2Cor 11:23 | PNT | STEP | Are they ministers of Christ? . . . I [am] more . Not only a minister, but a pre-eminent sufferer for Christ. To show how much he exceeded them, he gives some account of his sufferings. I speak as a fool . Speaking foolishly, that is, commending himself. See . In labours more abundant . The record of Acts shows how his labors abounded. In stripes above measure . See . In prisons more frequent . Clement, who wrote about the close of the first century, says in his Epistle to the Corinthians that Paul was imprisoned seven times. In Acts only one occurrence is named before the date of this letter, that at Philippi ( ). It is evident from this enumeration that Acts is only a part of the history of his labors. In deaths oft . Often in peril of death. Dean Stanley says that the catalogue of sufferings given in shows that Paul's life was then without precedent in the history of the world. The only explanation of such a life, continued now for more than fourteen years, is that given by himself: "The love of Christ constraineth us" ( ).

2 Corinthians 11:23

Are they ministers of Christ? . . . I [am] more. Not only a minister, but a pre-eminent sufferer for Christ. To show how much he exceeded them, he gives some account of his sufferings.

I speak as a fool. Speaking foolishly, that is, commending himself. See 2Co 11:1.

In labours more abundant. The record of Acts shows how his labors abounded.

In stripes above measure. See 2Co 11:24,25.

In prisons more frequent. Clement, who wrote about the close of the first century, says in his Epistle to the Corinthians that Paul was imprisoned seven times. In Acts only one occurrence is named before the date of this letter, that at Philippi (Ac 16:24). It is evident from this enumeration that Acts is only a part of the history of his labors.

In deaths oft. Often in peril of death. Dean Stanley says that the catalogue of sufferings given in 2Co 11:25-33 shows that Paul's life was then without precedent in the history of the world. The only explanation of such a life, continued now for more than fourteen years, is that given by himself: "The love of Christ constraineth us" (2Co 5:14).