Here is another treasure trove in your journey for you to be guided & refreshed.
Question: Apostle Paul mentions in the 2nd Corinthians Chapter 12, verse 10, ‘For when I am weak, then I am strong. What is the context of this?
Answer: A few verses earlier, from verse 7 we see Paul speaks that the extraordinary level of the revelations he received was no reason for anyone to exalt him. For this reason a thorn in the flesh was given to Paul, the Adversary’s messenger sent to harass him, keeping him from becoming arrogant.
Three times he pleaded with the Lord to relieve him of this. But the Lord Jesus answered Paul, “My grace is always more than enough for you, and my power finds its full expression through your weakness.” So, Paul says he will celebrate his weaknesses saying, “For when I’m weak I sense more deeply the mighty power of Christ living in me. So I’m not defeated by my weakness, but delighted! For when I feel my weakness and endure mistreatment—when I’m surrounded with troubles on every side and face persecution because of my love for Christ—I am made yet stronger. For my weakness becomes a portal to God’s power.”
The above portion is taken from the Passion Translation verses 7 to 10 in Chapter 12 of 2nd Corinthians. Hope this clarifies the statement, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Question: Please explain the verse. “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”
Answer: Apostle Paul mentions this in the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 2, verse 15.
A few verses earlier, from verse 12 we see Paul mentioning that God always makes his grace visible in Christ, who includes us as partners of his endless triumph. Through our yielded lives he spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere we go.
We have become the unmistakable aroma of the victory of the Anointed One to God—an aroma/perfume of life to those being saved and the stench/odour of death to those who are perishing. The unbelievers smell a deadly stench that leads to death, but believers smell the life-giving aroma that leads to abundant life. And who of us can rise to this challenge? For unlike so many, we are not peddlers of God’s Word who water down the message. We are those sent from God with pure motives, who speak in the sight of God from our union with Christ.
Thus, we become the aroma of Christ as we live yielded lives because of God’s grace visible in Christ manifested through us.
The above portion is taken from the Passion Translation verses 12 to 17 in Chapter 2 of 2nd Corinthians. Hope this explains the statement.
