When it comes to boasting or bragging, people are seldom neutral. Most of the time, people either hate boasting, or they think nothing of boasting about themselves. In the case of the Apostle Paul, he was in the first group. He did not want the focus to be on himself and his accomplishments. Rather, he always wanted the focus to be on Christ.

In our verse today, Paul is asking the Corinthian church to bear with him while he heads into uncomfortable territory. He is saying, “I need to go into some areas that I’m not comfortable talking about because it sounds like I’m bragging.”

The areas that he needed to discuss dealt with his credentials. His enemies were questioning whether or not he was qualified to do the work, to lead the churches. They questioned whether or not he was being up-front and truthful.

The reason he was willing to look foolish was because of the importance of what was at stake: the simplicity of the Gospel. Paul was willing to look foolish for the sake of the Gospel.

May I say to you that the only hope for the world is the Gospel? The only solution for the problems of society is the Gospel. We can throw money at problems, but when we do, the success never seems to last. Despite all the government money we are spending on social programs, we are still unsuccessful because the problem is sin. The answer is the Gospel.

So, maybe we might look foolish if we share the Gospel, but we are giving them the answer. They might make fun of you, but that is okay, because you have done the right thing.

Paul was willing to be considered a fool so that he could defend and protect the truth of salvation. Are you willing to put yourself on the line for the sake of the Gospel?