After listing the
characteristics of people who had “a form of godliness”
but denied “the power thereof”, Paul the apostle told
Timothy he has “fully known my doctrine, manner of
life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, charity, patience”. Paul
continued his list in chapter three and verse eleven of this final
letter to Timothy where we read:
Persecutions,
afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra;
what persecutions I
endured: but out of them all the Lord
delivered me.
The
verse begins, “Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto
me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra;” Paul
began with the word, “Persecutions”
which is literally “to make flee, put to flight and run away” and
implies “harassment, trouble and molestation”. Paul added,
“afflictions” which is “that which one suffers or has
suffered, an enduring, un undergoing and suffering”. Paul told
where these “persecutions and afflictions” occurred as he
wrote, “which came unto me” or “what sort and manner
became or came into existence, happened, arose and appeared in
history” “at Antioch” or “in Antioch” whose name
means “driven against” and was the “Capital of Syria, situated
on the river Orontes, founded by Seleucus Nicanor in 300 B.C. and
named in honor of his father, Antiochus. Many Greek-Jews lived there
and it was here that the followers of Christ were first called
Christians.” Paul added, “at Iconium” or in Iconium
whose name means “little image” and was “a famous city of Asia
Minor, which was the capital of Lycaonia”. Finally Paul listed, “at
Lystra” or “in Lystra”
whose name means “ransoming” and was “a city in the eastern
part of the great plain of Lycaonia”.
The
verse goes on to say, “what persecutions I endured: but
out of them all the Lord delivered me.” Paul
again referenced, “what persecutions”
or “the sort and manner of harassment, trouble and molestations”
“I endured” which
means “bore as in placing upon one's shoulders” “but”
which is a disassociation conjunction which means “moreover, also,
even and indeed” “out of”
or “from, by and away from” “them all”
or “each, every, any, all, the whole and everyone” “the
Lord” who is “he to whom a person or thing belongs, about
which he has power of deciding who is the master and the title given
to God and the Messiah” “delivered me” or “drew to
one's self and rescued me”. Though Paul suffered “persecutions
and afflictions”, there was not one from which he was not drawn
to the Lord Jesus' and rescued.
While we think upon Paul's
words, it is interesting to note that Paul had to endure
“persecutions and afflictions” in the first place. His
presentation the gospel of Jesus Christ did not exempt him, but
rather seemed to promote him toward them. We may often feel
“persecutions and afflictions” from others when we share
the gospel with them, however it is doubtful that we have ever
suffered to the degree of Paul. The encouragement we receive from
Paul is “the Lord delivered me”, and should we ever suffer
from sharing our experience with Jesus Christ and His saving power
from the bondage of sin, we can be assured that the Lord will be with
us as well. May we always keep in mind that sharing Jesus with others
and living the Christian life will not always be easy, but the Lord
Jesus has promised He “will never leave you nor forsake you”
no matter how difficult our “persecutions and afflictions”
may be.
Next
time Paul writes about what everyone who lives godly will endure, so
read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look
for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be
Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the
Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
http://www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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