Boast in the Things That Glorify God

Boast in the Things That Glorify God

Date: Dec. 3, 2021

Passage

2 Corinthians 11:16-33 (ESV)

16 I repeat, let no one think me foolish. But even if you do, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a little. 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but as a fool. 18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! 20 For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face. 21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that!

But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, 33 but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 11:30

If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

The Corinthians—in their self-assured wisdom—tolerated the exploitative, self-promoting, and intimidating leadership of false teachers in the church while rejecting Paul’s servant leadership. Paul gently rebuked their foolishness to help them gain true wisdom. They should discern the difference between just humanly impressive false teachers and humble, self-sacrificing apostles like himself. Indeed, Paul’s human credentials as an apostle were far superior to that of the false apostles, but he did not boast about that.

Rather, Paul boasted about his sufferings for Christ such as being beaten, put in jail, being hungry, cold, and naked. He boasted about the dangers he faced for the gospel. Out of a shepherd heart, Paul agonized in prayer for the weak and inwardly burdened to rescue God’s sheep from sin and heresy. We want to boast of our success or strength and hide our weakness. But Paul boasted of the things that showed his weakness, mentioning his helpless escape from Damascus by others’ help. By suffering for Christ, Paul became mature and grew in the image of Jesus, the good Shepherd; his boast of weakness revealed God’s power and his grace. A true servant of God is not the one who talks big but who suffers for Christ.

Prayer: Prayer: Lord, help me not to suffer for my sins but suffer joyfully for Christ and his kingdom, only boasting in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One Word: One Word: Boast Christ and his grace and power

A Plague of Hungry Locusts

Joel 1:1-20

Key Verse: 1:4

  What the cutting locust left,
    the swarming locust has eaten.
  What the swarming locust left,
    the hopping locust has eaten,
  and what the hopping locust left,
    the destroying locust has eaten.

Today's Question

What are we specifically taught in the first commandment by the words before me?

See answer and references

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