2Cor 11:25 | KingComments | STEP | . The Jews had given him no less than five times “thirty nine [lashes]” (literally “forty [stripes] minus one”). The law actually sanctioned forty stripes ( ). To be careful not to exceed the sanctioned number by a counting error they stopped with thirty-nine stripes. Imagine the kind of experience this might have been. It was not a pleasant experience when it happened for the first time. But at each subsequent time he knew what awaited him. . By being beaten with rods his back was torn open three times. ‘Only’ “once” he “was stoned”. Normally this happens only once; that is the reason why his enemies drew him out of the city supposing him to be dead ( ). Three times he was passenger on a ship that suffered shipwreck. He drifted on the sea for twenty-four hours before he was rescued. . He was constantly travelling to places to preach the gospel. Travelling those days was a dangerous thing. There were no modern road networks with bridges and tunnels as we see today. It was a real risk to cross fast flowing “rivers”. Added to these were dangers from the side of men: of “robbers”, “countrymen” (Jews) and “the Gentiles” (heathens). The “city” offered no protection, nor did “the wilderness” and nor did “the sea”. Nowhere was he safe, nowhere did he have a resting place. . And if he thought he could take some free breathing space in the church, then there were the false brethren, pretending to be members of the church, but who in reality twisted the truth of God. The great apostle was not called to a life of ease. His calling meant 1. working very hard – “in labor and hardship”, 2. always watching out – “through many sleeplessness nights”, 3. very little to eat and to drink – “in hunger and thirst”, 4. many times to abstain voluntarily from food – “often without food” or “in fastings often”, 5. suffering freezing temperatures and having little clothing to become warm – “in cold and exposure”. That Paul did not act as a stoic in these hardships is evident from 2 Timothy 4 where he asks Timothy to bring him his cloak ( ). In my opinion he would not have requested for the cloak if he could warm himself up comfortably under the sun. . What probably pained him the most was his “daily pressure … [of] concern for all the churches”. You read that it was “on” him. Wherever he preached the gospel churches were established. That was a joyful matter, but it did not stop with that. It is important that the believers in these new churches grew in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and that they were not slack in knowing the mind of God for their life. The enemy, the devil, did (and does) everything, as is his wont, to bring things into believers’ life to make them backslide into acts which bring dishonor to the Lord’s Name. Paul was very concerned about this. . This list shows that when we deal with Paul we do not deal with him as with a ‘muscleman’ but as with someone very weak. No one can survive such hardships with one’s own strength. Is there anyone who underwent more hardships to prove that he supersedes Paul in his weakness? There is only One Who surpasses Paul in weakness and that is the Lord Jesus. “He was crucified because of weakness” ( ). The awful experiences of Paul would have served other people to stumble and they would have given up following the Lord Jesus Christ. But Paul’s burning love for Christ kept him going [“led into sin without my intense concern” is literally “made to stumble and I do not burn”]. . Does this magnify Paul? No, he rejects all honor for himself. If he boasts at all he boasts in his weakness. Through all his experiences he felt the weakness deeper and deeper. . He repelled all accusation of ambition or self-exaltation or selfishness with a powerful appeal to “the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever”. God knows that Paul is not lying and right through all the sufferings that came upon him Paul praises Him. . Oh yes, there is something else which comes to his mind, and this makes him still weaker and smaller than what he was hitherto. Once he escaped from his enemies in a very humiliating and awkward way. How nice if it were such a miracle that his enemies were struck with blindness or got paralyzed or deceived or cleverly hoodwinked. No such thing. Once when he was in a city under siege by his enemies who desired to arrest him, he was let down in a basket through a window in the wall. Can you imagine the great apostle hanging in a basket? That was not a great escape which impressed people nor did it create a sensation, was it? Yes, such is this apostle. Now read 2 Corinthians 11:24-33 again. Reflection: What are your weaknesses in the light of what Paul portrays here (it need not be the same as his).

