ll CORINTHIANS LESSON 15


     We will begin this lesson in II Corinthians 12:1 "It is not
expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord."

     "Expedient" probably means profitable in the verse above.
"Revelations", in the verse above, means disclosure. Paul now proceeds
to tell them of the revelations of God to him. Jesus revealed himself
to Paul on the road to Damascus. Paul is apologizing for boasting,
saying it is really of no use. "Visions" means presentation while
neither sleeping or awake. You might be awake, but not aware of other
things around you. The Lord revealed Himself to Paul in this manner.

     II Corinthians 12:2 "I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years
ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body,
I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third
heaven."

     Of course, Paul is speaking of himself. Paul was truly "in
Christ" as most Christians can only dream of. Paul had lain himself
down and lived in Christ. The following Scripture describes what I am
trying to say about Paul. Romans 8:10 "And if Christ [be] in you, the
body [is] dead because of sin; but the Spirit [is] life because of
righteousness." Paul counted his body nothing. Galatians 2:20 "I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Colossians 3:3 "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in
God."

     Whether Paul had a vision, or was carried away into heaven to the
presence of God, really does not matter. What does matter is that Paul
had a close encounter with God. There are very few instances like this
in the Bible.

     II Corinthians 12:3 "And I knew such a man, (whether in the body,
or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)"

     Paul is saying, that he could have left his body and gone to
heaven in his spirit. He is not sure whether his spirit body went to
heaven, or whether his physical body went to heaven. Paul is not
trying to speculate. He says God alone knows.

     II Corinthians 12:4 "How that he was caught up into paradise, and
heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

     We mentioned in a previous lesson, that Paradise is where the
Tree of Life is. Revelation 2:7 "He that hath an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I
give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise
of God." If the words are unlawful for man to utter, there would be no
way we could know what they were.
     II Corinthians 12:5 "Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I
will not glory, but in mine infirmities."

     There would be no way to prove to anyone on the earth that this
had really happened to you, so there is no way to glory in this. Also,
Paul had nothing to do with this, God took Paul on this journey. The
glory, then, must lie in his infirmities.

     II Corinthians 12:6 "For though I would desire to glory, I shall
not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but [now] I forbear, lest any
man should think of me above that which he seeth me [to be], or [that]
he heareth of me."

     Paul says, there is no need to think of him highly for this
happening. Paul, again, turns their attention to the truth of the
gospel he has brought to them.

     II Corinthians 12:7 "And lest I should be exalted above measure
through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a
thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should
be exalted above measure."

     Many have speculated on the thorn in Paul's flesh. My own
personal belief is, that is why Luke the physician travelled with Paul
extensively. Paul has this problem in his flesh to keep him humble. If
you were to look up the meaning of this messenger of Satan, you would
find that it means an angel of Satan. This is just more evidence to me
that the "demons", devil spirits working for Satan are the fallen
angels. We can see, in this, that God does not always heal. Sometimes
the impairment we have is for our own good.

     II Corinthians 12:8 "For this thing I besought the Lord thrice,
that it might depart from me."

     We see, in this, that Paul earnestly prayed 3 times to be healed,
and God said no. We must carefully examine the guilt trip some
ministers put on people who do not get healed. Sometimes it is not the
will of God to heal you. It is God's business who he heals. We must
not stop praying, but it is not our business whether they are healed
or not, it is God's business.

     II Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient
for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly
therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of
Christ may rest upon me."

     We must not question this answer from God. For some reason, Paul
could minister better with the infirmity, than he could without it.
Since Paul had this weakness, he was very well aware that his strength
was in Christ. It would be perfectly obvious to everyone Paul
ministered to, that Paul's power was in God. God ministered through
Paul. Had Paul been perfectly healthy, he might have thought some of
the ministry results was because of his strength.

     II Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities,
in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for
Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong."

     Paul's weakness in his flesh just allowed the spirit to work in
him more fully. Paul knows that there will be no mistaking where his
strength comes from. II Timothy 2:12 "If we suffer, we shall also
reign with [him]: if we deny [him], he also will deny us:" Paul,
knowing this, was happy to suffer for Christ's sake.

     II Corinthians 12:11 "I am become a fool in glorying; ye have
compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in
nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing."

     Even though Paul had this weakness in the flesh, he still used
all of his time to further the kingdom of God. He, even more than the
other apostles, fulfilled the great commission. Mark 16:15 "And he
said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to
every creature."  Paul went to many countries and carried the gospel
message. He, also, did it the way Jesus had commanded. Matthew 10:8 "
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils:
freely ye have received, freely give."  All of these signs of ministry
followed Paul.

     II Corinthians 12:12 "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought
among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds."

