Chapter 12 (Concluded)
Three times Paul besought the Lord that the “thorn” might depart from him; his action reminds us of the Lord’s thrice-uttered prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-4736Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me. 47And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. (Matthew 26:36‑47)), just before His betrayal. In the Lord’s prayer we see the fullest submission, as before Him was the awful suffering of Calvary, climaxed by His being forsaken of God (Luke 22:41-4541And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 42Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 43And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, (Luke 22:41‑45); Heb. 5:7-87Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared; 8Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; (Hebrews 5:7‑8)).
The trial about which the apostle had prayed—the thorn in his flesh for whose removal he asked, must have been something that he felt might interfere with his preaching.
“But ye know that in weakness of the flesh I announced the glad tidings to you at the first; and my temptation, which was in my flesh, ye did not slight nor reject with contempt; but ye received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What then was your blessedness? for I bear you witness that, if possible, plucking out your own eyes ye would have given them to me.” (JND)
We have such bad hearts that when God does not give what we ask for in prayer, the heart being much set upon having its desire, we may even rebel against the unsearchable wisdom that says “No!” to our desire. It was not so with the apostle; let it never be so with us who rejoice in the same precious Saviour and Lord.
“And He said to me, My grace suffices thee; for My power is perfected in weakness” (verse 9, JND). No accidental circumstance was the “thorn,” but part of the purpose of the Lord for the good of His servant, and for our blessing, if we are able and willing to learn by the trials of other saints. The grace of the Lord Jesus is enough to fill the believer’s heart with rapture. Most of the epistles close with the desire that that grace be with those addressed, and we may with profit turn to many scriptures which tell of this wondrous theme; among them are 2 Cor. 8:99For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9); Phil. 1:19-26; 2:1-11; 3:7-1419For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; 26That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. (Philippians 1:19‑26)
1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1‑11)
7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:7‑14); Col. 1:9-279For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; 12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 15Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: 16For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: 17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. 21And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: 25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: 27To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (Colossians 1:9‑27); 2 Tim. 2:11Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 2:1).
“Most gladly therefore will I rather boast in my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may dwell upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in necessities, in persecutions, in straits, for Christ; for when I am weak then I am powerful.” (verses 9-10, JND).
“Most gladly” —this is not the language of disappointment, but rather of one who has learned his Master’s will, and delights in it. And thoroughly had the lesson been learned. Paul’s weaknesses or infirmities (what was contrary to the strength of men, like his being lowered in a basket over the wall of Damascus) he would boast in, in order that the power of Him whom he served might dwell upon him.
Christian, cannot you and I learn deeply for ourselves here, as we pause to think of this pattern saint in circumstances which made nothing of self; of his applying day by day in himself the lesson he had learned in the matter of his thorn? O that much more of Christ and correspondingly less of self shall henceforth be seen in us in our ways and conversation! Little do most of us know practically of what the Apostle in verse 10, wrote, summing up the frequent experiences of his path as “weaknesses,” “insults,” “necessities,” “persecutions,” “straits,” for Christ; concerning all of which he could say that he took pleasure in them, for, said he, “when I am weak, then I am powerful.” Blessed man!
What an insight into the life of the apostle we have gained through the forced testimony from his pen that these chapters have contained!
“I have become a fool; ye have compelled me; for I ought to have been commended by you; for I have been nothing behind those who were in surpassing degree apostles, if also I am nothing. The signs indeed of the Apostle were wrought among you in all endurance, signs and wonders, and works of power” (verses 11-12, JND). There had been ample proof of an apostolic ministry during Paul’s years at Corinth, but if saints of God do not walk as becomes saints, that most blessed ministry of Christ will be without its proper effect.
“For in what is it that ye have been inferior to the other assemblies, unless that I myself have not been in laziness a charge upon you? Forgive me this injury. Behold, this third time I am ready to come to you, and I will not be in laziness a charge, for I do not seek yours, but you, for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. Now I shall most gladly spend and be utterly spent for your souls, if even in abundantly loving you I should be less loved” (verses 13-15, JND).
Thus the affections of the new nature in the apostle continued to flow, and would continue, with undiminished service for these saints whose worldly ways had given him much grief. Their low spiritual state appears again in the verses that follow. Paul, they said, did not himself burden them, but being crafty he took them by guile, so that through Titus or others, he might profit from the Corinthians. The charge was utterly false (verses 16-18).
“Ye have long been supposing” (or ye have of old supposed) “that we excuse ourselves to you; we speak before God in Christ, and all things, beloved, for your building up. For I fear lest perhaps coming I find you not such as I wish, and that I be found by you such as ye do not wish; lest (there might be) strifes, jealousies, angers, contentions, evil speakings, whisperings, puffings up, disturbances; lest my God should humble me as to you when I come again, and that I shall grieve over many of those who have sinned before, and have not repented as to the uncleanness and fornication and licentiousness which they have practiced” (verses 19-21, JND).
With this solemn foreboding, the chapter closes, and the epistle draws near to its end. Unsparingly sin had been dealt with in the first epistle, and many had humbled themselves as a result, but a deep work remained to be done, and the Lord’s servant warned those who had sinned before, and had not repented. There must be no compromise with sin where Christ is owned as Lord and Saviour.