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Transcript
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
Boasting in Weaknesses, Part 1
2 Corinthians 11:16–33
Please turn in your bibles to 2 Corinthians 11…. 2 Corinthians 11…I’ll begin reading in
verse 16. Follow along as I read…. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 16…
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.
___________
Welcome to game day at the ‘Boast Bowl’….
1
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
Our matchup this morning is the Apostle Paul (who founded the church of Corinth) against the
super apostles (who hope to steal the hearts of the Corinthians). The stakes are high. Who can
win the hearts of the crowd with the best boasting? Will it be the Apostle Paul, a reluctant
contestant on the field? Or will it be the super apostles who live to boast—indeed boasting is
their native language. The game promises to be close and it’s really anybody’s guess who will be
the winner. As I said, the stakes are high. The stadium is filled with members of the Corinthian
church. And the winning team in the Boast Bowl will win the hearts of the Corinthians.
Now this introduction, as you already know, is over the top tongue-in-cheek1. But in my way of
thinking it does seem to reflect what’s happening in the closing chapters of 2 Corinthians.
Paul, the apostle, the spiritual father of the Corinthian church has found himself in an unusual
place. “If the Corinthians will not put up with (me) when (I’m) wise and (when I) speak
according to the Lord, perhaps they will put up with me when (I) act the fool and boast in the
same manner as my opponents.”2 You see Paul is a reluctant boaster. Boasting is for fools and
he’s no fool. But he will go to almost any length to win the Corinthians’ hearts and if that
means fighting fire with fire then he will fight fire with fire. He will boast if it will win their
hearts. He will play the game his opponents play but we’re going to see that he does a pretty
amazing thing. He’s going to turn boasting on its head and he’s going to boast about his
weaknesses.
As I said, Paul is a reluctant boaster. And we’ll see that in the way he expresses himself this
morning. He knows that Christian boasting is different from worldly boasting. He knows that
Christian boasting boasts in the Lord, the work of the Lord and the cross3. Everything else is
foolish and worldly boasting. And foolish and worldly boasting is all about accomplishments
and skills and abilities: “Look at what I can do”…. ‘Look at what I can accomplish’
Well let’s look at verse 16 where Paul begins to lay a foundation for the boasting that he will
do..
16 I
repeat, let no one think me foolish. Paul knows that a fool boasts in himself. Paul knows
that a fool boasts in his own accomplishments, always bragging about what he has done. Paul
knows that a fool says there is no God4. Well Paul would never want to be seen as a fool… let
no one think me foolish he says…But even if you do (even if you think me foolish), he’s
1
With ironic or flippant intent
Garland
3 Justin Langley sermon, 2 Cor. 10:13-18
4
Psalm 14:1; Psalm 53:1-5
2
2
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
speaking facetiously…if you do see me as a fool, accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast a
little.
“I hate to be thought of as a fool….Paul says… someone who has lost his senses5..., but if I’m
seen as a fool by you Corinthians, I hope I’ll get a fool’s hearing so that I too may boast a little.”
Said differently Paul seems to be saying… “I really don’t want to boast about myself, I really
don’t want to boast about my accomplishments and be seen as a fool by you, but if I’m seen as
a fool, and it almost seems inevitable that I will be, I ask that you accept me as a fool, O
Corinthians, so that I can have a platform to boast.”
I’m going to enter the ‘Boast bowl’ for your sake Corinthians and I’m going to take on the super
apostles at their own game. Because they boast, I’ll boast too!” What he doesn’t explain
upfront is how his boasting is going to be really different. He’s going to turn boasting upside
down.
Verse 17… 17 What I am saying with this boastful confidence, I say not as the Lord would but
as a fool. In other words, ‘Corinthians, I realize that this isn’t the way the Lord would do it; this
isn’t the Lord’s way of doing things. It’s a fool’s way of doing things’
Verse 18…18 Since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast. Since the super
apostles are boasting according to human standards, I too will boast according to human
standards.6 To beat the super apostles at their game, I’ll join them so I can gain your ear.
Verse 19 For you gladly bear with fools, being wise yourselves! Paul’s words drip with
sarcasm. He doesn’t think they are wise as they gladly bear with fools! He thinks they are fools
for bearing with fools!
Verse 19 kind of gives us another reason that Paul is forced to take up foolish, worldly boasting.
It’s because the Corinthians, in their so-called wisdom, like listening to fools! Isn’t that what
verse 19 says? ‘You cheerfully put up with fools, you wise Corinthians, you!’7… You do a great
job tolerating fools, you wise Corinthians! So I’ll be a fool to win your hearing.
