for our sake He chose the path of weakness and crucifixion. All things are possible with God, and what a blessing the . . Very few people impacted the church of Jesus Christ like the apostle Paul. 8 Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, 9 but he said to me . The Apostle Paul: Festus and King Agrippa. Reflect upon this remarkable man with us in this brief study. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.". The apostle Paul had to grapple with something like this, when he "besought the Lord thrice" to take away a "thorn in the flesh" which afflicted him. Thanks for joining me for part 4 of our study on Strengths and Weaknesses. The Apostle Paul was in my opinion a Choleric. 2 Cor. It was never the plan for us to overcome every . Strengths Weaknesses Christianity is full of paradoxes, and one of them is that our weakness is strength, and our strength is weakness. Strength in Weakness—2 Corinthians 12:2-10. He realized at the end of his struggles that it's his very weakness that allows the Lord to move in and show His strength. In 2 Corinthians 11-12, Paul describes one of the most difficult things for us to grasp and believe about the life of faith: God purposefully blesses us with weaknesses for the sake of our joy. 12 disciples strengths and weaknesses Matthew Matthew, the tax collector is one of the prominent apostles of Christ. Strength through weakness. The Apostle Paul was in my opinion a Choleric. The strengths of the early church are more than their weaknesses. 14 And as they stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king, saying, "There is a man left prisoner by Felix, 15 and when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders . Full Name: Paul of Tarsus, previously Saul of Tarsus Known For: Stand out missionary, theologian, biblical writer, and key early church figure whose 13 epistles comprise almost a fourth of the New Testament. Andrew was a lover of truth, and he followed it wherever it led. A word of warning at the outset. Paul's strength in weakness is a model for all Christians. The Israelites responded by faith to God's plan, and the miraculous happened! Matthew's call to discipleship is frowned upon by the congregation, even some of the disciples. Servant-heart (19). In 9 paragraphs, you have touched most of the core of both SS. Published: April 11, 2009. . As an apostle, it was Paul's mission to travel — unfettered by any of the more typical cares of the . Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. INTRO. All things are possible with God, and what a blessing the Choleric can be (living in their strengths and not their weaknesses) for the . And when others see our weaknesses, we are likely to feel shame, maybe even anger. In response, the Lord said, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Both of them were ultimately martyred for Jesus' sake. He tells the believers that he has been given a 'thorn in the flesh' - a painful physical ailment which keeps him from being puffed up with pride. Yet the Apostle Paul seems to say that certain weaknesses are a good thing. In vs. 1 he refers to his glorious revelations, the unspeakable visions he had seen (vs. 3-6) and in vs. 7 he mentions the thorn in the flesh which was designed by God to prevent Paul from glorying too much in himself. September 21, 2021. What makes this theme of the apostle's weakness so arresting and intriguing is that Paul is not in the least apologising for it or mentioning it only for the sake of honesty. You too be on guard against him, for he has strongly resisted our preaching.". 12:1-10. Paul's Weakness as a Strength. Our human weaknesses continually open the way for more of the Lord's power and grace to shine through us. Some scholars say, it was a disease, sickness, which kept him from serving God, some say, it was some area of . But Paul is unique in being an Apostle who never even met Jesus, at least not physically. "The promise made by the Lord to the Apostle Paul is valid for each of you: 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' And later Paul added, 'For when . It presents 4 varying views on Apostle Paul as his writings were interpreted differently. Notice the following. (1) They could see that Jesus was in peril of his life. Like Paul, we must learn to accept that our weaknesses can and will be used by God. Paul says, "Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. He went from full deity to humble human, died, but was resurrected in power. 