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2 Corinthians – Paul’s PEP
For those of you who do not know me well, let me forewarn you that sometimes a little seriousness gets mixed in with my silliness. Wait…that didn’t come out right. Sometimes a little silliness gets mixed in with my seriousness. Yes, that’s works better. So let both begin.
Poor pitiful Paul pleads profusely. Proficiently proffering purposeful preaching, plus personal pain, Paul personally profits…preaching, proclaiming, but not peddling. Paul, properly placing perspective pleases his Paradigm.
OK, that’s plenty enough with my patent patois pleasure. But please put in plain words how Paul could persist among such a plethora of personally painful problems? The answer is that Paul had PEP. I personally posit that Paul’s PEP provided him the power to persevere.
OK, I really done playing this time…probably.
I. PAUL’S PROBLEMS
Let’s begin with Paul’s Problems. Before we can appreciate Paul’s PEP, we have to be aware of why he needed it.
Outward Problems – from the World
- 1:5 – the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance
- 1:8 – we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength
- 1:9 – we had the sentence of death within ourselves
- 6:4-5 – in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger,
- 7:5 – Our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side
- 11:23-33
Outward Problems – from the Church
- 3:1 – Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
- 6:11-12 – Our mouth has spoken freely to you, O Corinthians, our heart is opened wide. You are not restrained by us, but you are restrained in your own affections. Now in a like exchange – I speak as to children – open wide to us also.
- 7:2 – Make room for us in your hearts; we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.
- 10:10 – For they say, “His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive, and his speech contemptible.”
Inward Problems – for the Church
- 11: 3 – But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.
- 11:28-29 – there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?
- 12:21 – I am afraid that when I come again my God may humiliate me before you, and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity, immorality, and sensuality which they have practiced.
Inwards Problems – from and for himself
- 1:8 – we despaired even of life.
- 2:4 – Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears
- 7:5 – conflicts without, fears within
Those are the problems presented to Paul. How did he persevere? Paul’s PEP!
Since dyslexia runs in my family, let’s begin sdrawkcab which works well since PEP is a palindrome.
Of course if I was a good dyslexic and I tried to start backwards I would actually begin at the beginning….
Whether at the beginning or end, let’s look at Paul’s PEP by beginning with Paul’s Perspective.
I. PAUL’S PERSPECTIVE
What we could do if we had the time, would be to show a detailed perspective on life, himself, and others by Paul, and how this was related to his expectations and paradigm. Unfortunately we do not have the time to do this – but you can in your own personal studies.
A. Paul’s Perspective On Life
Perspective, also known as perception (there I go again), viewpoint, and outlook, shapes our attitude. Remember, attitude is a choice, a decision purposely made by me. Pay attention to the paradoxical perspectives on several dichotomies:
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NASB (16) Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. (17) For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, (18) while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Pay attention to the Opposite Contrasts:
- Outer Man versus Inner Man.
- Decaying versus Renewed.
- Momentary versus Eternal.
- Affliction versus Glory.
- Light versus Beyond All Comparison.
- Seen versus Not Seen
- Temporal Versus Eternal.
We live all those! We have an outer man and an inner man. We live in a decaying body while our spirit is renewed. The question is, which side do our decisions become more influenced by? Which side shapes our perspective on life? Can our decision making ability be enhanced if our perspective if more black and white? Could we handle life’s problems better is our perspective was more black and white? Life is made up of contrasts. Sometimes our perspective needs to be black and white, instead of intermediate shades of gray. Yes, life can be complicated. And yes again, sometimes we are in need of the wisdom of Solomon. However, do we sometimes complicate beyond the obvious because we do not like the obvious choice? Do we feel sorry for ourselves, or take the easy route, because our perspective is too this worldly? Sometimes we need to simplify as much as possible.
What is Paul’s Perspective when simplified to its barest form? Everything to the glory of God:
- 2 Corinthians 4:15 NASB (15) … so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God.
In verse 17, there appears to be another comparison, slightly ironic contrast, one I did not mention above. Maybe we could even say possibly sarcastic – as Paul later on will be. Or perhaps, it is just a play on definitions. The word affliction, (1:4, 8; 2:4; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4; 8:2,13) literally means, “pressure.” Paul uses it to refer to the “pressures” of preaching: persecution, personal heartache, and possibly even poverty. In other words, life itself presents problems which pressure us, wear on us heavily, burdening our bodies, minds, and souls.
