We Are Strong Despite / Because of Our Weaknesses
Mari Ikeda
A. Boasting in our weaknesses = Boasting in the Lord
(I Corinthians 1:26-31)
(I Corinthians 1:26-31) 1:26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things―and the things that are not―to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God―that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
B. Paul was also weak, but strong (I Corinthians 2:1-5)
(I Corinthians 2:1-5) 2:1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. 3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.
1. God encouraged Paul when he was weak (Acts 18:9-10, II Corinthians 12:9-10)
(Acts18:9-10) One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
(II Corinthians 12:9-10) 12: 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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2. Paul’s resolution and boast
Summary
Jesus Christ died for us who are weak. That is our boast and strength. Though we are still weak, we no longer need to fear our weaknesses because of our faith in Jesus. Our weaknesses are for the Lord’s strength to be revealed; our powerlessness is for His power to work. We are strong, even though we are weak. We are strong just because we are weak..
For Discussion
1) What was the problem of the Corinthian church and its cause? How does it relate with your church?
2) What did Paul mean in 2:2 “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified”?