The World’s Strongest Man competition has been around since the late 1970s. Perhaps you have seen it on television. The website claims, “Since 1977, the question has been asked: ’Who is the World’s Strongest Man?’ Since then, the championship has been the final word on who is the strongest of them all.”
But can a contest really determine who is the strongest man? Sure, someone may win the title, but are they really the strongest? If you have seen some of the guys who win, there’s no doubt they are strong, but surely somebody somewhere is stronger. More than that, when it comes to being a strong man or woman, we must account for more than just physical strength. Real strength includes internal fortitude, moral courage, and self-control. And, in this passage, Paul’s words to the Corinthians makes it clear the Christian life isn’t a display of our strength at all, but an ongoing display of God working through us.
As a Christian your life is meant to showcase the power and grace of Jesus. This demonstration often comes through our weakness, frailty, and difficulties, when God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
I believe 4:7 is the key verse of the whole letter of 2 Corinthians. Paul captured in a nutshell the point he kept making throughout the letter. And he does so with a vivid illustration. We have this treasure (the ministry of the gospel) in earthen vessels. The treasure is found in a fragile clay vessel, weak and easily broken. Our mortal bodies, our fragile jars of clay, remind us the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
These verses hold paradoxes for the Christian. A paradox is a statement or situation that may be true but seems impossible because it contains opposing facts or characteristics — most simply, an apparent contradiction.
Here, Paul explored several paradoxes in the Christian life. The Christian experiences real hardship in life. Yet the Christian also experiences resurrection power to face these hardships. We see these contrasted sharply as we are:
Afflicted (pressured) but not crushed. Some suggest this is a play on words in the original language, suggesting we are surrounded on every side yet still have room to maneuver.
Perplexed — without resources, in dire straits, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, and at a loss — but not driven to despair or given to hopelessness where we give up altogether.
Persecuted but not forsaken. Paul knew what it was to be hunted, on the run from those who wished to kill him, but he also experienced the promise of Jesus who said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Struck down but not destroyed. The book of Acts recounts the story when Jews from Antioch and Iconium raised up a mob who stoned Paul, dragged him from the city, and left him for dead. But the apostle simply got up and went about his business. Can you imagine the thoughts of those who stoned him when they saw him alive and preaching the gospel again? Paul knew what it was to be struck down but not destroyed.
These verses present a crucial problem for those who preach the “prosperity gospel,” who teach that if you really have faith, you will be healthy, wealthy, and wise. That any hardship is simply traced to a lack of faith. However, this simply is not taught in the Bible as illustrated here in the life of Paul. None of us want to be afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and cast down, but this is the paradox of the Christian experience. These challenging circumstances help us discover and display more of God’s power and grace.
On the interstate, sometimes we encounter a flashing sign that says, “Expect delays from…” along with dates and times the construction will take place. I suspect many of us ignore these signs until one day (when we are running late), we see brake lights ahead and soon find ourselves frustrated, disgusted, and upset. But we were told ahead of time.
The Christian life is somewhat like these signs. No, we do not always experience trial and hardship one right after another. However, we have been warned ahead of time we can expect trouble. It is coming, and we should not be surprised when it happens. But we are also promised God will be with us in those moments, and we will experience Christ’s power.
Verse 10 supplies the primary principle of this passage: always carrying in my body the death of Jesus. What in the world does this mean? First, it does not mean the sacrificial death of Jesus is being repeated. Of course not! However, those who follow Jesus will experience an ongoing death of sorts.
This is illustrated in baptism, when the new convert is plunged beneath the water, signifying burial with Jesus, dying to the old way of life and being raised to walk in new life. But this isn’t a one-time event, according to Paul. We must constantly die to sin, self, and this world. Jesus made it clear anyone who follows Him must deny himself and take up his cross, a place of execution. Why?
Why must we live with death? It sounds morbid.
So the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal bodies (verse 10). How do we keep going in the face of the hardship we encounter in our Christian lives? Our very weakness is designed to be a demonstration of His power.
Paul acknowledged his suffering, his ongoing “death” was so the Corinthians and others like them might live. When Paul faced opposition, setbacks, and trials, he just kept on sharing the gospel. He lived with confidence in God’s promise to raise him up with Christ and one day present Paul and all his converts to Christ. What an ambition!
Through our suffering, grace extends to more and more people — this should be our goal, both as an individual earthen vessel and as a church. When our suffering leads to the salvation of others, thanksgiving is increased, and God gets the glory.
Looking ahead to chapter 12, Paul returns to this theme of suffering, describing it as his “thorn in the flesh.” After Paul begged the Lord to take his suffering away, the Lord simply reminded him His grace was sufficient for Paul because God’s power is made perfect in our weakness. As a result, Paul mused, “For when I am weak, then am I strong.”
Paul’s thorn in the flesh, whatever it was, kept him in a place of humility — a position where he was able to receive more grace. I don’t know what you may be experiencing in terms of affliction. Maybe you are perplexed and cast down right now. I also don’t know how long these things will last. But I do know this, whatever you are going through, the Lord and His power are right there with you.
I encourage you to recall those powerful words from the old hymn:
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small,
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
In your adversity, don’t miss the beautiful paradox the Savior offers: your struggles in exchange for His strength. Turns out you don’t need to be the world’s strongest person. You simply need to know the One who is.
About the Columnist: Dr. Barry Raper pastors Bethel FWB Church near Ashland City, Tennessee, and teaches ministry at Welch College.
