2 Corinthians 11: Everyone Has a Story You Don't Know

The "Las Vegas" of first century Rome has been on a long journey. The Apostle Paul is encouraging them to forgive one another, know who they are in Christ, keep their lives holy, and stay unified.

Overall Theme: Strength in Weakness The God of All Comfort

Strength in weakness. This is the central message of 2 Corinthians. Throughout the letter Paul turns upside down our natural expectations of the way life works. Contrary to the way the world and our own human hearts naturally function, God takes what is low, despised, and weak to accomplish his purposes.

Key Verse God of all Comfort

(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Bible Breakdown
• 2:20 Everyone Has a Story
• 5:25 Paul Defends His Ministry
• 8:40 Paul's Suffering for Christ
• 12:57 How Stories Transform Our Relationships
• 16:15 Closing Prayer and Application

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hey everyone and welcome to the Bible Breakdown podcast. In this podcast, we will be breaking down the Bible one chapter a day. Whether you are a new believer or have been following Christ for a while, we believe that you will learn something new and fresh every single day. So thank you for joining us and let's get into breaking down the Bible together.

Speaker 2: 0:23

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. 2 Corinthians, chapter 11. If I were to give this one a title, it would be Everyone has a Story you Don't Know.

Speaker 2: 0:36

One of the things we like to talk about at Real Life Church is the idea that everyone has a private battle that you know nothing about. Well, people also have a story that you don't always know, and I would about guarantee that if you knew someone's story, you would probably think of them differently. Now, that might be a negative thing. You might think negatively about them, but you probably also give them a little bit more grace, a little bit more understanding, a little bit more nuance in how you treated them, because that story informs who they are. And what we're going to see today is when Paul is talking to the Corinthian church, he talks about that. He talks about hey, there's things about me you probably don't know, and so, if you remember, in the last chapter he was talking about how some of the different critics he has are saying certain things. Well, now he's going to talk about. Here's what you don't know about me, right, we're going to talk about. Here's what you don't know about me, right. We're going to get into that in just a moment and probably find a lot of connection with Paul in this chapter.

Speaker 2: 1:27

But, as always, if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like, share and subscribe to the YouTube channel. We are getting so close to our road to 1,000, and I am so thankful. I don't know how we're going to celebrate, but we're going to find a way to celebrate. We hit 1 subscribers, so make sure you are subscribing to this video and I see some of you who are posting it on your social media accounts, asking other people to do that. Thank you so much for doing that. Also, the podcast make sure that you are leaving us a five-star review and for everybody. Don't just tell them to subscribe to that. Make sure you send them to the Facebook discussion group Bible Breakdown Discussion, because that's where we are rallying together and really developing the community. Because, man, the more we dig, the more we find and we're growing in God together. And that's so exciting to me as a pastor is to watch people take next steps and getting to know God. That's when we read God's word is, because knowing God's word is how we get to know God, and I love to see us do that.

Speaker 2: 2:19

Well, as I was saying a second ago, we uh which, by the way, if you're listening to this, you're not going to catch this, but if you're watching this, I'm in another location, as our air quotes studio is being remodeled. I can't wait for you to see it. It's going to be so good and I want you guys to help me when we get it all done. Just kind of help me to come up with any other ideas you have, and I'm so thankful for your help.

Speaker 2: 2:39

But as we are on location elsewhere, I was talking about the idea that everybody has a story that you don't know. I was talking to somebody one time and he and I were having a conversation and this was an elderly gentleman and he seemed so interesting and you could just tell he had experienced some stuff, he'd been places, he just knew about things, and after I finished talking with him, I was very impressed with him. But then, after I left, someone came up to me and said do you know this guy's story? I said no, I know he's, you know he's from this state and whatever. Like no, no, you don't understand. He has ran an Ironman, you know, which is like a marathon a hundred miles and like three miles swim. He's done that. He ran the Boston marathon. He was in the military and was in combat. He was a sports radio talk show host for 20 years. I mean, he just kind of lay listing off all these different things this guy had done and that story informed who he was so much that I went from being impressed to just being in awe and I was just like wow.

Speaker 2: 3:44

But then on the other side, I remember meeting someone. One time you ever met someone and you instantly didn't like them. Maybe not you, but I know I have. And I remember one time meeting this guy. Instantly I didn't like, I was like we just we are not going to jive. And so I was not disappointed. By the time I finished talking to him I was like I'm fine if we never have another conversation, right? Well then, yet again, when I was talking to someone like hey, tell me this guy's story. He came from a very broken place and because of that he had a lot of guards up. And that's one of the things that when we learn people's story, it doesn't necessarily mean that we excuse bad behavior, but it does inform our view of them.

