Troubles in Macedonia 2 Corinthians 7:5

Paul the apostle did not, “speak” “to condemn” the church members, and he wrote, “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.said before, that you are in our hearts to die and live with you.” In chapter seven and verse five of Second Corinthians, Paul shared with the church members concerning, “troubles in Macedonia” where we read:

For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest,

but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.

The verse begins, “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest,” Paul began with the word, “for” which means “even as, indeed, no doubt, seeing then, verily and therefore”; “when we were come” or “at the time Paul and his companions arose, became known and appeared” “into Macedonia” which means “extended land” and was “a country bounded on the south by Thessaly and Epirus, on the east by Thrace and the Aegean Sea, on the west by Illyria, and on the North by Dardania and Moesia”, “our flesh” or “Paul and his companions' physical bodies” “had no rest” which means “did not have relief or relaxation from persecutions”. Paul and his companions continued to face physical persecutions when they entered into Macedonia.

The verse continues, “but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.” Paul added the word, “but” which is a disassociation conjunction that means what is about to be written takes precedence over what was just stated “we were troubled” or “Paul and his companions were pressed hard, straitened, contracted, afflicted and distressed” “on every side” which means “from each and all directions”; “without” or “outwardly” “were fightings” which means “combats, variance, disputants, strife, quarrel and contentions”, “within” which refers to “their inward selves” “were fears” or “dreads, terrors, and alarms”. Paul and his companions faced horrific “difficulties” which came both “inwardly and outwardly”.

When we consider these words of Paul, we see how he and his companions faced great difficulties in order to share the “gospel of Jesus Christ”. They were attacked inwardly and outwardly, and though they were called by God to go into Macedonia, they did not obey without a price to pay. Jesus Christ suffered affliction and distress so the good news of the gospel might be spread throughout the world, and though He and His ministers suffered great “trouble”, the eternal value of their message was well worth the temporary suffering they endured.

Next time Paul tells the church members, “God, that comforts those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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