     Paul did heal the sick and cast out devils. In all of the
ministry the Lord Jesus brought, the most important thing was to
preach the gospel. On the trip to Rome, when Paul was shipwrecked, the
people thought Paul to be a god, when he threw the poison serpent off,
after it bit Paul. Paul had to tell the people not to worship him.

     II Corinthians 12:13 "For what is it wherein ye were inferior to
other churches, except [it be] that I myself was not burdensome to
you? forgive me this wrong."

     Paul is telling them, here, that the only mistake he really made
was in not teaching them to take care of the needs of their minister.
Paul had given them the salvation message and the message about the
Holy Spirit. He really had no apologias to make.

     II Corinthians 12:14 "Behold, the third time I am ready to come
to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but
you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the
parents for the children."

     Paul is not looking for an offering from them. He was really like
a spiritual father to this church and speaks, here, of himself as
their parent. He is saying, that he wants to give to them instead of
them giving to him. I do not believe he is speaking of material
things, however. He was to bless them in their spirit. They need more
teaching, and that it what intends to do. He would like for them to be
more rooted in the Word of God.
     II Corinthians 12:15 "And I will very gladly spend and be spent
for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved."

     Paul has great love for them. He is just as sure that they do not
love him in return. Nothing, within his power to give them, will be
withheld.

     II Corinthians 12:16 "But be it so, I did not burden you:
nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile."

     We find that, even though Paul had completely explained that he
personally had never taken money from them, they still felt that he
was trying to get money from them for himself, when he asked for an
offering for the poor in Jerusalem.

     II Corinthians 12:17 "Did I make a gain of you by any of them
whom I sent unto you?"

     The answer, of course, is no. Paul deliberately did not handle
any of the offerings, so they could not accuse him of this.

     II Corinthians 12:18 "I desired Titus, and with [him] I sent a
brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same
spirit? [walked we] not in the same steps?"

     Paul, not only defends himself, here, but Titus as well. Neither
Paul, nor Titus, had taken any of their offering. The offering had
gone to the poor. Paul says, was it not just like me being with you,
when Titus was there?

     II Corinthians 12:19 "Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves
unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but [we do] all things,
dearly beloved, for your edifying."

     Paul says that he does not have to answer to them, but to Christ.
Paul's teaching them to give to those in need was to build them up,
not to tear them down. If their giving was with such regret, I doubt
it would do them any good. Giving should be done with a free heart.

     II Corinthians 12:20 "For I fear, lest, when I come, I shall not
find you such as I would, and [that] I shall be found unto you such as
ye would not: lest [there be] debates, envyings, wraths, strifes,
backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults:"

     Paul does not want to come to strife and fussing. He wants to
make sure they want him to come. They should settle all of the
questions they have, and then invite him to come. He does not want to
debate with them. His reason for coming, is to bring them to a fuller
knowledge of God, not to debate things that really do not matter.
He loves them too much to come, and have so much trouble with them
that it would break all ties.

     II Corinthians 12:21  "[And] lest, when I come again, my God will
humble me among you, and [that] I shall bewail many which have sinned
already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and
lasciviousness which they have committed."

     Parents are grieved greatly, when their children sin and do not
repent. Paul feels that he is their spiritual father, and he wants
them to repent of their sins, and turn from their wicked ways.
"Uncleanness", in the verse above, means impurity. "Fornication", has
to do with spiritual and physical adultery. It includes incest, and
homosexuality, and lesbianism.  "Lasciviousness", means filthy or
wantonness. The problem is, some are still in an unrepentant state for
these sins.











































                     ll Corinthians 15 Questions


1.  In verse 1 Paul says, he will speak of what 2 things?
2.  What does "expedient" mean?
3.  What does "revelations", in verse 1, mean?
4.  "Visions" means what?
5.  How many years before this writing did this occur?
6.  Who was this man?
7.  Where was he carried?
8.  Was he in his body, when he went to heaven?
9.  Quote Romans chapter 8 verse 10.
10. Quote Colossians chapter 3 verse 3.
11. Who knows whether Paul went to heaven in body or in spirit?
12. What was the name of the place he was carried up to?
13. Describe the words Paul heard.
14. Where is the Tree of Life?
15. What was the only thing Paul would glory in?
16. To keep Paul from glorying of these revelations , what was given
    him?
17. Messenger of Satan, in verse 7, is actually who?
18. Who does the author believe the fallen angels to be?
19. How many times did Paul pray for the thorn to be removed?
20. What answer did he get from God?
21. Paul's strength was made perfect in ___________.
22. In verse 10, what things did Paul take pleasure in?
23. Quote 2 Timothy chapter 2 verse 12.
24. What is the great commission?
25. Did Paul fulfill the commission?
26. What were some of the signs of an apostle?
27. What was the only mistake Paul made with these Corinthians?
28. The children ought not to lay up for the __________.
29. What apostle had Paul sent in his stead?
30. Who does Paul have to answer to?
31. What were some of the sins they had not repented of?