Speaker 2: 4:25

Well, that's what Paul is talking about. So if you want to get your Bibles ready for me, 2 Corinthians 11, we get those ready and maybe get your coffee cup ready and we're going to enjoy God's Word together. Paul is going to be talking about these false prophets who have been trying to cast doubt in the city of Corinth. And remember, the overall idea of 2 Corinthians is the God of all comfort and he's trying to comfort them that their leader, paul, is not who everybody's been accusing him of being right. He's saying it's not it. And when we hear his story and we can kind of hear his heart behind this, you start to go. You know these people have really been misrepresenting Paul and what I like to do is back up even further and go. How many people in my life have I been misrepresenting, like unintentionally, or how many people have been just to realize that there's so much more to people than we realize and that should inform how we see our world?

Speaker 2: 5:18

Well, let's jump into this as we look at 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, and just see what God's word will say to us today. Here we go. First one says this I hope that you will put up with a little bit more of my foolishness. Please bear with me, for I am jealous for you, with the jealousy of God himself. I promised you as a pure bride to one husband, christ. But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided undivided devotion to Christ has been corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent. You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one that we preach, or a different kind of spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you have believed.

Speaker 2: 6:02

But I don't consider myself to be inferior in any way to these super apostles who teach such things. I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I am not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way. Now, what he's talking about is he's using this metaphor of a bride being prepared for a husband to say man, I gave you God's word. I was trying to be the best I could to you, but it seems like you have been so easily deceived by these other people who are just trying to tell you something that's simply not true. And he's saying I got nothing to prove, I got nobody to impress. I'm not the most eloquent speaker. But here's the thing I love Jesus, and he's saying that's what I taught you to do too. So he's going to go and just kind of let them in. Let me let you behind the scenes and what my life looks like.

Speaker 2: 6:48

Verse seven was I wrong when I humbled myself and honored you by preaching God's good news to you without expecting anything in return? I quote robbed other churches by accepting their contributions so I could serve you at no cost, and when I was with you and didn't have enough to live on, I did not become a financial burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia brought me all that I needed. I have never been a burden to you and I never will be. I have never been a burden to you and I never will be as surely as the truth of Christ is in me. No one in all of Greece will ever stop me from boasting about this. Why? Because I don't love you. God knows that I do so once again. He was saying the past two chapters how important it is for us to be generous, and now it seems as though what has happened in previous letters that people were saying well, the reason why Paul wants money is because that's all he cares about. And he's saying now wait a minute. That's never been my message, and you know that.

Speaker 2: 7:44

Verse 12, but I continue doing what I have always done. This will be undercut by those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. These people are false prophets. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised. Even Satan disguised himself as an angel of light, so it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end, they will get their punishment that their wicked deeds deserve.

Speaker 2: 8:17

And he keeps on going. He says again I say don't think that I am a fool to talk like this, but even if you do listen to me, so that you would to a foolish person while I boast a little, such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. In other words, he's saying God didn't tell me to do this. This isn't a good thing to do, but I've been getting so much just grief and being lied on that. Okay, I'm going to tell you a little bit about what my life is looking like Verse 19. After all, you think you're so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools. Here we go, here we go, you put up with it while someone enslaves you, takes everything from you, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything and slaps you in the face. I'm ashamed to say that we've been too weak to do that. In other words, we haven't taken advantage of you. This is what my life has been. But whatever they dare to boast about, I'm talking like a fool. Again, I dare to boast about it too.

Speaker 2: 9:17

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ?

Speaker 2: 9:26

I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more. I have worked harder. I've been put in prison more often. I've been whipped times without number. I have faced death again and again. Listen to this. He says this five different times the Jewish leaders have given me 39 lashes, pause. The reason why they would do 39 lashes is they considered 40 to be inhumane. They said, at 40 lashes, it would disfigure someone for life. That was what the thought was, and so they would say okay, what's going to change someone for life? Back it off one. And so it was intended to be such a harsh lesson you only needed one per lifetime but he got it five different times. All right, here we go. Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me 39 lashes. Three times they beat me with rods. Once I was stoned pause again in the book of Acts, laodicea when he was in that city. They stoned him and many historians think they actually stoned him to death, that he actually died, and then the leaders of the town prayed for him and they prayed him back to life. So he didn't just get stoned, but according to some historians, they think that he actually got stoned to death and then God brought him back to life so he could continue his ministry. Here we go.

