Ministers, Labors, Stripes, Prisons and Deaths 2 Corinthians 11:23

Paul the apostle asked and answer his own questions toward the church members in Corinth as he wrote, “Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I.”, and in chapter eleven and verse twenty-three of Second Corinthians, Paul shares what he does,“ ” where we read:

Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool ) I am more; in labors more abundant,

in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

The verse begins, “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool ) I am more; in labors more abundant,...” Paul began with the words, “are they” which means “the false apostles and deceivers” “ministers” or “servants” “of Christ” which refers to “the anointed One, the Messiah and the Son of God”? (“I speak” or “Paul uttered, declared and proclaimed” “as a fool” or “like one who is senseless, void of understanding and insane”) “I am more” which means “Paul was beyond and more than them”; “in labors” or “in the beating of the breast with grief, sorrow, trouble and toil” “more abundant” which means “in greater degree and more exceedingly”. Paul exalted himself above the other “servants of Jesus” and those who experienced “sorrow and grief”.

The verse continues, “... in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.” Paul added the words, “in stripes” which means “with blows, wounds, public calamities, heavy afflictions and plagues” “above measure” or “excessively and beyond measure”, “in prisons” which means “places where captives are kept” “in deaths” or “that separation, whether natural or violent, of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended” “oft” which means “often and frequently”. Paul experienced “public beatings, captivity and death” to a greater degree than any of the “false apostles and deceivers” who were among the church members in Corinth.

When we meditate upon these words of Paul, we marvel at the troubles experienced by Paul. He was a greater “servant of Jesus”, experienced “sorrows”, “beatings”, “prisons” and even “death” itself more often than any of the “false teachers”. Jesus Christ never promised that life would be easy if a person receives Him as Savior and Lord, and often, like Paul, Christians are not immune to difficult times and experiences. However, as Jesus proclaimed, “In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Next time Paul tells the church members, “of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then,

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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