Paul's Concern for the Churches - 2 Corinthians 11: 26-30

Paul's Defense of His Apostolic Ministry

So we're going to be in 2nd Corinthians again, and the last time I was with you, which was about 17 years ago. It seems like We finished up on verse 25, so we're gonna do a little review as well. But chapter 11 you were wondering what chapter that's the chapter.

If I just give you a verse you can find it. So we're gonna read from chapter 11 verse 16 through the end of the chapter Paul remember Paul has been Castigating the Corinthians for suffering fools for suffering fools in teaching for suffering fools in in leadership that the The false Apostles had kind of have done somewhat overtaken have somewhat overtaken the Corinthian Church at this point that he is writing about and He does not like Having to compare notes as if you will with false teachers, but that's what he's done in some respects explaining to them the reasons why he is an Apostle and they are not and So throughout this chapter he is he is catalogued some of the things that he has had to endure to bring the gospel to them.

Things which these false teachers had endured none of but had come in and taken over as it were or attempted to take over. A thriving a good church that was struggling, but I don't all churches struggle a bit.

I mean is anybody perfect on this planet not even close, but nevertheless. This was a church that the Apostle had labored to to bring to fruition. To to he had he had planted this church and he had taught there and many had taught there and now false Apostles had moved in and were Threatening to usurp the Lord Jesus Christ himself as their head.

So we'll start with verse 16 where he talks about the foolishness again again. He says I say let no one think me foolish. But if you do receive me even as foolish that I may also Boast a little remember the false Apostles were boasting about their credentials their letter from Jerusalem, etc.

That which I am speaking I am NOT speaking as the Lord would but is in foolishness in this confidence of boasting since many boast according to the flesh I will boast also. For you being so wise bear with the foolish gladly.

For you bear with anyone if he enslaves you here's the people that they're bearing with. These are what the false Apostles did if he enslaves you if he devours you that was a financial statement. If he takes Advantage of you if he exalts himself if he hits you in the face.

To my shame I must say that we have been weak by comparison. But in whatever respect anyone else is bold I speak in foolishness. I am just as bold myself. Are the Hebrews so am I are the Israelites so am I.

Are the descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I speak as if insane. I More so in far more labors in far more imprisonments beaten times without number often in danger of death.

Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times. I was shipwrecked a night in a day. I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers.

Dangers from robbers. Dangers from my countrymen. Dangers from the Gentiles. Dangers in the city. Dangers in the wilderness. Dangers on the sea. Dangers among false brethren. I have been in labor and hardship through many sleepless nights in hunger and thirst often without food in cold and exposure.

Apart from it's such external things. There is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches. Who was weak without my being weak? Who was led into sin without my intense concern. If I have to boast I will boast of what pertains to my weaknesses to my weakness.

The God and father of the Lord Jesus Christ. He who was blessed forever knows that I am not lying in Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and so escaped his hands.

So interesting into the chapter there and remember that the chapter beginnings and endings were given to us much later. So sometimes they make great sense. Sometimes they don't but don't let that throw you.

We'll uh, we'll continue right on in a chapter 12 if we make it that far today. But so the last time we were together we finished up. I believe on verse 25 and Paul had catalogued from 23 and on a comparison of The credentials if you will between himself and the false apostles.

He he begins in earnest in chapter 11 verse 23 his defense of his apostolic ministry as given to him by the Lord.

Jesus Christ.

But imagine as I pointed out a Confirmation sermon being so delivered. He says he says are they servants of Christ? I speak as if insane as if insane. I'm more so. Far more labors far more imprisonments beaten times without number often in danger of death.

So Paul gives them great reasons to be Christians. Would you like to be beaten? Would you like to be in prison? How about a shipwreck anybody up for a shipwreck? Maybe having people shoot at you back then it would have been with arrows.

That was the lot of a genuine believer in Christ. Were he to so put forward the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ. So then verse 23, excuse me verse 24 Five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. We we talked about the fact that the the ruling authorities the Jewish authorities were so scrupulous to have to To observe the law.

They didn't want to even accidentally beat you too much. So they did 39 lashes instead of 40 which was allowed three times. I was beaten with rods once. I was stoned three times. I was shipwrecked the night and a day I've spent in the deep and That was the verse we ended up with and we pointed out that in the book of Acts We have record of one of the beatings with rods in Acts chapter 16.

We have an attempted stoning that occurred in Iconium later in Lystra. Jews came from Iconium Antioch and stoned him. This attack was so severe when he was stoned this time that everybody thought he was dead and they left him.

