3rd Week January 2012 Adult Sunday School Lesson

2nd Corinthians Chapter 12


In verses 1-6 Paul speaks of a 'man in Christ'. He does not remember whether he was in an awakened state or whether this was in a vision. He saw this man and saw and experienced things that evidently occurred in heaven, but were not lawful for him to repeat. There is a good chance he couldn't repeat what he saw because even an educated man like Paul didn't have the vocabulary to describe it.

We have in verses 7-9 what seems to be the point of the above story. Paul might have gloried in himself, thinking he was better than most, because of what God allowed him to see. He had though this infirmity, that we can only guess as to what it was other than it was physical, that even though he sought God out to remove it from him, he finds out that God's grace is sufficient. From this lesson Paul realizes that we are to glory in God.

The other lesson Paul learns from this is that through our weakness God shows himself. It is only when we realize that through Christ and Christ alone will we have victory, that we can finally have success through him. Our strengths are less than God's weakness. So, God decides to show himself though our weakness so that the world might see HIS power.

Paul then continues through arguing the opposite view that he did everything in his power to set up, lift up, and exhort the Corinthian church to go for God on the right track.

To finish the chapter he warns them to guard against sin so that he might find them in the best of condition in terms of their relationship to God.