scriptures.
• When Paul wrote his first letter to the Thessalonians he mentioned the second coming in every chapter: (1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2:19; 3:13; 4;15-18; 5:1-5).
• The Thessalonian Christians were suffering persecutions and trials from the unbelievers (I Thessalonians 1:6; 2:14-16; 2 Thessalonians 1:4, etc.) To encourage them Paul wrote: “God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10)
• Peter gave this warning: “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.” (2 Peter 3:3-14)