Every Rose Has Its Thorn: The Power of Weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on October 16, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

The Power of Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Introduction

— Today’s topic is Paul’s thorn in the flesh—in other words, we will be discussing the power of weakness in the life of a Christian

— As I struggled with the opening for this lesson, I realized how hard it is to explain this idea—in weakness we are strong

— Can you think of any illustration of strength being shown in weakness that isn’t a biblical illustration?

— Some ideas came to my mind as I wrote the introduction

Copper and Gold—these are two metals that on their own do not have much tensile strength

You aren’t going to manufacture an entire building out of copper or gold

On the other hand, you won’t find two metals that are worth more

They are very rare and valuable, yet they aren’t very strong

Copper is has a high conductivity rate—it conducts electricity well

Copper also is 100% recyclable (it is said that 80% of all the copper ever mined is still in use today)

The point here is this—copper is valuable even though weak on its own, but when combined with other things it is amazingly useful and strong

— Sometimes a weakness may actually be a strength

That is the point of our lesson today

— Paul’s Experience with the Corinthians

Planted the church with Aquila and Priscilla

Stayed there a long time

Turmoil and division

The “super” apostles

— In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Paul discusses the idea that true power is revealed in weakness

— He does this by offering an illustration of his own life

— In this illustration, he shows that with an appearance of strength there may also be an underlying weakness that God is using

— Just like a rose has both its beauty (the bloom) and its pain (the thorn), so also our spiritual life will reveal true strength in weakness

We will look at Paul’s Bloom and Thorn

— Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True power is shown in weakness

1. The Bloom

— 2 Corinthians 12:1-6—the bloom is the part we see that seems to look good or beautiful or nice

It is the part of the Rose that attracts us by appearance or scent or some other “positive” aspect

Earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul had boasted about some of his apostolic experiences

— So, in these verses Paul continues the “boasting” he began earlier in the book

Earlier he boasted in the things he suffered on behalf of the Corinthians

In other words, he boasted in the things he did and endured for them

However, since the Corinthians were interested in people with great credentials, Paul decides to list some of his credentials (cf. 2 Cor. 11:21-29; Philippians 3:2-6)

— Paul’s opponents were more interested in appearance, titles, and prestige than in the power of God (2 Corinthians 10:12-11:33)

They measured themselves by themselves (they were conceited—too important to “fail”)

They expected the Corinthians to take care of them financially (something Paul refused to do)

They mistreated and “enslaved” the Corinthians (i.e., they expected to be waited on and to be served)

They took advantage of their position to demand perks and privileges

They demeaned other leaders who did not agree with them

— Paul’s opponents focused on the beautiful, the prestigious, and acted in arrogance—they were interested only in the bloom

— The Problem of Pride, Self-Confidence, Focus on Personal Image (Self)

Pride leads to putting us in the place of God

Our “image” becomes more important than his

— Paul makes his list because his opponents were focused on “what looked good”

Paul “brags” to show how he “rates” in comparison

Paul kept this “vision” secret for 14 years

Paul didn’t feel the need to brag

He wants to brag primarily in his weakness (cf. 2 Cor. 11: 30-33; Phil. 2:5-8)

— Paul sees this kind of “authority” or “boasting” as foolish and a waste of time for God’s people—the boasting of image or great accomplishments

— Paul wants no more credit than what people can see in his life or hear in his teaching

His focus was on the message and the power of God

Paul wanted Jesus to be the focus, not the “accomplishments” of Paul

As a result, he sees this attention to “prestige” as foolish

— What Looks Good isn’t always Best

We work hard to keep weakness out of our lives. We desire no deficiencies

We want to be physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and relationally strong

So we work out, get counseling, practice spiritual disciplines, read books, and spend time with others to improve ourselves

This isn’t necessarily wrong, but with strength unfortunately comes some problems

— Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True Power is shown in weakness

2. The Thorn

2.

— 2 Corinthians 12:6-10—the thorn represents the hidden part, sometimes even the “least appreciated” part

This is the negative side of the issue, the part that many of us would prefer to live without

The “thorn” is the part that sometimes hurts, but it is also a part of the total package of the Rose

Remember, with great privilege comes great responsibility

Paul’s initial call includes a mention of what great things he would do and what he must “suffer” for God (Acts 9:15-16)

Paul’s ministry included both the “bloom” and the “thorn”

— Paul’s Thorn

The Nature of the Thorn

÷ Unknown

÷ Some say it was a physical condition (e.g., bad eyesight, Gal. 4:12-16; 6:11)

÷ Some say it was emotional or spiritual

÷ Some say it was other people

÷ Maybe it is kept a “secret” so that we might realize that issues like Paul’s “thorn” in the flesh come in many forms, and God want us to see that his work with Paul here is one he can do with us as well

— The Purpose of the Thorn

Whatever the thorn, it served to bring Paul low, to keep him humble, and to keep him looking up to the Lord of glory and grace

÷ The thorn’s purpose was to serve as:

— A reminder of weakness—he needs God’s power to do God’s work

— A means to keep Paul humble—he is an instrument for God, not God

÷ Thorns are painful—they are uncomfortable

÷ The word here means “stake” or something on which to impale a person

— This is not a mere splinter

÷ Geoff Thomas: "The thorn was a humiliating disability acting as a counterpoise to enforce the great truth that a Christian can only survive and achieve anything for God by a sense of his natural helplessness…God subjects us to a regimen of suffering because our usefulness is to be much greater"

— Paul’s Thorn Didn’t Disappear

Even though Paul asked to be delivered from the “thorn,” God said “No.”

Prayers answered in this manner are not often seen as a blessing. In fact, if we are honest, we tend to see this answer as a challenge to our faith. We think God will always answer in the affirmative for some reason, but sometimes thorns are necessary to produce in us what God needs to complete his plan

The Result of the Thorn

÷ Sufficient grace

÷ God’s power

÷ Contentment—Paul resigns himself to the fact that with a bloom comes a thorn

Weakness can be a source of great power

— Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True Power is shown in Weakness

— Some Quotes

— "I discovered an astonishing truth; God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. The first step in any spiritual awakening is DEMOLITION. We cannot make headway in seeking God without first tearing down the accumulated junk in our souls. Rationalizing has to cease.“ Jim Cymbala

— "Every believer must learn that human weakness and divine grace go hand in hand together.” Philip Hughes

— Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True power is shown in weakness

Application

— The apostle Paul learned that a position of power and prestige is not necessarily the place of God’s greatest accomplishments

— Humility is God’s favorite starting point for ministry that matters

— True power comes in weakness

In our weakness, God shows his strength

— How can we put these truths into action?

This week, let your weakness be a starting point for God’s power by being willing to start with humility

Be willing to acknowledge your weakness, your vulnerability, your “kryptonite” to God (and to others where needed)

Take a look at your image and ask, “Who am I trying to impress?” If the answer is anyone but God, repent

Allow God to use your weakness this week to show his grace to someone else—if you aren’t good at something, ask for help, etc.

Questions

— What do you think of a community of believers who are more interested in image than in character? Do you want to belong to that group?

— How can we move from image to substance? What can we do to avoid the trap of self-reliance or pride?

— What happens when we rely on our own abilities to do God’s work?

— What would the church look like if we dropped our masks, quit pretending, and actually engaged in honest conversation with each other?

— What “weaknesses” do you see in your neighborhood or place of influence (don’t name names please)? How do you contribute to it?

— Where do you need God’s strength to work in your weakness?

— How will you humble yourself this week so that God’s power can shine through you?

Thanks for reading!