Paul study for 1/11/13 part 2
There seems to be a connection with Paul between suffering and grace; let's explore that.
Read: Romans 3:24-25, 5:8. Whose suffering is this and for what purpose?
Read: Philippians 1:29: whose suffering is this, and why?
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; what is Paul's theological conceit here?
Finally, read Philippians 3:10-11, Does this tie up the above thoughts nice and neat or make it muddier?
Going deeper: Acquire Philippians. By this I mean, read it until you can explain what he is saying in your own words. It's only 4 chapters
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Byron January 10, 2013 9:27pm
Romans - The suffering is Christ's for our atonement.
Philippians 1:29 (NIV) "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him": Paul saw it as a gift or an honor to suffer for Christ's sake. To "suffer for him" refers to our suffering & is to joyfully bear the inevitable humiliation - & sometimes even persecution - of standing with & for Christ in every situation, putting our relationship with him above all others.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10: Paul could have gotten rather "puffed up" with the fact that no less than the risen Jesus had apprehended him & chosen him for this special mission to reach the gentiles. Paul would have had the very kind of personality to wield it like a sword, so he believed God gave him a constant "reminder" of his status in the scheme of things.
Philippians 3:10-11: MaybeSortOf ties it up. Though it sounds absurd or even morbid to the nonbeliever, suffering is a primary connector between us and Christ. We identify with Christ as we "share his suffering" in the fallen world. Jesus suffered because he chose to. We suffer because it is part and parcel of where we are in eternity - and we suffer regardless of what we believe. But as followers of Jesus, the big difference is our suffering has meaning, and that's what Paul knew.