Paul Testifies to the Marks of the Ministry Part 2
2
Corinthians 6:5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in
watchings, in fastings. KJV
Paul continues down his list of things that he and
many of his fellow workers for Christ endured and thus their ministry was
validated or authenticated by these things and the next on his list was stripes
or plege meaning the blows he received
from the Jews as he declared with these words later on in this epistle or
letter, “Five times I received from the
Jews thirty-nine lashes” (2
Corinthians 11:24) and this
was done with a leather whip that contained bones, metal pieces, and other
sharp objects designed to rip away the flesh from the backs of the one beaten
and these stripes or plege
caused severe lacerations to the subjects body, this prompted Paul to write
these words to the Galatian believers, “From
now on let no one cause trouble for me, for I bear on my body the marks of the
Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).
Paul was put into prison on numerous occasions but
the one occasion that stands out the most to me is when our Lord Jesus Christ
through Paul cast out of the slave girl a demon of divination or witchcraft and
it infuriated the slave girls owners who profited from the predictions made by
the demon “in her” and this was the actions they then took as recorded for us
by Dr. Luke, “But when her masters saw
that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them
into the market place before the authorities, and when they had brought them to
the chief magistrates, they said, ‘These men are throwing our city into
confusion, being Jews, and are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for
us to accept or to observe, being Romans.’ The crowd rose up together against
them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes off them and proceeded to
order them to be beaten with rods. When they had struck them with many
blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them
securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner
prison and fastened their feet in the stocks” (Acts 16:19-24).
Paul and Silas had not broken any laws but it was
due to their ministry of reconciliation that they faced this harsh treatment
and this was another mark of the genuineness of Paul’s commission from our Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul met with much tumults or akatastasia
meaning a state of disorder and disturbances and one clear example of this was
when Paul went to the city of Iconium and many of the people there were stirred
up against his preaching and wanted to stone Paul but he fled to Lystra but the
stirring of the people was so great that the following took place as recorded
for us again by Dr. Luke, “But Jews came
from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and
dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead” (Acts 14:19).
In labors or kopos
meaning intense work united with trouble and toil as Paul described in writing
to Brother Timothy, “But refuse profane
and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For
bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things,
having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. This is
a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. For therefore we both labour
and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of
all men, especially of those that believe” (1 Timothy 4:7-10). Paul was
often relegated to watchings or agrupnia
meaning sleeplessness or keeping himself awake and this was no doubt in large
part due the fact that he was all the time in danger of being caught, captured,
or seized because of his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The occasions we have
earlier listed above testify to all the often times Paul was forced to stay
awake and go without sleep to keep himself from being imprisoned or even
killed.
The fact that Paul was often in danger for his very
freedom and life itself, then it is easy to see why he surely spent many a days
and nights in need and want of food. Although Paul surely surrendered his consumption
of food by way of fasting before our Lord Jesus of his own free will in order
to draw nearer to our Lord Jesus Christ, but his use of the word fastings or nesteia here has the meaning of abstinence
or refraining from food involuntarily and this was something that Paul often
experienced during his walk of faith in Christ as he sojourned through this
life. The gospel of prosperity eluded this Apostle and he never conveyed to any
sinner through his preaching, teaching, or writing that idea, but instead he
conveyed these facts about his own personal journey to these very same
Corinthian believers with these words in his first letter written to them, “To this present hour we are both hungry
and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless”
(1 Corinthians 4:11).
“So long as we are occupied with any other object
than God Himself, there will be neither rest for the heart nor peace for the
mind. But when we receive all that enters our lives as from His hand, then, no
matter what may be our circumstances or surroundings--whether in a hovel or prison-dungeon, or at a martyr’s stake--we
shall be enabled to say, ‘The lines are
fallen unto me in pleasant places’ (Psalms 16:6). But that is the language
of faith, not of sight, nor of sense.” A. W. Pink
“The walk of faith and the ministry of this
Christian (Paul) was not marked by designer clothes, million dollar properties
or businesses, popularity or fame, private modes of transportation, or any
other comforts that was quite evident with the rulers in the Roman Empire
during that time, but Paul suffered much in his tent or his physical body all
because he was a follower of Jesus Christ and loved Him supremely above all
else.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
If you do not
know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your
heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus,
I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You
shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead
proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my
sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my
life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...Sincerely in Christ,
Clifford D. Tate, Sr.
Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…
No comments:
Post a Comment