It's remarkable I I don't have any scriptural support for this, but it's my View that the Lord raised him up because stoning is not like getting my parents used to spank me big difference.

Don't you think?

This was designed to kill you it was designed to cave your head in and he got back up. So Paul was revived I believe by the Lord Jesus Christ to continue the ministry that he had given him and the timetable that he had chosen for.

Him, but.

We only have one of the shipwrecks recorded. But and that comes much later on in his journey to Rome the night and day that he spent the deep would have referred.

To.

Probably spending a full 24-hour period or so clinging to some wreckage during a shipwreck. Shipwreck was common in ancient times. We finished up with the the quote from Will Bart. What Barclay. What Barclay did in his explain in his commentary on 2nd Corinthians.

He said again again again and again Paul speaks of the dangers of his travels. It is true that in his time the roads and the sea were safer than they had ever been. But they were still dangerous on the whole on the whole.

The ancient peoples did not relish the sea. How pleasant it is says Lucretius to stand on the soul on the shore and watch the poor devils of sailors having such a rough.

Time.

A nice guy.

Seneca writes to a friend you can persuade me into almost anything now for I was recently persuaded to be traveled by to travel by Sea. Men regarded a sea voyage as taking one's life in one's hands. So I can find that that's what that was.

Paul's litany of perils starting in verse 24 and Continuing through verse 27 doesn't read like a resume of success does it? But it was success the way God defines it. He planted churches. He preached the gospel.

He brought the Word of God to many to many. It doesn't read like a resume of success. One would parade in front of front of others who were bragging about being your equal or Your superior in service to Christ.

The list of difficulties demonstrated Paul's devotion to Christ. He would serve him at all costs and through all dangers. The false apostles had no such claims. And that's where we ended up a couple weeks ago a few weeks ago, so in verse 26 He says this he continues his I have been on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers.

Dangers from robbers. Dangers from my countrymen. Dangers from the Gentiles. Dangers in the city dangers in the wilderness dangers on the sea. Dangers among false brethren. From a general statement of difficulties in verse 23 to a specific detailed litany of verses in 24 through 26.

A specific litany of dangers and difficulties in verses 24 through 26. Paul demonstrates his commitment to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and indeed his commitment to the Lord himself. There were countless short trips interspersed with the long missionary journeys that Paul took in his three-plus decades of ministry.

He dealt with the dangers of swollen rivers bands of robbers the Jews his own countrymen who would attempt to kill him for abandoning the Jewish faith and Taking up with dirty Gentiles in this new religion.

The Gentiles and spell themselves especially the Roman authorities endangered his lives and his life numerous times. Whether he was in the city or in the countryside he met danger. There were dangers as mentioned earlier on the sea as well.

That this last little phrase damp dangers among false brethren. It must have been especially disturbing and painful. Some of those false brethren were certainly in the Corinthian Church. Indeed the false Apostles would have been classed among those traitors.

Paul warned the Ephesian elders that false teachers would rise from the church. They led. False teachers would arise from the very church. They led. This is true in every age that false teachers come from among the brethren and it has to be the most difficult of all to have those rise from your own body accusing you of Being duplicitous of being a liar and of attempting to upstage and Paul wasn't in it for the glory he wasn't.

I mean it was there was The way things are the way things are normally done. There was no glory here. This was not something that you would do to earn a living a real living back then he was a tent maker a leather a leather maker and Just difficulties all around, but he stayed the course if if we can gather something in an overview.

Such as an overview from all of this information. We can gather that the true disciples of Christ. They stay the course. They stay the course. Who keeps them on that course. God does. God does because Absent the strength of God we'd all run screaming from the room.

We just would let's face it when your skins on the line. You find out how serious you are. So he gives the general statement and then he goes into a litany then he says in verse 27 I have been in heart labor and hardship through many sleepless nights and hunger thirst.

Often without food in cold and exposure. Paul earned his own way as he preached the gospel. Throughout the known world he spent many sleepless nights. He went hungry. He went thirsty, and he had to sleep on the ground outside very often.

And I got to tell you There's a there's you young people don't know about this. There's a geotectonic phenomenon that occurs as you age the ground gets harder. And it has something to do with the lithium in the rocks or something.

And I'm still working on understanding all the the details of that. But Paul, I mean he had to spend a lot of time sleeping in the cold. He had to spend time hungry thirsty. The temperatures in Philippi and warm for example in the winter could get down below freezing now.