Well in the next verse, verse 20, Paul tells the Corinthians that their off-the-chart tolerance
goes way too far!
5
Baker, W. R.
6
Guthrie
7
Guthrie
3
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
20 For
you bear it if someone makes slaves of you…And just a passing note… by the way the
Greek is written in verse 20, this conditional situation if someone makes slaves of you… and
the other four situations that follow in verse 20, these situations represent real circumstances
in the church…they represent what is actually taking place in the Corinthian church. Again we
know that from the way the Greek is written8… if someone makes slaves of you…he’s probably
speaking figuratively here but his point is there’s been a loss of freedom in the church since the
super apostles came to town with their different gospel… or devours you…literally, ‘eats you
up’9….Does this have to do with resources being wasted like the prodigal son devouring his
father’s resources, Luke 15:30? Or is this one person tearing up another person in conflict? Or
thirdly, could this refer to the super apostles gobbling up the community’s resources? We don’t
know which of the three options it is but we do know it’s bad…., or takes advantage of
you…literally, ‘if a certain person takes you’…is this someone kidnapping another? Or capturing
them spiritually? Again we can’t be certain but it sounds pretty ominous… or puts on
airs…exalting themselves or acting arrogantly, or strikes you in the face. You know what the
Greek beneath ‘a strike in the face’ means literally? It means a strike in a face! The super
apostles had even resorted to physical abuse!
These interlopers, these super apostles who had weaseled their way into the Corinthian
congregation, were ‘slavers, gluttons, pocket-stuffers, swaggerers and face slappers.’10 And the
Corinthians seemed to tolerate it gladly. As the KJV says it, “They suffer fools gladly”
21 To
my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! (Again note the sarcasm)… But
whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that.
Again Paul says he is going to take the super apostles on at their own game (even though he’s
way reluctant to do so.) He’s going to take them on in the ‘Boast Bowl’--what they dare to
boast of, I will dare to boast of.”
Well it’s here at verse 22 that Paul begins what is known as his “Fool’s Speech”. And his speech
goes all the way through chapter 12, verse 10. He announces his “Fool’s speech” near the end
of verse 21…Do you see that?... I’m speaking as a fool… Well his so-called “fool’s speech” will
continue through chapter 12, verse 10.
8
Guthrie, G. H. (2015). 2 Corinthians. (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.) (p. 539). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. Each clause consists of
εἴ τις (ei tis, if a certain person) followed by a present-tense verb in the indicative mood. When the subordinate conjunction εἴ is used with the
indicative in this way, the construction marks a real condition, so Paul writes about a real, rather than a hypothetical, situation going on in the
church.
9 Guthrie
10
College Press
4
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
Now what we’re going to see in Paul’s ‘Fool Speech’ is really interesting. Let me describe it up
front. What we’re going to see is that Paul will begin by boasting about some of his bona fide
identity strengths--he’s a Hebrew, he’s a Jew, he’s an offspring of Abraham—and then he’ll
transition without fanfare to an ‘extensive set of weaknesses experienced (over) the course of
his ministry.’11 We’ll watch as Paul is more than glad to stand on equal footing with the super
apostles regarding his identity. But when he begins to talk about his Christian ministry, he turns
a corner. He makes the point that his Christian ministry is superior to that of the super
apostles—and it’s a superiority based on weakness!12 Again this is unexpected. “After pulling
his audience along in a way that might be expected, he turns the tables and begins emphasizing
the difficulties and suffering of ministry as badges of (his) authenticity (as an apostle)”13
Let’s take a look….
Verse 22…..22 Are they Hebrews? This question could mean two possible things… It could mean
“Are they Jews who originated in Palestine?” Or it could mean, “Do they speak Hebrew?” 14 Paul
replies…So am I. Are they Israelites? In other words, “Are they God’s covenant people who
shared in a unique and special tradition and history?”15 So am I. Are they offspring of
Abraham? In other words… “Are they children of the promise?” So am I. So far so good! Boast
to boast they are equal! The score is tied in the ‘Boast Bowl”
23 Are
they servants of Christ? Now here is the hinge on which Paul’s transition turns. Are they
servants of Christ? I am a better one—as quickly as he said those words…as quickly as he
heard himself boast like a fool…I am a better one….he says out loud I am talking like a
madman—I’m out of my mind to talk like this… and then he launches… with far greater labors,
far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death…often staring death
in the face! Whoa! What kind of strengths are those? Isn’t Paul boasting about his
weaknesses?