‏ 2 Corinthians 11:25

Paul’s Sufferings

2Cor 11:24. The Jews had given him no less than five times “thirty nine [lashes]” (literally “forty [stripes] minus one”). The law actually sanctioned forty stripes (Deu 25:3). To be careful not to exceed the sanctioned number by a counting error they stopped with thirty-nine stripes. Imagine the kind of experience this might have been. It was not a pleasant experience when it happened for the first time. But at each subsequent time he knew what awaited him.

2Cor 11:25. By being beaten with rods his back was torn open three times. ‘Only’ “once” he “was stoned”. Normally this happens only once; that is the reason why his enemies drew him out of the city supposing him to be dead (Acts 14:19).

Three times he was passenger on a ship that suffered shipwreck. He drifted on the sea for twenty-four hours before he was rescued.

2Cor 11:26. He was constantly travelling to places to preach the gospel. Travelling those days was a dangerous thing. There were no modern road networks with bridges and tunnels as we see today. It was a real risk to cross fast flowing “rivers”.

Added to these were dangers from the side of men: of “robbers”, “countrymen” (Jews) and “the Gentiles” (heathens). The “city” offered no protection, nor did “the wilderness” and nor did “the sea”. Nowhere was he safe, nowhere did he have a resting place.

2Cor 11:27. And if he thought he could take some free breathing space in the church, then there were the false brethren, pretending to be members of the church, but who in reality twisted the truth of God.

The great apostle was not called to a life of ease. His calling meant

1. working very hard – “in labor and hardship”,

2. always watching out – “through many sleeplessness nights”,

3. very little to eat and to drink – “in hunger and thirst”,

4. many times to abstain voluntarily from food – “often without food” or “in fastings often”,

5. suffering freezing temperatures and having little clothing to become warm – “in cold and exposure”.

That Paul did not act as a stoic in these hardships is evident from 2 Timothy 4 where he asks Timothy to bring him his cloak (2Tim 4:13). In my opinion he would not have requested for the cloak if he could warm himself up comfortably under the sun.

2Cor 11:28. What probably pained him the most was his “daily pressure … [of] concern for all the churches”. You read that it was “on” him. Wherever he preached the gospel churches were established. That was a joyful matter, but it did not stop with that. It is important that the believers in these new churches grew in the grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and that they were not slack in knowing the mind of God for their life. The enemy, the devil, did (and does) everything, as is his wont, to bring things into believers’ life to make them backslide into acts which bring dishonor to the Lord’s Name. Paul was very concerned about this.

2Cor 11:29. This list shows that when we deal with Paul we do not deal with him as with a ‘muscleman’ but as with someone very weak. No one can survive such hardships with one’s own strength. Is there anyone who underwent more hardships to prove that he supersedes Paul in his weakness? There is only One Who surpasses Paul in weakness and that is the Lord Jesus. “He was crucified because of weakness” (2Cor 13:4).

The awful experiences of Paul would have served other people to stumble and they would have given up following the Lord Jesus Christ. But Paul’s burning love for Christ kept him going [“led into sin without my intense concern” is literally “made to stumble and I do not burn”].

2Cor 11:30. Does this magnify Paul? No, he rejects all honor for himself. If he boasts at all he boasts in his weakness. Through all his experiences he felt the weakness deeper and deeper.

2Cor 11:31. He repelled all accusation of ambition or self-exaltation or selfishness with a powerful appeal to “the God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever”. God knows that Paul is not lying and right through all the sufferings that came upon him Paul praises Him.

2Cor 11:32-33. Oh yes, there is something else which comes to his mind, and this makes him still weaker and smaller than what he was hitherto. Once he escaped from his enemies in a very humiliating and awkward way. How nice if it were such a miracle that his enemies were struck with blindness or got paralyzed or deceived or cleverly hoodwinked. No such thing.

Once when he was in a city under siege by his enemies who desired to arrest him, he was let down in a basket through a window in the wall. Can you imagine the great apostle hanging in a basket? That was not a great escape which impressed people nor did it create a sensation, was it? Yes, such is this apostle.

Now read 2 Corinthians 11:24-33 again.

Reflection: What are your weaknesses in the light of what Paul portrays here (it need not be the same as his).