That doesn't sound like much to us here in North, Idaho, but I don't think he had Pendleton wool. And he probably didn't have Fox River socks or or a Navy peacoat. He probably had some some threadbare blankets and the clothing that he had on his back.

And that was about it. But his devotion to spread the gospel of Christ was such that this was but milk and butter to him. It was no big deal. He points it out here so that those who are Moving to a new camp as it were these false apostles would recognize what they were they were being fed a bill of good or Served a bill of goods.

That was untrue. These false apostles would never do that kind of thing they would never sacrifice the cup their comfort the way the Apostle Paul did to bring the gospel to the world and.

And.

It's the same today. Now God doesn't call those sometimes he does but generally speaking he doesn't necessarily call those who would serve him to a life of threadbare clothes and starving. But if he does they will do it.

They will do it. So but he also I'm just not certain in my mind that he calls us to a life of seven jets. So that we can pick and choose not to fly with the demons in those tubes in the sky. That's what they've been accused of being the people that some of the some of these Prosperity preachers talk about they can't fly and commercial jets because it's not like being locked into a tube full of demons.

They need two or three snow six. Five or six two or three? You're a pauper. Real servants of God can pick between the Learjet the Gulfstream and whatever the you know I think we'll fly today seven people on a passenger on a jet that takes that holds 50, you know.

Okay, I'm getting carried away. So That's easy for me to do so all of these things that Paul has talked about. Luke only records a few of these. But it's enough to show the tenacity that Paul had in preaching the gospel and we're gonna go through a few of them here I've got.

This is because scripture is richer than anything. I have to say acts 923 when many days had elapsed. The Jews plotted together to do away with him. This was right after he was saved. He didn't get a chance to really get his feet under him.

9 acts chapter 9. Acts chapter 929 and he was talking and arguing with the Hellenistic Jews, but they were attempting to put him to death. Now, I know it can get pretty nasty on social on social media, but not like this.

You know, where does that guy live? We're gonna kill him. Acts 13 45 when the Jew but when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul and Were blaspheming they would they would blaspheme in order to contradict Paul.

Acts 1350 but the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their district. Acts 14 to but the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren.

So the Jews embarked on a case-by-case. Day-by-day attempt to subvert everything Paul was doing. He had serious opposition. Sometimes I I mean I've read the book of Acts. I don't know how many times and it was as I went through at this time for my study I went they really didn't like the guy.

I.

Mean it was awful.

It would have been awful to have had to to to live in this kind of condition under these kind of conditions Acts 14 19, but the Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and having won over the crowds. They were good speakers.

It would be my guess. They knew how to they knew how to a turn of phrase and how to incite anger and incite violence.

And.

Having won over the crowds. They stoned Paul and drove him out of the city dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead. Yeah, just like that Acts 16 19 through 24, but when her masters saw that there this is the gal who was making money for people one of the sorcerers.

But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone. They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities and when they had brought him to the chief magistrates.

They said these men are throwing our city into confusion bring being Jews and proclaiming our Proclaiming customs what it is 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.

Let me let me stop there for a minute. So the Jews weren't appealing to Scripture. It would serve them better in this case to appeal to the Roman. The things that they were responsible not to do as Roman citizens.

They were they were a bad did whatever worked. Whatever worked whatever worked to get Paul and Silas and all the others in trouble 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.

Yeah, I'll just put him in a cell. I'll watch him no he threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in stocks. Now these weren't padded ankle bracelets. These were rough wooden or possibly wooden and partially metal devices that were fastened around your feet and they didn't size them to you and.

So it was very painful often resulting in broken bones contusions abrasions. Well, the contusions would be on the head abrasions and wounds of many many types in Acts chapter 18 verse 12 but while Galileo was pro-consul of Achaia the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat and Then and I'll leave this to you to read we got a little bit of a late start there.

There's quite a bit but Acts chapter 19 23 verses through 41. You know what? We're gonna read it. This this is amazing. The the kind of opposition that was brought against a man of God who was bringing the Word of God to the world about that time.

There occurred no small disturbance concerning the way. That's what they called Christians. The Religion they practiced the way for a man named Demetrius a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis was bringing No little business to the craftsman these he gathered together with the workmen of similar trades and said men.

You know that our prosperity depends upon this business. They're just they're not really gods or goddesses. They're silver and it's business and we're losing money. You see in here that not only in Ephesus, but almost in but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded.

That's a little bit of hyperbole. But okay has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all.

Well, duh.