Now some have argued, “Wait a minute!” Paul’s not really boasting of his weaknesses here.
Don’t all these hardships—imprisonments, countless beatings, facing death regularly—don’t all
these hardships show Paul’s indomitable perseverance? Don’t all these hardships show Paul’s
strength of character? Aren’t these really evidences of his strength rather than weaknesses? In
our culture that would be the case wouldn’t it? Well here’s the thing…in the culture of Paul’s
day, these hardships would have been classified as ‘indicators of failure’—anybody who has
11
Guthrie
Guthrie
13 Guthrie
14 Garland
15
Guthrie
12
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10/16/2016
those kinds of hardships is a failure-- or as ‘indicators of weakness rather than strength’16
“That one’s body was whipped and therefore whippable constituted evidence of suspect
character.”17 Said differently, “Paul’s whippability…marked him as dishonorable, even
contemptable.” 18
These hardships that Paul catalogues are ‘weaknesses’. Well in verses 24-25 Paul gets specific
24 Five
times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. The ‘forty lashes
less one’ was a unique Jewish punishment administered in the synagogue and it was the most
severe beating allowed by scripture, Deut. 25:1-3.19 The guilty person was to be beaten ‘with
the number of stripes in proportion to his offense up to 40.’ According to the rabbis, it was to
be administered ‘with a strap of 3 hide thongs, 2/3 on the back and 1/3 on the front of the
offender.20 Paul paid a tremendous price for going to the synagogues, didn’t he?
25 Three
times I was beaten with rods. Rods were a Roman form of punishment. ‘In carrying
out a sentence, a lector, the attendant of the magistrate, carried….a bundle of elm or birch rods
and an axe. Criminals were flogged with the rods, and at times the axe was used for
beheading’21
Once I was stoned. We have record of that in Acts 14. Paul was taken outside the city of
Lystra, stoned and left for dead. But when the disciples surrounded him, he rose up and….gave
up the ministry…….no, unbelievably he went back into the city…
Three times I was shipwrecked…the shipwreck in Acts 27 would have been a fourth….
Shipwrecks were not unusual in the first century—the ships were fragile, navigation was poor,
and maps were misleading22….a night and a day I was adrift at sea…probably clinging to
floating debris from one of the wrecks….
Verse 2626 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my
own people….the Jews…. danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness,
danger at sea, danger from false brothers…the dangers Paul enumerates fall into two basic
categories: places and people. Paul experienced danger everywhere he went—rivers, the city,
16
Guthrie
Glancy, ‘Boasting of Beatings’ Logos article
18 Glancy, ‘Boasting of Beatings’ Logos article
17
19
Hughes
Bruce as quoted by Guthrie
21
Guthrie
22
Hughes
20
6
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10/16/2016
the wilderness, the sea. But it was people rather than places that were the greatest
dangers…robbers, fellow Jews, Gentiles…false brothers23
The word ‘danger’ is a key word in verse 26 isn’t it? The only other place the word is used in
the New Testament is in Romans 8:35, a passage also written by Paul.
35 Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
I want to come back to this thought at the end our time.
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?
Someone has suggested that Paul’s greatest experience of suffering occurred in his pastor’s
heart.24 His pastoral concern extended to every church and every person he knew in each
church. He felt a daily pressure from the anxiety he carried for all the churches. Who is weak,
and I am not weak? If one of the weak members stumbled in his or her Christian walk, Paul
lived it out as if he was weak too. He was often thrust into weakness.25 Paul felt with his people;
he was never indifferent. He was bound to others and shared in their condition.
Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? When anyone was led astray and made to fall, he
felt it deeply. “Paul was bound to his churches and each of their members, so that he
participated heart and soul in all that they experienced.”26
30 If
I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. Hasn’t this been Paul’s
main point in these verses? I will boast of the things that show, that demonstrate, that
showcase, that display my weakness. Why? Because in my weaknesses the matchless grace of
God is put on display. In my weaknesses I become strong with the grace that God supplies.
When I am weak, 2 Corinthians 12:10 a verse that we’ll cover in two weeks, then I am strong.
23
Hughes
Hughes
25
Seifrid
26
Seifrid
24
7
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
31 The
God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.
Why does Paul feel the need to punctuate what he says in verse 30—I will boast of the things
that show my weakness—with the oath that he gives in verse 31—God…knows I am not lying?
Because he wants the Corinthians to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is his true
posture in ministry: he boasts in the events that display his weakness.
And so he turns to one of those events in verses 32-33, an event that occurred early in his
ministry. And then in the first ten verses of 2 Corinthians 12 he mentions a second event that
displayed his weakness—the vision he was given of the third heaven.