13 "Now when some days had passed, Agrippa the king and Bernice arrived at Caesarea and greeted Festus. Yet at the same time he had He would have us rely on him alone. This gap leaves the door open to reasonable license in telling Paul's story. Tell them that you thank God for them and their fellowship in the gospel. He was shipwrecked, stoned, beaten and laughed at--but he kept going. Scripture does not contain much information about this time. These parasitic charlatans had followed in the wake of the Lord's servant and were . Jesus perfectly exemplified the truth that strength is found in weakness. His call serves as an indication of God's willingness to accept us regardless of outward dispositions. This is surprising coming from a man like Paul because by nature he was aggressive and strong-willed. What are the strengths and weaknesses that can be seen in the Church? The record of this great event is found in Acts 9. This is an important entry into the study of Paul's writing on a critical topic for conversation in the church. Today, I would like to evaluate some of the strengths and weaknesses in Spencer's evangelism. Weakness -- Apostle Paul's Paradox Shows US That Strength Can Be Found. Inspiration Faith & Prayer Health & Wellness Entertainment Love . Based on biblical accounts, Andrew was the first disciple to identify Christ and called his brother Peter to meet Jesus (John 1:41). Devoted to teaching God's Word regardless of the venue (20). On the other hand, it seems that Paul did consider the neglect on the part of some as one of human weakness, rather than overt rebellion. In this rambling apologia for his life and work as an apostle, Paul's weakness is the recurring theme. In the Bible, Jesus chooses 12 people as his closest disciples and tells them they are Apostles. The response of Festus is not unfamiliar to many of us; the governor accused Paul of being "out of his mind" (Acts 26:24). 21 Leadership Traits. Spirit-Led, not led his own thoughts and plans (22). 4:12-16; 2 Tim. What does Paul mean when I am weak then I am strong? We must pause and try to figure out what the author is saying. The Apostle Paul's two letters to the young pastor offer clues about Timothy's personality. Paul was given a "thorn in the flesh," he says, to keep him from being conceited (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul's Weaknesses Allowed Christ's Work to Shine More Clearly Christ was weak. Paul was not anti-power or wants us to be weak. This entire chapter deals with the Apostle Paul's very peculiar experience. 12:10. He was a very strong man in many aspects of his life. Strengths Devotion of Time One of the strengths evident in Spencer's evangelism is the amount of . 260. In that text, his Semitic name "Saul" is replaced by "Paul . Prior to his conversion on the Damascus Road Paul used his temperament strengths to advance the cause of Judaism, self interest and terrorizing Christians. The human body is weak. Twelve is a symbolic number as we know. Humble (v. 19). Taught everyone…both Jews and Gentiles (21). Paul emphasized Jesus rising from the dead in order to be the light of the world. The Strengths. Apparently weakness can be a choice based upon strength. The Apostle John had the distinction of being a beloved friend of Jesus Christ, writer of five books of the New Testament, and a pillar in the early Christian church. It continually distracted him. 2. Thanks, again, for this sermon, Br. Similarly, the Apostle Paul followed Christ's example and boasted in his weaknesses. However, one thing is sure, that he was really concerned about this issue. Saul is the alternative name, especially in the Book of Acts (Acts of the Apostles). 2 Corinthians 12:10 ESV. Yesterday, we began looking at pastor Ichabod Spencer's approach to evangelism in the 19th century. One weakness he had to accept was a physical handicap; he called it "a thorn in the flesh." 2 I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know . Identify one or two traits that give evidence of God's grace in their lives. Taught everyone…both Jews and Gentiles (21). God's grace is more than sufficient for you. Instead, God responded by telling Paul that God's strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Today, Christians can continue to find power from God despite their brokenness and hardships. Fearless; total trust in God (22). Before he surrendered his life to the Lord, Saul . Compassionate. How ironic that one of history's greatest leaders, the Apostle Paul, learned to lead with a very different value . This they inferred rather from their knowledge of the hostility of the rulers than from their faith in the Scriptures of prophecy or from the prophetic words of Christ. This may have been recurring bouts of malaria, which was common along the southern coast of . Strength of Andrew. The book "Four Views on the Apostle Paul" describes the achievements of Apostle Paul. Taught everyone…both Jews and Gentiles (21). Explanation and Commentary of 2 Corinthians 12: 9 Paul's claim is that God had given him a "thorn in his flesh" (2 Cor 12:7) in order to prevent him from becoming conceited because of his powerful experiences and revelations from God. What makes this discussion so relevant is the believer's battle to stay away from two extremes. Paul says, "Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Such an awareness breeds humility and leaves no room for looking down on others. Saul is the alternative name, especially in the Book of Acts (Acts of the Apostles). So-called "super-apostles" had found their way to Corinth. Had a heart for bringing lost people to Christ (21). Tomorrow, I will offer some practical insights that we can apply to our own witnessing efforts. For Paul, his sufferings, which he calls weaknesses, are boast-worthy precisely because they leave so much room for God's strength to be revealed in Paul's life.

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