Not only is there danger that this trait of ours fall into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship Will be even be dethroned from her magnificence.

When they heard this they were filled and were filled with and were filled with rage. They began crying out saying great is Artemis of the Ephesians. So they would just plug their ears and shout now now now we don't hear you great as Artemis of the Ephesians.

The city was filled with the confusion and they rushed with one accord into the theater dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. You better think careful if you're gonna travel with Paul.

Because you might get beat up hurt killed stoned just traveling with this guy. And when Paul wanted to go into the assembly the disciples would not let him. Also some of the Asiarchs who were friends of his sent to him and repeatedly urged him not to venture into the theater.

So then some were shouting one thing and some another for the assembly was in confusion and the majority did not know for what reason. They had come together. All the of most of the mob that gathered there to do this damage.

They didn't even know why we're there. We're here. Tell us to kill something. We'll kill something. That's what mobs do. That's what mobs do. Some of the crowd concluded it was Alexander since the Jews had put him forward and having motion with his hand Alexander was intending to make a defense to the assembly.

But when they recognized that he was a Jew a single outcry arose from them all as they shouted for about two hours. Great is Artemis of the Ephesians. After quieting the crowd the town clerk said men of Ephesus What man is there after all who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is guardian of the temple of the great? Artemis and of the image which fell down from heaven.

So since these so there's some false information right there that was fake news didn't fall down from heaven. Somebody made it their basement. So since these are undeniable facts undeniable facts. Where have you heard that before nowadays, this is an undeniable fact, and it's not even true.

Since these are undeniable facts you ought to keep calm and do nothing rash for you brought these men here who are neither robbers of temples. Nor blasphemers of our goddess so then if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against any man.

The courts are in session and proconsuls are available let them bring charges against one another. But if you want anything beyond this it shall be settled in the lawful assembly so at least he was a voice of reason attempted reason for indeed we indeed we are in danger of being accused of a riot in connection with today's events since there is No real cause for it and in this connection.

We will we will be unable to account for this disorderly gathering. After saying this he dismissed the assembly so uh. Irresponsible people took control of the crowd and got them stirred up. And it looks like a fairly responsible person got him shut down for a while.

But Paul faced this everywhere he went. Remember remember that if this if everything Paul did was recorded. There wouldn't be enough room in the world for the books. So Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Recorded what was absolutely necessary to communicate to us the devotion of his servants in spreading the gospel.

And so this is just some of it. Any comments or questions about that verse 27? Verse 28 and.

Paul's Concern for All the Churches

Here.

Here in this verse lives one of the great Concerns of anybody who's responsible in a body of Christ. He says apart from such external things being stoned locked in stocks thrown in prison freezing starving Thirsting being broke apart from such external things.

There is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. He loved the churches of God. He loved the people of God. He loved to be with them. He loved to give them God's Word. He loved to spend time among them and This these external things were preventing that.

Here we are reminded of the internal difficulties that occur when someone is responsible for a flock that God has entrusted to him or to them. To care for teaching and for nurture. He had particular concerns about those in Ephesus that were different in some ways from the problems in Galatia.

Each church Has its own little persona and its own differences that so that their problems while Universal to the church, but individual churches may have the struggles may seem somewhat a bit different at any rate.

The Corinthians. Let's see. The the Colossians were courting Gnosticism. The Corinthians struggled with hedonism perversion and a significant influx of false teachers in Rome. Retentions between the Jews and the Gentiles to be dealt with.

The Galatians had fallen back into legalism to some degree. The Thessalonians were struggling with intolerance and division. Does any of that sound familiar? There is really nothing new under the Sun nothing the human nature waxes outside of the church worse and worse.

Hopefully inside of the church. It's not human nature, but it's godly nature waxes more and more towards Christ. The the epistles to Timothy the the Ephesians Paul said had forsaken their first love. They had lost the fire that had accompanied their salvation to Christ.

The epistles to Timothy sought to encourage and instruct a you a new young pastor. Titus dealt with false teachers and so it went as I was doing sort of a survey of some of the New Testament books. Looking through for some key verses as to what Paul was dealing with these seem to be some of the things that stood out.

Paul had numerous issues and so it went. Paul had numerous issues in the many churches He had founded and they brought him many sleepless nights. They provided for him such fodder for prayer that he spent a great deal of time on his knees.

For these bodies of Christ for these believers these beloved people in his life. Paul also had a great solicitude for these churches and when he could He would visit them for the purpose of strengthening and encouraging them in Acts chapter 15 verse 36 after some days Paul said to Barnabas Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaim the Word of the Lord and see how they are.