Well let’s look at the event he mentions from his early days in ministry that displayed his
weakness.
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.
Simple enough, right? We know that Paul was converted on the road to Damascus. We also
know that he spent his first days as a believer and Christian minister there (Acts 9:9–24). We
know that he left Damascus to spend some time in Arabia27, probably preaching the Word of
God there. And we know that he returned to Damascus. Well sometime after returning to
Damascus—again he is a new believer-- he got crosswise with the authority over the city, the
governor under King Aretas… and they set a guard to seize Paul. And he had to flee by being
let down in a basket through the wall (Acts 9:25; 2 Cor. 11:32–33).28
So he went to Damascus as a proud Pharisee to seek and destroy Christians but he left the city
like a lowly criminal, ‘lowered like a catch of fish whose smelly cargo he had displaced’.29
More than one student of scripture30 suggested that Paul’s experience in that basket being
lowered down parodied the achievement that a Roman soldier was given for being the first one
to scale the wall of an enemy city. The ‘wall crown’, one of the highest Roman military honors,
was presented to the first soldier to go up and over the wall of an enemy city. The crown was
made of gold and made to look like the turreted wall of a fortified city. Under the empire it was
awarded to no one below the rank of Centurion. So the idea is that Paul is describing in his
27
Gal. 1:17 that is, Nabatea,
Guthrie, G. H. (2015). 2 Corinthians. (R. W. Yarbrough & R. H. Stein, Eds.) (pp. 574–575). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
29 Hughes
30
Judge as quoted in Garland, Baker
28
8
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10/16/2016
own experience a ‘reversal of military bravery and another token of his humiliation and
weakness.’31
Paul appeared silly, humiliated, and weak.
You’ll see some questions on your sermon notes….
1. Having looked at the catalog of Paul’s sufferings, can we once and for all slay the lie that
regularly intrudes in our minds: “With all the problems I have, God couldn’t love me”
As I reflected on our passage in 2 Corinthians this morning, I couldn’t help but connect it with
the last verses of Romans 8 which were also written by Paul.
Think about who the apostle Paul was in the spread of the Christian faith in the first century.
He was God’s chosen apostle to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He wrote 12 of the 27 books in
the New Testament. Remove him from the scene in the first century and Christianity wouldn’t
be what it is. Paul suffered incredible hardships. Think about the five times he received forty
lashes minus one. Think about the three times he was beaten with rods. Think about the time
he was adrift at sea for a night and a day clinging to ship debris. Think about all the times he
looked death in the face. We could go on and on couldn’t we? And yet he wrote these words
in Romans 8 perhaps a year after he wrote the words in 2 Corinthians…
Romans 8:35–39 (ESV)
35 Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
or famine, or nakedness, or danger….remember that’s the word that’s in our passage
repeatedly… or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No,
in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am
sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come,
nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
31
Garland
9
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
Having looked at the catalog of Paul’s sufferings, and heard once again Paul’s words in Romans
8, can we once and for all slay the lie that regularly intrudes in our minds: “With all the
problems I have, God couldn’t love me”
2. How important is it that we follow Paul’s example and boast in our weaknesses?
■When we gladly boast in our weaknesses the power of Christ rests on us. (2 Cor. 12:9)
That idea comes strait from 2 Corinthians 12:9 which we’ll look at in two weeks.
9 But
he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in
weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of
Christ may rest upon me.
Don’t we want the power of Christ to rest upon us?
■When we boast in our weaknesses we make the gospel __visible_.
You’ve heard us talk about ‘making the gospel visible’ some. It is a key thought as to why we
believe we exist as a church. We exist to make the gospel visible. When you and I live as if
we’ve got life figured out, when we live as though we have all the answers, when we live
putting up a strong front, we actually obscure the gospel message. We draw attention to
ourselves. People think good things about us. But when we boast in our weaknesses, and how
God gives us strength, people think good things about God. If God had his druthers, we’d all
give up trying to look good in each other’s eyes and we’d give all of our energy to making God
look good. You see the gospel frees us to be authentic. Christ died for us while were sinners.
Christ died for us when we were at our lowest and worst point. We can give up trying to look
good in the eyes of others. When we boast in our weaknesses we make the gospel visible.
I asked the board to think with me about how boasting in our weaknesses can fit with
competence. Can we boast in our weakness and be competent at the same time? Josh
deGraffenried replied this way…
“I think boasting in our weakness and being competent are not incompatible.
