When Paul Spoke Foolishly

Paul says to the Corinthians, “For you put up with fools gladly . . . .” 2 Cor. 11:19. And in order to show the Corinthians what foolishness is, Paul imitates a fool’s conduct. However, in verse 17 he draws their attention to the following: “What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly . . . . But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.” V. 21.

Against whom was Paul fuming? He was fuming against the deceitful workers (v. 13) who had misled the Corinthians with their oratorical skills, by which they had brought them into bondage (v. 20); whereas Paul’s desire for them was that they should be free and independent, able to comprehend and judge all things in the light of the Spirit, so that they would not be driven about by every empty phrase. To be able to open the Corinthians’ eyes properly, Paul now had to resort to a means of imitating those who had deceived them. By acting like this, Paul wanted to show the Corinthians at the same time how carnal they were in viewing this deception as if it were something of the first order, and Paul also found it necessary to compare himself to these deceitful workers so that the Corinthians would not be totally swallowed up and taken captive by them. But Paul says, “What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.” Then he begins his comparison and his boasting: “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to apprehend me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.”

The others certainly could not relate as many stories and experiences as these. If it came down to relating their experiences, Paul would certainly be in the forefront. So as far as that goes, the Corinthians did not need to be deceived by the others. They could certainly speak about warm receptions and cozy gatherings, but hardly about weariness and toil, about sleeplessness and fastings, about hunger, nakedness, and care.

What the others were preaching about with enthusiasm, Paul calls speaking foolishly. If Paul wanted to start speaking about himself—that he had been on many journeys, in perils, in danger of death, was lowered through a window in the wall, had suffered shipwreck, etc.—he could certainly have enthralled his listeners, and they all would have admired Paul who had experienced so much, done so much, and been in so many places. He would have been a hero, a saint, the central figure in all his narratives. The people would have gathered together and spoken about the amazing things that happened to him, and it would have been a topic of conversation for a long time.

Paul could even speak about visions; he could even speak about the third heaven and Paradise to which he had been caught up.

However, Paul was not sent out to set himself up as the focal point and boast of himself. He says that those who compare themselves among themselves are not wise. Ch. 10:12. And in the same verse he says, “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves.” On the contrary, God had something better in mind for him. He was sent out to proclaim the Word of life—Jesus Christ, and to lead souls to the obedience of faith. He was even given a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to buffet him if he attempted to exalt himself because of his adventures and experiences.

Now some people were traveling around, boasting of things that Paul was not permitted to speak about. He had to remain silent while others could speak out about their own experiences, and people drew the conclusion that Paul had experienced nothing compared to the others. The Corinthians even required proof that Christ was speaking in him. Ch. 13:3. To get them to understand, Paul had to begin to speak to them as if he was beyond himself, like one of the others by saying, “For you put up with fools gladly . . . .” Ch. 11:19.

Seeing that Paul was not permitted to boast of things that others boasted of in their travels, he had nothing left to boast of but his weakness, which is usually something that does not make one great in other people’s eyes; and while the others were now great in people’s eyes, Paul became weak in their eyes. Paul prayed the Lord to be rid of his thorn in the flesh, but God saw that it was necessary for the thorn to be there so that Paul would not be tempted to use the same method as the others in his preaching. Nevertheless, the Lord consoled him, saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Paul, you don’t need any other help except My grace; that is sufficient for you in the ministry. See 1 Corinthians 15:10. And even if you have to be quiet about what others use, and you seem to be weak, My strength is still made perfect in this very weakness. Right away Paul came to this blessed and profitable conclusion: “Therefore I will most gladly boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” So Paul traveled around as sorrowful, yet rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as someone who owns nothing, and yet owns everything. The others traveled around rejoicing by displaying their entire Christianity externally, on their faces, as being rich by placing themselves as spiritual heroes in the midst of their experiences, travels, and meetings. They came full of stories and sermons, but they were very poor when it came to spiritual values. They were as those who own everything by loudly proclaiming all their spiritual riches, so that there was no one who could give them anything more. The tendency is to proclaim one’s own strength, love, and spirituality and get people to think more highly of oneself than what they hear and see in word and in deed. When these people came with their apparent splendor, wrapped in spiritual phrases, they set in motion all the carnal elements that wanted to have Christianity only as entertainment. Then there was rejoicing. However, Paul was like his Master about whom it is written that He was poor, yet full of salvation. Moreover, Paul, looking up to Him, found comfort in a firm foundation under his feet, saying, “For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.” 2 Cor. 13:4.

Therefore Paul also said to the Corinthians, “For I fear lest, when I come, I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish . . . lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before.” Paul mourned over those who had sinned.

Paul did not undertake a pleasure trip in the flesh with a religious program. He came in weakness, in fear, and with much trembling, not wanting to know anything else among them than Jesus Christ and Him crucified!

Jesus Christ and Him Crucified!

Jesus Christ, the exalted and living Savior, whose word is truth and life, and Him crucified to everything except to the living word of God. Many people like to have a living Christ, but not necessarily a Christ who reveals Himself in them as crucified and dead to oratorical skills and all kinds of lusts of the flesh, religious or otherwise.

Christ and Him crucified! Therefore Paul says when he speaks about his experiences: “I speak not according to the Lord,” because Jesus is dead to such oratorical phrases. Therefore I will manifest Him in my life crucified to and for such things. Him crucified—in other words, revealed in weakness to those who want something external—covered with reproach and contempt, but glorified in His inner man.

Therefore Paul disregarded everything else and showed others the same way by concentrating his entire work—and making it his goal—on exalting Christ in the midst of Christ’s work. Therefore he humbly and bashfully placed a cover over himself so that he would not obscure Christ’s greatness. He faithfully came only with God’s Word, leading souls to obedience to the Word. Then he knew that they would obtain the same treasures that he had obtained.

Let us therefore open our eyes so we can see and understand and not be deceived—whether it is by any spirit or any message as if it were words of life with content. For there are leaders in our days who maintain that they are spiritual, and who maintain that what Paul calls foolishness is being spiritual. Moreover, when people pretend that speaking foolishly is light and spirituality, we realize how great the darkness is.