Let's go and see how they're doing. I want to help out. I want to do what I can acts 15 40 through 41. But Paul chose Silas and left being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord and he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia.

Strengthening the churches so he planted them and then he went back through and he you know He told him what he wanted to tell him then he told him again. Then he came back to tell him what he told him.

That's basic preaching and Having spent some time there in Acts chapter 18 verse 23 He left and passed successively through the Galatian region and Phrygia strengthening all the disciples. He had quite a ministry of strengthening already believers already believers.

Acts chapter 20 verse 2 when he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation. He came to Greece exhorting to build up to strengthen to encourage to make strong. Colossians 2 1 4.

I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are in Laodicea and for all those Who have not personally seen my face? He wanted to see as many as he could remember in Book of Romans when he wrote to the Romans I long to come see you.

I want to come see you but Satan has stood in my way and So it is true. The under shepherd is solicitous of those entrusted to him. He prays he agonizes he counsels. He encourages and he meets those who would lead him to flock any of the flock astray with rebuke censure and exposure.

That needs to be done. It needs to be done. One commentator put it this way. He said and So it is and so it should be with every faithful pastor of Christ's flock. He should lovingly identify himself with those who have been committed to his care showing himself deeply anxious for their spiritual well-being compassionate with them in their frailties and temptations and Resisting and resenting everyone who seeks to entice them away from the purity of their devotion to Christ.

This compassion is not of man. It is the divine compassion of Christ himself burning in the heart of his servant and blazing forth in love to reach and to bind. The one bind bridegroom and to bind to the one bridegroom the hearts of those to whom he ministers so and and in in New Testament churches on you have Groups of men who've been commissioned to serve and it's hopefully as God leads.

It is their love for the church that should show through it is their love for the teaching of God's Word that should show through. Not for the almighty dollar or for fame or for any of those other things.

They should be devoted to the people in the church. Any comments or questions about that? Yes. He will never leave you nor forsake you and if I remember right that's a triple negative which isn't like An English negative a double negative cancels itself out.

No, he will never never never leave you nor forsake you now. That is either true or it's not and it is true. Yes. Yes, they did good good point you pointed out that they saw they saw Paul not as a single man.

But as a serious player, right? They saw him as a single man a serious player one single man that was a serious threat to their way of life. Actually the guy it may have been a little bit of hyperbole, but he said the whole world.

You know, well at the time Paul was bringing in the gospel to the known world and those Roman roads helped him out a lot. He got around a lot. These are thousands of miles that he traveled and brought the gospel and then each Faithful church would have had people in them in them that had the same fire burning in them to take the gospel and Paul talks About that.

So and thus and that's why I think sometimes when we get too comfortable and around our little fire. Our little home fire. God stomps the fire. And what happens when you stomp a campfire? The embers go out don't they he spreads?

He spreads the light.

So.

Paul.

Paul was was perceived as a threat to the prevailing religions of the day and to the prevailing moneyed interests of the day and The gospel will always be perceived as a threat to the prevailing religions.

And so it should. Because I know this is gonna sound intolerant, but don't forgive me. There is no other way under heaven that men are to come to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm badly butchering this because I know it's in there.

Peter said this but through the Lord Jesus Christ. There are not many ways to God. There's one Uno in Spanish, but y 'all didn't know that. And so Paul was threatening all of the existing religious systems and the Romans.

You were an atheist if you only believed in one God. Yeah, I mean let's define our words the way we want, you know. So that's what the Romans believed if you were if you only believed in. If you were a monotheist you were an atheist because there were lots of gods and you were event you were you were avoiding and.

Abandoning them.

Paul's Empathy for the Weak and Those Led Into Sin

Verse 29. Who is weak without my being weak. Who was led into sin without my intense concern. The false Apostles being selfish Prideful arrogant and greedy cared nothing about the pains needs and the daily walk of those that are in the way of God.

So.

When he was in the church at Corinth. In fact, when a false Apostle discovers a weakness or a pain of another person They tend to exult and brag about their own conquering nature. About how good they are about how wonderful they are about how little they struggle with the kinds of things That the small people struggle with.

I'm so close to God. I just don't have any problems.

And I'm so humble, just ask me.

Paul had empathy with those in Corinth who struggled with sin. Their weakness was his weakness. He knew that but for the grace of God, there would he go. And anybody who understands the scripture and the nature of man understands it.