Thursday // Sept 6 :: 2 Corinthians 12

What is the third heaven that Paul is speaking about? I just read one place where people think it may have been connected to the time when he was stoned in Lystra and thought to be dead. He was so convincing that the stoners drug him outside of the city to rot and for someone to bury him. He wasn't dead - he was badly beaten but he recovered, got up and went back into the very city that just tried to kill him (Acts 14:19-20). But why "the third heaven"? In Paul's day, there was a common understanding that heaven has several layers. One such thought was this: the first heaven was the earth's atmosphere (the sky), the second heaven was the stars (outer space) and the third heaven is where God dwelt (the heaven of heavens). Thought you wouldn't learn anything today?

"My power works best in your weakness" (v9) That's not something that many Christian leaders understand today very well (me included). I think it's true but my actions would tell me that His power works best in my strengths. I don't really want to use my weaknesses or even acknowledge I have them. Paul concludes that thought with "For when I am weak, then I am strong." Well said - now on to practicing that one ... now that's tougher.

Sarcasm rules again with Paul: "The only thing I didn't do, which I do in the other churches, was to become a burden to you. Please forgive me for this wrong!" That makes me chuckle.

Here's a list of things to stay away from: quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selflessness, backstabbing, gossip, conceit and disorderly behavior.