The Remarkable Paradox

Dusty

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The Remarkable Paradox

Paul's Concern for the Corinthians

11I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing.
12The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance.
13How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
First of all what is a paradox? Webster's dictionary says---- a statement that seems contradictory but may be true to fact .

It seems like Paul is contradicting himself , First he says " I was not all inferior" then in the next phrase says " even though I am nothing "

How can we be servants of God and say we are " not all inferior" ? In fact to me that would suggest that Paul was saying he was better than the rest. But I do not believe that was what Paul was trying to say in this passage . I think by saying " I was not inferior" he means that every thing he is in Christ , Christ can do through him and makes him equal to anything the other apostles can do .

I also think Paul was trying to tell us to beware of false prophets ( or as he says " super - apostles" . Listen carefully what they have to say about themselves .

1.... Do they claim anything is coming from them ?

2.... Do they " puff" themselves up and claim to have remarkable ability ? Do they claim anything is coming from them ?

3.... Or are they proclaiming the power is coming from Christ?

By this we will know them and by their fruits we will recognize them

So that in itself should be our lesson as servants of the most High God . We have the ability to say I do not look at other people's giftings and say they are better but focus on my own God Given abilities and ask God to help me to develope my giftings to be a blesssing in my own community and church.

We can say .... Philippeans 4:13 ....I can do everything through him who gives me strength

If God tells me to do something .... I can do it .... I can obey His Word .... I can follow His footsteps relying on God I can do everything ..... but relying on self .... I am nothing .
 
I think he is saying that he is not inferior to "man", but to God he is inferior.

Our comparison to man is a self - type or self-righteousness, which has no value in the scheme of things (to God). However, to God is where we must settle our righteousness, when we do so, we will determine HIS superiority (thus we will see our inferiority). Again, this is my view.

Isaiah 64:6. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

……Then came Jesus, now we can be white as snow

Good Day and God Bless
 
Our comparison to man is a self - type or self-righteousness, which has no value in the scheme of things (to God). However, to God is where we must settle our righteousness, when we do so, we will determine HIS superiority (thus we will see our inferiority). Again, this is my view.

Good view for sure ... Thank you illinijag.

Romans 6:18 tells us .You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.

I love the part where you said we will determine His superiority and thus or inferiority . He must increase and I must decrease . The longer we are Christians the more we come to realize this aspect of our Christianity . We are nothing without Him . We seek to serve Him alone and all else is secondary .
 
I think he is saying that he is not inferior to "man", but to God he is inferior.

Yes. This is what i believe he was saying.

If he said he was inferior to the others then he would have been saying that the Gospel he was preaching was somehow short of the true Gospel. So in that respect he was claiming equality with the other messengers of the Gospel message.

Of course in relation to God he claims himself to be nothing. At lest that’s the message i am getting. Although i believe God values us so we cannot say we are nothing. We may be very near to nothing in relation to God but because God values us then we are indeed something.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days
 
Yes. This is what i believe he was saying.

If he said he was inferior to the others then he would have been saying that the Gospel he was preaching was somehow short of the true Gospel. So in that respect he was claiming equality with the other messengers of the Gospel message.

Of course in relation to God he claims himself to be nothing. At lest that’s the message i am getting. Although i believe God values us so we cannot say we are nothing. We may be very near to nothing in relation to God but because God values us then we are indeed something.



All Praise The Ancient Of Days

Yes that is what I was trying to say but to also point out that the prophets thought themselves more spiritual than the rest snd Paul was also trying to tell them to beware of shall I say " Wolves in sheep's Clothing " so to speak .
 
Yes that is what I was trying to say but to also point out that the prophets thought themselves more spiritual than the rest snd Paul was also trying to tell them to beware of shall I say " Wolves in sheep's Clothing " so to speak .

Some, if not all, may have been "False Prophets". Prophets to there own needs and personal gain.

Good Day and God Bless
 
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