B, Post Pentecost 7 Proper 9 - 2 Corinthinans 12:2-10 "Super-Self"
Paul addresses those at Corinth to
hang onto the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ and avoid Satan who acts as an “angel of light”. He confronts these people who
teach contrary to his teaching and tempt others away from trusting God’s word. Those who do this, Paul calls super-apostles. These are folk who work superiority over others,
forcing folk to follow their ways, contrary to the ways of God. These people are super-selves and encourage
others to super-size their egos too!!
In our age of individualism and
self-glorification of the individual, super-apostleship is arguably just as prevalent,
if not more so, than when Paul addressed the Corinthians.
How can you and I safeguard ourselves
from super-apostles? But more importantly,
how does a person protect themselves from inadvertently becoming a super-apostle,
or a super-self?
This is the issue Paul needed to
pursue at Corinth. He has come under
attack by these super-selves, so he defends the apostleship to which he is
called by God. But he has to do it without
falling into the same trap as those who have become super-apostles, false-apostles,
false-teachers of God’s word. Paul’s aim
is to create true disciples, true believers, or Christians who stand under God’s
word, under Jesus Christ, rather than under him. Sub-selves of Jesus, or disciples, rather than
super-selves!
This is why Paul speaks to the
Corinthians in what might seem peculiar to our ears. He refers to himself as a fool. As one who has no mind, out of his mind, or
has no understanding. This is a very
strange way to defend the faith, you might think!
He speaks of a man caught up to
the third heaven or paradise of whom he will not boast. Paul speaks here of himself, apart from himself,
not to boast of the things God has done with him to prepare him for his
apostleship under the cross. But Paul
boasts in his foolishness, nothingness, weakness, and the harassment of Satan
in his thorn in his flesh, to stop him boasting and becoming conceited in the
flesh of himself.
To stop him from becoming a
super-apostle within himself, Paul appeals to this suffering selflessness. Rather than be a super-self, Paul proclaims
his suffering-self!
But Paul even goes further by
saying, “Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least
inferior to these super-apostles. Even
if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way
we have made this plain to you in all things.” (2
Corinthians 11:5–6 ESV)
Paul calls himself “unskilled in
speaking”, this is literally an “idiot in speaking”, and ignoramus! He goes on to question and say of the weakness
and foolishness of his flesh, “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. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they
Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I am a better
one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labours, far more
imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.” (2 Corinthians 11:21b–23 ESV)
What Paul is comparing himself to
is the “idiotes” (id-ee-o-tace)or nothingness
of Christ. Not that Christ was nothing,
but that Jesus Christ selflessly put his divinity aside and became “absolutely nothing”
to save you, me, Paul, and the Corinthians.
This flies in the face of any super-apostle. The super-self within all of us, seeks to be
outstanding in position and perception, rather than understanding or being submissive
and subordinate, under the knowledge of Christ.
The knowledge of a super-self will come from a glorified hyper-sense of
self. One’s knowledge is not of Jesus Christ but of what
one thinks is good or evil. Rather than
submit to a fool like Saint Paul or any other “idiot” to whom Paul submits,
they position themselves, second to no one, serving only if it is to benefit of
the super-self.
The desire of super-apostles will
always be to tempt others away from humility and faithful submission to God, to
a faithfulness in other things or persons.
They use scandalous scams that lure the vainglory of the old sinful super-self,
within each of us, to covet pleasure, popularity, and prosperity of various
kinds. This is emotionalism! The super-apostle wants the
person they tempt, to think like them, to be emotional, so they can control them with their "superior
ways and beliefs".
With the growing rejection of
Christ-centred faith in the world today, individualism and the super-self, sees
the cross of Jesus Christ as a scandal.
This should not be a surprise to us, as the people of Nazareth, Jesus
own kin, saw him as a scandal. But it’s
this very scandal that Paul and all Christ-centred people continue, suffer, and
persevere in patience, waiting for the hope of eternal glory.
So, to protect ourselves from
super-apostles, as well as becoming super-selves, we need to invoke a test,
first on ourselves and then on those who come to us seeking to teach us
something! The test is simple: Test by
asking, “Where is the glory going!” “Is it
going to God alone or to somewhere or someone else?” It’s as simple as that!
However, we need to do this,
because we still need to be taught. We are still learners, disciples! The other
danger that we face in this age of individualism is to further promote the old
Adam, the super-self, and cut ourselves off from true sources of teaching, that
God puts in place.
Rather than be misinformed by a
super-apostle, we can also cut ourselves off from God the Holy Spirit’s work,
by being uninformed without the word of God, and continuing in this uninformed state,
we quickly revert back to having the malformed mind of a super-self, separated from
God and his word.
You and I need to be daily
carried from the individualism of the super-self, back into the word of God, by
the Holy Spirit.
As there were in Paul’s day,
there are many today who, use the word of God in a way contrary to the way the
prophets, Paul and the apostles, as well as many mum, dad, and children disciples,
who have sought and continue to seek being faithful servants of God.
Rather than support you in repentance,
confession of sin, and belief in Christ’s forgiveness of sin, super-selves and
super-apostles who masquerade as “angels of light” under Satan, will give the
sense that Christians shouldn’t struggle and suffer with sin. They will seek subtle ways of putting
themselves between God and his word. Probably
by using God and his word, just as the devil sought to do against Jesus, and
countless others since.
As your pastor, I know that you
all have been caught up into the third heaven, to paradise, when God baptised
you into the holy priesthood of all believers.
I also know as your pastor; you have been given thorns in the flesh. That, super-apostles and your super-self, harass
you, torment and seek to tempt you, within the church, to be without the Holy Spirit
and the word of God. Or, to add laws to
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
But as Jesus says to Paul, he says
to us all, “My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a ESV)
This is what God the Son promises
you in his Holy Baptism. His cross is
sufficient for you. The Holy Spirit was
Jesus’ perfect power, to, and through, the scandal of the cross. This same Holy Spirited power is sufficient for
you for your forgiveness of sin, life and salvation.
Therefore, in your weaknesses
let the power of Christ rest upon you, as you reject the super-apostle and daily
drown the super-self within. Amen.
