MODESTY
12-27-06 wed. pm.

Prov 27:2
2 Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

2 Cor 10:7-12:11

7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ
 The trouble with you is that you look at me and I seem weak and powerless, but you don't look beneath the surface. Yet if anyone can claim the power and authority of Christ, I certainly can. 

8 For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed:
I may seem to be boasting more than I should about my authority over you-authority to help you, not to hurt you-but I shall make good every claim.

9 That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.
 I say this so that you will not think I am just blustering when I scold you in my letters. 

10 For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.
 "Don't bother about his letters," some say. "He sounds big, but it's all noise. When he gets here you will see that there is nothing great about him, and you have never heard a worse preacher!"

11 Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.
This time my personal presence is going to be just as rough on you as my letters are! 

12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
Oh, don't worry, I wouldn't dare say that I am as wonderful as these other men who tell you how good they are! Their trouble is that they are only comparing themselves with each other and measuring themselves against their own little ideas. What stupidity! 

13 But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.
13 But we will not boast of authority we do not have. Our goal is to measure up to God's plan for us, and this plan includes our working there with you. 

14 For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:
 We are not going too far when we claim authority over you, for we were the first to come to you with the Good News concerning Christ.

15 Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly,
 It is not as though we were trying to claim credit for the work someone else has done among you. Instead, we hope that your faith will grow and that, still within the limits set for us, our work among you will be greatly enlarged. 

16 To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand.
 After that, we will be able to preach the Good News to other cities that are far beyond you, where no one else is working; then there will be no question about being in someone else's field

17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
 As the Scriptures say, "If anyone is going to boast, let him boast about what the Lord has done and not about himself."

18 For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.
 When someone boasts about himself and how well he has done, it doesn't count for much. But when the Lord commends him, that's different! 

2 Corinthians 11 

1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
I hope you will be patient with me as I keep on talking like a fool. Do bear with me and let me say what is on my heart. 

2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
 I am anxious for you with the deep concern of God himself-anxious that your love should be for Christ alone, just as a pure maiden saves her love for one man only, for the one who will be her husband.

3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
But I am frightened, fearing that in some way you will be led away from your pure and simple devotion to our Lord, just as Eve was deceived by Satan in the Garden of Eden

4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
You seem so gullible: you believe whatever anyone tells you even if he is preaching about another Jesus than the one we preach, or a different spirit than the Holy Spirit you received, or shows you a different way to be saved. You swallow it all. 

5 For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles.
Yet I don't feel that these marvelous "messengers from God," as they call themselves, are any better than I am

6 But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.
 If I am a poor speaker, at least I know what I am talking about, as I think you realize by now, for we have proved it again and again. 

7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
Did I do wrong and cheapen myself and make you look down on me because I preached God's Good News to you without charging you anything

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.
9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
10 As the truth of Christ is in me, no man shall stop me of this boasting in the regions of Achaia.

 Instead I "robbed" other churches by taking what they sent me and using it up while I was with you so that I could serve you without cost. And when that was gone and I was getting hungry, I still didn't ask you for anything, for the Christians from Macedonia brought me another gift. I have never yet asked you for one cent, and I never will. 10 I promise this with every ounce of truth I possess-that I will tell everyone in Greece about it

11 Wherefore? because I love you not? God knoweth.
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
1 Why? Because I don't love you? God knows I do. 12 But I will do it to cut out the ground from under the feet of those who boast that they are doing God's work in just the same way we are. 

13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
God never sent those men at all; they are "phonies" who have fooled you into thinking they are Christ's apostles.  Yet I am not surprised! Satan can change himself into an angel of light

14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
 so it is no wonder his servants can do it too, and seem like godly ministers. In the end they will get every bit of punishment their wicked deeds deserve. 

16 I say again, Let no man think me a fool; if otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a little.
 Again I plead, don't think that I have lost my wits to talk like this; but even if you do, listen to me anyway-a witless man, a fool-while I also boast a little as they do.

17 That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but as it were foolishly, in this confidence of boasting.
18 Seeing that many glory after the flesh, I will glory also.

Such bragging isn't something the Lord commanded me to do, for I am acting like a brainless fool. 18 Yet those other men keep telling you how wonderful they are, so here I go:

19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.

20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face.
21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also.
You think you are so wise-yet you listen gladly to those fools; you don't mind at all when they make you their slaves and take everything you have, and take advantage of you, and put on airs, and slap you in the face. 21 I'm ashamed to say that I'm not strong and daring like that!

But whatever they can boast about-I'm talking like a fool again-I can boast about it, too.) 

22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.
23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?
Who makes a mistake and I do not feel his sadness? Who falls without my longing to help him? Who is spiritually hurt without my fury rising against the one who hurt him?

30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.
31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.
32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me:
33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.
0 But if I must brag, I would rather brag about the things that show how weak I am. 31 God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is to be praised forever and ever, knows I tell the truth. 32 For instance, in Damascus the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me; 33 but I was let down by rope and basket from a hole in the city wall, and so I got away! [What popularity!] 

2 Corinthians 12 

12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
This boasting is all so foolish, but let me go on. Let me tell about the visions I've had, and revelations from the Lord. 

2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;)
4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities.
 Fourteen years ago I was taken up to heaven for a visit. Don't ask me whether my body was there or just my spirit, for I don't know; only God can answer that. But anyway, there I was in paradise, 4 and heard things so astounding that they are beyond a man's power to describe or put in words (and anyway I am not allowed to tell them to others). 5 That experience is something worth bragging about, but I am not going to do it. I am going to boast only about how weak I am and how great God is to use such weakness for his glory

6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
 I have plenty to boast about and would be no fool in doing it, but I don't want anyone to think more highly of me than he should from what he can actually see in my life and my message. 

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.
 You have made me act like a fool-boasting like this-for you people ought to be writing about me and not making me write about myself. There isn't a single thing these other marvelous fellows have that I don't have too, even though I am really worth nothing at all.