By Kevin Harris, pastor of the Illawarra Community Baptist Church in Wollongong, NSW
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…. 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…. 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 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.
2 Corinthians 11:16, 23; 12:6, 11
How often have you heard a table-tennis conversation? A table-tennis conversation is where someone shares an experience that they had, and the other person responds with a similar experience that they had, and then the first person sort of carries on with their story, followed by the second person following up with part 2 of their story. Did either of them show any interest whatsoever in the other person’s experiences? Or were they just out to inform others of their personal experiences? This is one depiction of a self-centred life.
Notice the frequency of the word ‘fool’ in our text above.
The Apostle Paul had planted the church in Corinth. But false teachers had come in, opposing the gospel Paul had preached. In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends his apostleship. But in doing so, by his own admission, he comes dangerously close to crossing the line into boasting. That’s why we read time and time again that he feels foolish for defending his credentials.
Along the way, a timeless principle can be extracted. Fools talk about themselves. Fools love to tell you what they think, what they did, how they felt, what they said, and so forth. Fools boast. They promote themselves. They are self-centred.
What a description of the world we live in. We are consumed with self!
But Spirit-filled believers live for the Lord Jesus and then others. When around others, we ought to show interest in them.
This is heavenly wisdom.
Father, thank You for Your example of burning out like a candle for others. Help me to not be consumed with myself, but with You and with people. Replace my fleshly selfish tendencies with selfless, Christlike love for others. I ask this in the Name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
This article was written by Kevin Harris Dapto pastor of Illawarra Community Baptist Church.