How should we view such afflictions? What is our perspective?
Paul places light affliction in contrast with weight of glory. Weight is only translated as a “weight” in this passage. Normally, the translation is “burden.”
Now here is where perspective helps us out. The weight of glory is beyond all comparison. No other weight, no other pressure, no other affliction, can even compare. Now why is this so? All of the other contrasts show our future glory to be weightier. That’s why Paul could say, Therefore we do not lose heart. Paul’s perspective on life was …so that the grace which is spreading to more and more people may cause the giving of thanks to abound to the glory of God. (2 Cor.4:15).
Let’s keep progressing.
II. PAUL’S EXPECTATIONS
Perspective comes from Expectations. What were Paul’s expectations of God, himself, others, and life in general? What were his expectations of life here and now, versus later?
Perspective comes from Expectations. What are our expectations? What do we expect from this life and from our God? Let me ask a question that should clear our minds, and hush our mouths. Should we expect God to bless us more than He blessed His Son while on this earth?
What do we expect for the future?
Could we learn about our expectations by looking back at our perspectives? YES!
Perspective comes from Expectations. Does God expect us to obey despite our outward circumstances and afflictions? Do we expect this of ourselves?
This expectation of God is not cold-hearted, but realistic – because our perspective is not just this world, not on the outward, decaying, momentary and temporal.
Therefore we can expect afflictions due to the outward, decaying, momentary and temporal.
Look at Paul’s Expectations of life here and now, but with a glimpse to the future. Look at how expected the bad, but did not expect the bad to outweigh the good. Look at how his expectations colored his perspective:
2 Corinthians 4:7-14 NASB (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; (8) we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; (9) persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; (10) always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. (11) For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (12) So death works in us, but life in you. (13) But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, (14) knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.
Notice the expectations of Paul looked at the present and the future. The present problems would not overpower him because he expected the future will present healing.
2 Corinthians 5:1 NASB For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Paul also expected a judgment day. That realization presented to him a reason to be reconciled to God:
2 Corinthians 5:9-10 NASB (9) Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
That expectation also pointed to persuading others to profit from a relationship with Jesus:
2 Corinthians 5:11 NASB (11) Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences.
Paul’s expectations were not all passive. He didn’t view life as simply things happening to him. He expected himself to be active for the glory of God.
- 1:4 – so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
IV. PAUL’S PARADIGM – THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST
Paul’s expectations were not unreasonable. They were based upon God’s Promises (2 Cor.7:1) and Christ’s Paradigm. Our expectations are based upon both. However, for this lesson, I chose to emphasize the paradigm of Jesus instead of the Promises of God because I think that is the emphasis of 2 Corinthians.
Why can we expect God’s promises? Because of our Paradigm. A paradigm is an example, model, outstandingly clear or typical example. Our paradigm is our pattern or example. So as we look at the perspective of Paul, he can become our paradigm for our perspective. But of course, we know that his paradigm was Divine. Therefore ultimately, our paradigm is Christ:
- (2 Corinthians 1:5 NASB) For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
- (2 Corinthians 1:19 NASB) For the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who was preached among you by us–by me and Silvanus and Timothy–was not yes and no, but is yes in Him.
- (2 Corinthians 2:10 NASB) But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ,
- (2 Corinthians 2:14 NASB) But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
- (2 Corinthians 2:15 NASB) For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
- (2 Corinthians 4:6 NASB) For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
- (2 Corinthians 5:14 NASB) For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;
- (2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
- (2 Corinthians 8:9 NASB) For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
- (2 Corinthians 8:23 NASB) As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brethren, they are messengers of the churches, a glory to Christ.
- (2 Corinthians 10:1 NASB) Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ–I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent!
- (2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB) And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
- (2 Corinthians 12:10 NASB) Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.
If our paradigm focused more on the inner, renewed, eternal, “man” then should we?
The only way that Paul could be pleased with the weight of glory that was to come is by wanting to please and imitate his paradigm, his example.
Therefore Paul was not poor, nor should he be pitied. That’s the proper perspective on him, ourselves, and our lives. So remember Paul’s PEP – Paradigm, Expectations, Perspective.
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