II Corinthians 12:1-13
Paul is clearly frustrated with the Corinthians and how easily they have been led astray by these “…most eminent apostles” (v. 11). In my previous years of reading II Corinthians I have wondered about Paul’s “boasting”, especially in these last few chapters that we have been reading. But as we have read, studied and pondered these chapters in smaller sections, I’ve come to see the depth of Paul’s anger at these false teachers and how they’ve captured some of Paul’s beloved Corinthians in their legalistic traps. With it all I now see Paul’s boasting as purely defensive. He is trying to make the case for himself as a “true apostle”, much more deserving of the Corinthians’ following than the false teachers. So his “boasting” is warranted. I’ve long had a problem with “tooting my own horn”, but as my friends have occasionally told me, it’s not “boasting” (bragging) if it’s true!
In Paul’s vision he speaks in the third person of “…a man in Christ”: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven… (v. 2a) Then later he seems to make it more first-person: So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations… (v. 7a, my emphasis added) So who is it, Paul or someone else? Scholars disagree, but his making it more personal in verse 7 sure leads me to believe that Paul is speaking of himself. And I daresay most conservative scholars would agree.
It’s amazing how much Paul put up with for the sake of the Gospel. Impressive…!
Slava Bohu!