In the 2 Corinthians passage, Paul makes much of his weaknesses - boasts in them - because it is
through them that Christ's work shows most clearly (2 Cor. 12:9). So yes, boasting in our
weakness, letting our weaknesses be displayed, not hiding our failings can be a way that we
make the gospel visible. But only if we then point to Christ's work in our weaknesses. As Justin
10
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10/16/2016
said, just complaining about our weaknesses does nothing to make the gospel visible. It draws
attention to us.
In fact, part of Paul's point seems to be that he is effective in his ministry (2 Cor. 11:5-6, 12:11b12). And the reason that he is effective is not that he is weak, but that Christ works through him.
I would say that Paul is very competent at his ministry. I think he would say, "Look, those 'superapostles' have a lot of talk, but what do they do? I'm the one who labored and suffered for you. I
betrothed you to Christ. I forewent charging for my ministry, worked through my unskilled
speech, and took the criticism of others, but it was through my ministry that you heard the
truth, the gospel that saves you."
Indeed, Paul is weak and competent at the same time! The key is Christ's work. Paul can boast in
his weakness, because it shows Christ's power in him. And he can argue for his competence,
because Christ is working in him to make him effective. He says about as much in 2 Cor. 12:10.
"When I am weak, then I am strong."
So yes, character is the issue. And yes, humility is the character quality. With humility, we can be
honest about our weakness and our competencies. The gospel - Christ's work to redeem sinners
- allows us to boast in our weakness and be transparent in our competency, because both show
Christ's power. Both show the gospel.”
■When we boast in our weaknesses we dispel the __fear__in others
How will we ever live authentic lives hiding behind our strengths? The gospel says “God is wild
about us, He’s committed to change us, and bring us home to him” We can stop hiding from
one another. And when we boast in our weaknesses we dispel the fear in others. Because of
the gospel the pressure to be good enough, strong enough is over.
3. Why don’t we boast in our weaknesses?
You’ll see four answers on your sermon notes….
We’re proud
We fear rejection
We forget God’s acceptance of us
We’re used to going it alone
11
Barry Metz
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Our Awana Journey curriculum—and I’m talking about our high school age group here—had a
question in their lesson this week that paralleled what we’re talking about this morning in 2
Corinthians: ‘Why are some Christians hesitant to admit to other Christians when they are
caught up in some kind of sin?” Isn’t that parallel to ‘Why are some Christians hesitant to boast
about their weaknesses?”
I asked the leaders and students if I could share some of their answers to that question…
One of the leaders wrote, “Well I know for me personally, the main reason I have a hard time
confessing sin to others in because of my pride. I want other people to like me, and if I show
them my mess, they will not like me as much.”32
Another leader said, “Fear of being found out, pride and just selfishness”33
A student wrote, ‘We feel like we will be judged by other Christians’34
Another student wrote, 1. We desire acceptance and we forget God’s acceptance of us. And we
think that ‘good Christian people’ couldn’t possibly accept us if they knew what we’ve done. 2.
Fear of losing reputation, respect and/or trust of other believers, 3. Hardness of heart, pride or
refusal to face one’s own sin. 4) Eyes fixed on the wrong person…who should we fear, man or
God? 5) Are we more concerned about our own glory or God’s? And then she quoted John
Calvin: "It is fitting that by the confession of our own wretchedness, we show forth the
goodness and mercy of our God among ourselves and before the world." 35
Finally, another student penned a poem…
Sometimes life takes over
and I don't know what to do
I get focused on the others
Take my eyes off You
Find myself in my old ways
Of sinning without repent
The wind has changed me
For the bad it's
Changed the way I'm bent
32
Elijah Pendergast
Jerry Nicks
34
Sharon Brockway
35
Olivia Ham
33
12
Barry Metz
10/16/2016
I'll tell you I'm fine
but on the inside
I'm doing everything wrong
wanna make it right
in my own time
don't want to share it with all y'all
but if you keep on trying
The shell might break
You'll see the pain that I intake
and when it's all over
I'll finally see
We work better as a team.36
4. How do we boast in our weaknesses effectively?
Certainly we can draw excessive attention to our weaknesses. And that has the feel of a false
humility. Justin shared this helpful comment, “We've all heard people (or done it ourselves)
who draw attention to their sufferings as a way of complaining about their lot in life or as a bid
for pity from others. Instead, we can talk about our sufferings in a way that emphasizes God's
involvement and the good that God has produced. In that way, we make the gospel visible,
because the gospel is the premier example of God bringing ultimate good from ultimate evil.”37
36
37
Sarah Harding
Justin Langley
13