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SEPTEMBER 20
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Isra-
elites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham?
23
So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I
speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more 11:20 brings you into bondage. The Greek
abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons verb translated by this phrase appears else-
24
more frequently, in deaths often. From the where in the New Testament only in
Jews five times I received forty stripes minus Galatians 2:4, where it speaks of the
one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once Galatians’ enslavement by the Judaizers. The
25
I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a false apostles had robbed the Corinthians of
night and a day I have been in the deep; in jour- their freedom in Christ (Gal. 5:1). devours
26
neys often, in perils of waters, in perils of rob- you. Or “preys upon you.” This probably
bers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils refers to the false teachers’ demands for
of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in financial support (the same verb appears in
the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils Luke 20:47 where Jesus denounces the
27
among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in Pharisees for devouring widows’ houses).
sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fast- takes from you. Better translated “takes
ings often, in cold and nakedness— besides advantage of you.” The false apostles were
28
the other things, what comes upon me daily: attempting to catch the Corinthians like fish
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my deep concern for all the churches. Who is in a net (Luke 5:5,6). exalts himself. This
weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to refers to one who is presumptuous, puts on
stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? airs, acts arrogantly, or lords it over people
30 If I must boast, I will boast in the things (1 Pet.5:3).strikes you on the face. The false
which concern my infirmity. The God and apostles may have physically abused the
31
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed Corinthians, but the phrase is more likely
32
forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damas- used in a metaphorical sense (1 Cor. 9:27) to
cus the governor, under Aretas the king, was speak of the false teachers’ humiliation of
guarding the city of the Damascenes with a the Corinthians. To strike someone on the
garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let face was a sign of disrespect and contempt
33
down in a basket through a window in the (1 Kin. 22:24; Luke 22:64; Acts 23:2).
wall, and escaped from his hands.
DAY 20:What had being a minister of Christ cost the apostle Paul?

Contrasting his ministry to the false apostles in 2 Corinthians 11:23, Paul spoke of “in labors
more abundant,in stripes above measure,in prisons more frequently,in deaths often.”This is a gen-
eral summation of Paul’s sufferings for the gospel.The next few verses give specific examples,many
of which are not found in Acts.
“Forty stripes minus one”(v.24).Deuteronomy 25:1–3 set 40 as the maximum number that could
legally be administered. In Paul’s day the Jews reduced that number by one to avoid accidentally
going over the maximum.Jesus warned that His followers would receive such beatings (Matt.10:17).
“Beaten with rods” (v. 25). Refers to Roman beatings with flexible sticks tied together (Acts
16:22,23). “Once I was stoned”—at Lystra (Acts 14:19,20). “Three times I was shipwrecked.” Not
including the shipwreck on his journey as a prisoner to Rome (Acts 27), which had not yet taken
place. Paul had been on several sea voyages up to this time, giving ample opportunity for the 3
shipwrecks to have occurred.“A night and a day I have been in the deep.”At least one of the ship-
wrecks was so severe that Paul spent an entire day floating on the wreckage,waiting to be rescued.
“In perils” (v. 26). Those connected with his frequent travels. “Waters” (rivers) and “robbers”
posed a serious danger to travelers in the ancient world. Paul’s journey from Perga to Pisidian
Antioch (Acts 13:14), for example, required him to travel through the robber-infested Taurus
Mountains and to cross two dangerous, flood-prone rivers. Paul was frequently in danger from his
“own countrymen” (Acts 9:23,29; 13:45; 14:2,19; 17:5; 18:6,12–16; 20:3,19; 21:27–32) and, less often,
from “Gentiles” (Acts 16:16–40; 19:23–20:1).“False brethren.”Those who appeared to be Christians,
but were not, such as the false apostles (v. 13) and the Judaizers (Gal. 2:4).
And far worse than the occasional physical suffering Paul endured —weariness and toil,sleep-
lessness, hunger, thirst, fastings, and cold—was the constant, daily burden of concern for the
churches that he felt (v. 28). Those who were “weak” (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8) in faith or were “made to
stumble”into sin caused him intense emotional pain.

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