2 Corinthians 12:11 I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.

I learned something this week end I did not expect. In preparing for a spiritual retreat, it became apparent that I cannot be all that I am. Paul alludes to it here in this passage. He didn’t have to take a backseat to anyone, not even Peter. His gifts and ministry are without a doubt the bulk of the New Testament.

I am become a fool in glorying is the difficult part. Our modern understanding clouds the meaning which would have been better understood in the original time and language of the listener. In glorying is Paul’s version of let the love of Christ in you shine. The issue of being a fool is not foolish, but rather choosing a lower wattage light to shine before men who have just come out of darkness. While Paul was capable of shining brightly, to be all that he was in Christ would have been too much for these babes in Christ.

The compelling force here is the love of Christ. Paul recognizes they are not capable of receiving and comprehending the depth of his great love, so like a loving father, he comes out of the deep water and splashes in the kiddy pool with these little children. Bringing them into the deep would only frighten them.

Spiritually speaking, we know who we are in Christ and we aspire for more, but in these time, when ministering to babes in Christ, we must sit in the shallows enjoy them in their comfort and security. While a man sitting and splashing in a kiddie pool alone looks foolish, if you place a toddler in with him, the same actions appear loving.

I can only do that if I look back in time and remember how it felt to be a babe in Christ myself and have compassion for their position in Christ. If I can relate to how it was for me back in those days, they will have a better sense what is going on during this retreat.

Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

We record days by the rising and falling of the sun. Here we have a view of heaven in which there is no sun. How are we to mark time without a sun to show the passing of days?

Revelation 22:2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The yield of fruit will mark the months, but how many days in a month? Will a new and different fruit be yielded every month so that we might know the length of a year? How many days in a year? I do not know. Is it really important?

Revelation 22:3a And there shall be no more curse:

Isn’t that enough? Must we ask more?

We are on this side of time, we have not yet been translated. We relate to all things in this realm and all those questions are related to us in the here and now. I cannot say it will have any bearing on the other side of translation.

Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Perhaps our memories will be part of those “former things” which will pass away. I don’t know.

Perhaps then, on the other side. we might say, “What is sin?”

We are not there yet.