2 Corinthians 11:22–25: Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep.
The Corinthians thought that Paul’s meekness was weakness, when it was really strength. And they thought that the Judaizers’ arrogance was power. How ignorant the saints can sometimes be. Consider what Paul endured for the cause of Christ and the care of the churches. Had Paul not been an apostle, he would not have experienced these trials. He received “stripes above measure” from both the Gentiles and from the Jews. Three times the Gentiles beat him with rods, and five times he was given thirty-nine lashes by the Jews. Only one beating is recorded in the Book of Acts (16:22), as well as the one stoning (Acts 14:19) 1
Personal Application
- Read Acts 9:15-16. What did God communicate to Paul immediately after his conversion to Christ?
Godly Encouragement
- Paul became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to him by the effective working of His power. –Ephesians 3:7
A Biblical Thought to Share with Others
When God’s grace overrules worldly rejection, we become more like Jesus. – TWEET IT
A Prayer to Consider
Lord, thank You for a Godly perspective (from your Word) during the worst storms of life.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.