Sermon: Which Self Do You Boast About?

Описание: Which Self Do You Boast About?



Sermon preached by Pastor Julius Buelow on February 8, 2026 at Mt Olive in Lincoln, NE, for Sexagesima (60 days before Easter).



Text: 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9



19You gladly put up with fools, since you are just so wise! 20In fact, you put up with it if anyone makes you his slave, robs you, takes advantage of you, looks down on you, or strikes you in the face! 21I am ashamed to say that we were too weak for that!

However bold anyone might be (I am speaking in a foolish way), I am going to be bold too. 22Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s seed? So am I. 23Are they ministers of Christ? (I am speaking in a crazy way.) I am even more. I’ve done more hard work, been in prisons more often, been whipped far more, and I’ve been close to death many times. 24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods. One time I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day on the open sea. 26I have often been on journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my own people, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the wilderness, in danger on the sea, in danger among false brothers. 27I have worked hard and struggled. I’ve spent many sleepless nights. I’ve been hungry and thirsty. I’ve gone without food many times. I’ve been cold and lacked clothing.

28Besides those external matters, there is the daily pressure on me of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak without my being weak? Who falls into sin without my being distressed?

30If it is necessary that I boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is eternally blessed, knows that I am not lying. 32In Damascus, the governor under King Aretas kept the city of Damascus on alert to arrest me, 33but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped from his hands.

Carried Up to Paradise

12 I must go on boasting, although there is nothing to be gained. So I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2I know a man in Christ who, fourteen years ago, was carried up to the third heaven (whether in the body, I do not know, or out of the body, I do not know—God knows). 3And I know that such a man (whether in the body or out of the body, I do not know—God knows) 4was carried up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words that a man cannot possibly speak. 5On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except about my weaknesses. 6Indeed, if I wanted to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from doing this, so that no one will think more highly of me than what he sees in me or hears from me.

7Therefore, to keep me from becoming arrogant due to the extraordinary nature of these revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, so that I would not become arrogant. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that he would take it away from me. 9And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will be glad to boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter me.



Holy Bible: Evangelical Heritage Version (Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2019), 2 Co 11:19–12:9.