Speaker 2: 10:37

Three times I was shipwrecked and once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced dangers from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews as well as the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts and on the seas. I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. And I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights, and I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold without enough clothing to keep warm, then I love this. Then, besides all that, I have the daily burden of my concern for all the churches. In other words, even on top of all that, I'm still thinking about you.

Speaker 2: 11:27

Who is weak without feeling that weakness, who is led astray, that I do not burn with anger. For If I must boast, I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, who is worthy of eternal praise, knows I'm not lying. When I was in Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept guards at the city gates to catch me. I had to be lowered in a basket through a window in the city wall to escape from him. Paul's got 99 problems, but, as he said, jesus ain't one of them.

Speaker 2: 12:15

And so what we have here is we have a guy who says hey, you know what All these other super apostles quote, unquote, and he's not talking about like James, peter, john, he's talking about like false prophets are coming in and boasting about all their things. He says you want me to boast? Here we go, I'm gonna boast. I've almost been killed more times than I can imagine People been talking about me. I can imagine People have been talking about me. People have been doing this. You know why I'm boasting is because even in that weakness, god has been glorified, and that's what I love is that if we were to ever know other people's story like their real story, not the rumors that's been told about them, nothing like that but if we really knew their story, we'd probably think of them differently. And so what can we do with this today? Well, remember, god is the God of all comfort.

Speaker 2: 13:02

I want to make sure I say this right, because I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I am not saying that anybody that did something bad to you needs to be let off the hook Like justice is fine, right. I'm not saying that what they did to you wasn't bad, that what they did wasn't horrible, that it didn't hurt. I'm not saying any of that. What I'm saying is hurting people, hurt people and most of the time, that person who is a villain in your life they're also a victim of something that's happened to them. Now, does that excuse what they did? Absolutely not. But it does give you context to understand what they did, because one of the things that psychologists tell us is, many times it is the idea of a person, more than the person, that we're afraid of.

Speaker 2: 13:47

And so when you start to see that villain, that bully, as a victim too, it starts to take away their teeth, take away their ability to cause fear in you, or to cause that bitterness in you, because you start to see, oh, you're not evil, you're not like beyond what I can understand. You're broken. That's crazy. It's crazy for me to allow what you did to me to define me, because you're just as broken as I am. And when we start to see people as so much more than a moment, then we can start to go. You know what? God? That person should never have control over my life. Instead, I'm going to let what you say about me control me, and you start to see people differently.

Speaker 2: 14:30

Now, on another side, there's someone you're angry at, someone you're offended by. Is it possible that the reason why they offended you, the reason why they hurt you, may have had nothing to do with you, but it may have had to do with a story that you know nothing about? So what can this do for us is to realize that God is the God of all comfort. And so not only can he heal you of any broken place in your life, but he also can use you to bring healing in the brokenness of other people. And so we start to realize, just like no one truly knows your story but you, because no one's ever been able to truly walk in your shoes other than Jesus, you don't know others.

Speaker 2: 15:12

And so the comfort is is that in advance, before you get offended, you say God, I don't always know people's story, but you do. So I'm going to, in advance, offer forgiveness, because I realize that I have no idea what other people are going through, and then I am going to ask for the same kind of mercy that I am giving. It really will help us to live with a little bit more freedom, a little bit more joy when we just say I refuse to be a victim. You might do something to me, but you're not going to define me, because I see you, I see what's behind the scenes and I see that there's a broken place inside of you. And so I'm not going to get mad at you, I'm going to get mad at the devil who's trying to manipulate you and trying to get at me. Because I also realized. Sometimes I let the devil get in my head and start trying to manipulate me and that kind of stuff.

Speaker 2: 15:58

So we start seeing people as complex individuals. Then we start to give them a little bit more grace, like we want to receive. Let's pray together, god. Thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, that you help us to see how complex we truly are and to see, god, that even in the complexity of the different stories and the different things, just like you give me grace, I pray you will help me to give grace to others and to realize that what I see in people is only a fraction of the story that they're really going through. So I trust you to lead me and to lead them in all things. In Jesus name, we pray Amen. Now God's word says 2 Corinthians, chapter 1 says God is the God and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort others. Who today do you need to give grace to, so that God can use you to bring healing in them? I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for 2 Corinthians, chapter 12. You.