This chapter of Paul’s Corinthian correspondence is rich indeed, revealing so much about Paul and his relationship to the Corinthian church, a church which he himself founded. But the importance of the gospel is the paramount theme that underwrites this entire chapter. At the top of his arguments was his highly credentialed apostleship that was reaffirmed and established by the overwhelming revelation he had received fourteen years before—it was fixed on his spiritual calendar! And he could talk about the event but not the “inexpressible things, things no one is permitted to tell” (v. 4).

The things were “inexpressible” either because the human mind cannot comprehend them, or human language cannot express them, or, most likely both. The mystery of this vision drew Paul into a fellowship with God that was all-consuming, and affirmed his apostolic authority which no one could question. But to keep that man’s feet on the ground, the Lord counterbalanced his “third heaven” experience (probably mere hyperbole, “the highest of heavenly things,”) with a “thorn in the flesh” (v. 7).

The outcome of his thrice-concerted prayers for its removal was the promise of the Lord’s all-sufficient grace, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (v. 9).  This is another angle on the Incarnation, that God took upon himself our humanity and lived among us, was tempted as we are, yet without sin, and that he stooped down to identify with us and raise us up to heavenly things. Paul draws this out in Philippians 2:

rather, he made himself nothing

         by taking the very nature of a servant,

         being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

         he humbled himself

         by becoming obedient to death—

         even death on a cross! (Phil. 2:7-8)

 God’s condescension in Jesus Christ was not at all an aberration of his true nature but a revelation of his true nature. God was at home among us. In Christ he came to his own world that he himself had made, “He came to his own” (John 1:11). Christ was at home in his world, but the world was not at home with him, “but his own received him not.” That is the goal of the gospel, to make us “at home” with God. Christ himself said that he went away to prepare a home where both he and we could be together (John 14).

As the adage goes, “Home is not the place but the people.” As a personal testimony, my wife and I have traveled a lot, mostly in connection with my academic responsibilities and pursuits, and my darling wife has always made sure that she made every place a home for us.

Preaching angles

• there is a “vision glorious” that most of us have only caught the faintest glimpse of
• there are troubles, temptations, challenges, some of which may or may not deserve Paul’s label of “thorn in the flesh,” but which the Lord is nevertheless concerned about and for which he gives us grace to endure and manage them
• as servants of Christ, we should give attention to our dependence or interdependence upon the people of God, making sure we put the welfare of the gospel of Christ first
• personal and theological conflicts will arise in the experience of all of us, and we must be sure that we sort out our self-interests from the interests of the gospel; they are intertwined but uniquely distinct.