The church in Corinth was one of Paul’s thorns in the flesh. Obviously it should not have been, but it was what it was. The church was prosperous in the things of the world, but it also rife with spiritual poverty. It appears to have been relatively large, but that was due to the abundance of worldly people. It was a church where there was a mixture of people who love and respected Paul and others who didn’t. In some ways it was like many modern churches, but it one was of the first like this. Some of those Christians were making Paul’s life rather miserable with their disrespect.
How did the apostle deal with it? For a time he tried to ignore all the lies and innuendos – the jabs and unjust laughter. He tried to live his life before them in such a way as to offset what was being said. Someone else might have retaliated in the flesh, trying to vindicate himself, but that was not Paul. But then finally responded with the words of this scripture.
It is a mixture of facts, some well-known and other little known, blended with a bit of sarcasm. Am I misreading verse 19? “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.” “Sometimes you willingly overlook foolish people like me, because you people are SOOOOooo smart.” After that, Paul pulls out his personal diary, trying to enlist a proper perspective. This passage contains simple facts; things which he suffered in order to spread the gospel. These things prove his dedication to the Lord and to people like these Corinthians. It is a shame that it was necessary to resort to this, but the Lord was in it. The shame wasn’t on Paul’s part, but on his opponents. But what a blessing to us. We might never have known these details, if Paul hadn’t recorded them here. I personally thank the Lord for this revelation.
But, this is not a pretty picture.
There was painful physical suffering involved here. There were beatings with whips and beatings with wooden rods. It was proverbial that 40 stripes with a whip would kill the average man. When severe punishment was to be inflicted without death, then 39 blows were laid on the victim. Five times was Paul beaten in that fashion. And no doubt his back carried permanent scars – just like some of the slaves in Corinth. He was in prison so often, he could have carried his own orange jump suit. And then came simply the perils of the traveling missionary. He had been ship-wrecked on several occasions and even cast adrift at sea. He had been forced to camp in the wilderness with the risk of animal attacks. But worse, he had been attacked by robbers and murderers on highways and even in town. Imagine the pain he had suffered in Lystra with a couple dozen large stones crashing down on him. How many bones were broken? Collar bone, arms, ribs, even his skull. How much blood did he loose? How much internal trauma? Sure the Lord blessed and healed him, but how much did he suffer at the time? The man knew pain and could empathize with suffering Christians around the Mediterranean
And added to that there was the emotional sufferings. “Are they Hebrews, so am I; are they Israelites and of the seed of Abraham – so am I.” My brethren, the Jews, whipped me on five different occasions. I have been often in the perils of my own countrymen. And then comes the daily care of the churches. Some were ravaged by persecution. Some of those churches were filled with sin; some were filled with animosity towards him. And that was despite the fact that he had sacrificed his life for them. How much strain was laid to the heart of Paul over his conflict with Barnabas and John Mark? Remember how he speaks later of Demas and Diotraphes who turned against him. Even those who were his assistants sometimes disappointed him. The hardest part of the ministry is in handling sinful and backslidden saints.
What does verse 23 mean when it speaks of “deaths oft?” Doesn’t that simply mean that Paul constantly lived on the edge of the next world. In the language of the poet, weren’t his feet always on the edge of the river? Not only this but he crucified himself daily in order to be filled with Christ. And this contributed to his desire to depart and to be with Christ.
Is Paul boasting in these things? One might think so, but to properly boast there needs to be some degree of pride. I think that Paul was simply retelling history to establish a point. If this was boasting, then at the very least it was bashful boasting.
One might ask, why he didn’t recount the positive side to His ministry?
Well, first, that was not a part of his purpose on this occasion. But certainly there was much which he could have reported with great joy. There were thousands of souls now alive in Christ Jesus who had been dead in trespasses and sins. There had been dozens of churches of Christ established. With these two things follow hundreds of lives changed and converted. There were hundreds of husbands who were now keeping their filial responsibilities. There were wives who were more loving and caring for their families than they had been. There was more reverence toward the things of God. So there was more honesty, more love, more hospitality, quiet grace and other kinds of service. The whole color of society was changed in some communities. Paul and the other Apostles had turned the world upside down. But it was not Paul’s purpose to report on these things.
Besides, if there were young men in Corinth with whom the Lord was convicting about His service, they needed to enter the service of Christ with their eyes open. There is little earthly wealth in a Bible-based gospel ministry. There is a great deal of privation and even pain. The rewards come in the next world, not this one.
But perhaps someone might ask, “Couldn’t all of this have been avoided?”
I have met some ministers of Christ who are so abrasive and irritating that it seems everywhere they go people are out get back at them. They can’t stay very long in any one place, because no one wants them after people get to know them. Sure they preach the truth, but they do it with a fist raised and with clinched teeth. Paul was not one of their kind. He was a man of love and personal sacrifice. No one could rightly charge him of vindictiveness or legalism.
But what might Paul have done to avoid the things he lists here? Well, he might have been less zealous and slowed down just a little bit. That man was always hyper, running here and running there. If he’d just have stayed in one place he certainly wouldn’t have been in the dangers of the road or at sea. And just think of the huge church that he might have pastored in Antioch or Ephesus. But there was always another needy town; another lost city and another bunch of self-centered people. He was as zealous for Christ as he had once been for the Pharisaic law. When he came to town he went right into the Jewish synagogue where he knew most of the people would be antagonistic towards Jesus of Nazareth.
If he had just not been so stubbornly principled. If he had just relaxed a little bit on the homosexual issue and heathen polygamy. That business of the incestuous man in the church cost him a some support there. He could have simply looked the other way. Paul repeated what his Saviour had said about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. He’d have won some friends if he’d just gone softer on sovereign grace and the upcoming Tribulation. He should have been a bit more lenient and tactful.
And then certainly things would have been better, if Paul had not always sought the glory of God. Even if he’d thought about himself a little more often, it would have been better. But no, he was willing to risk his own life just to declare Christ above others. Remember when there was that terrible uproar in Ephesus? The idolaters had a huge crowd of people, perhaps the largest congregation Paul had ever seen. He wanted to jump in there and begin to preach the Lord Jesus. It was only by the physical restraint of some of the saints which kept him away from certain death. But Paul “counted not his life dear.” Before his own needs, Paul was always placing the ministry and the Lord. Just a little more circumspect thinking would have saved him a lot of grief.
But, of course, I am speaking facetiously. Paul did just what he should have done; just what was required of him. Paul served the Lord in the fashion which you and I should serve Christ.
So Paul’s life was rough, but how did he REACT?
Basically he didn’t REACT at all. He certainly didn’t retaliate. He was very much like his Savior in that respect. Paul’s reaction? “Thank you Lord for permitting me to serve you” – verse 30. He counted it all joy when he fell into those troublesome testings.
What pushed Paul on? Among other things there was the realization that by grace God he had not received what his sins deserved. Paul had hated Jesus Christ and he persecuted the saints. Now he was privileged to serve the Lord and those saints. And the pain which befell him, was nothing to what the Saviour experienced in order to save him.
We can apply this chapter to say: Use what you are, where you are, and what you know of the Lord to glorify His Name. It is a privilege to serve the Saviour. There is no cost too great in bringing glory to His Name.