Morning Sharing: The First Triplet of Great Endurance

I am following Paul as he begins to give examples of how he has “put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way”.[1] There are close to 30 descriptive words or phrases that follow, presenting a picture of what Paul endured for the sake of the gospel, something the “super-apostles” would never have endured. 

I am looking up the meanings of the words as part of my meditation, and in doing this I find that the first 10 are a collection of one kind of focus. They are made up of a heading for this section which I shared yesterday (the “great endurance” Paul exemplified), followed by three triplets of words showing what Paul greatly endured.[2] 

The three triplets are: 

1.     “Great endurance of” general trials: afflictions, hardships, calamities

2.    “Great endurance of” violent trials: beatings, imprisonments, riots

3.    “Great endurance of” consequential trials (things Paul experienced as the natural consequences of how he faithfully proclaimed the gospel): labors, sleepless nights, hunger.[3] 

So, the first triplet of things Paul faced with “great endurance” are: 

Afflictions: distress (state) n. — an oppressive state of physical, mental, social, or economic adversity.[4] 

I will go so far as to say that I can relate to the “oppressive” experience of trials that have affected me physically, mentally, socially, or economically as an area I have endured because of mistreatment directly related to faithfully teaching God’s word to God’s people. 

Hardships: distress ⇔ necessity n. — a distressing state; especially one those that arises out of matters of necessity.[5] 

I can also relate to “distressing” states of being and experience as a direct result of losing out on things that would legitimately be described as “matters of necessity” in life. Examples come to mind that are directly related to teaching people to live by God’s word. Some are part of our story of how we ended up in home church ministry. 

Calamities: constricting distress n. — a distress of an especially oppressive and constricting condition.[6] 

I have not gone through anything close to the near-death experiences Paul endured, but I can certainly relate to things feeling like a “constricting distress” that put painful limitations on my life. Again, these followed my efforts to walk in the obedience of faith in my ministry. 

This first trio of things Paul “greatly endured” both affirms and challenges. It tells me that I have lived through some of these things in various ways, never as intensely as Paul, but similar in kind so I can be comforted by his mentoring. And these qualities in Paul disciple me in my need to keep greatly enduring what I am going through now, and anything that is ahead.

 

 

© 2023 Monte Vigh ~ Box 517, Merritt, BC, V1K 1B8

Email: in2freedom@gmail.com

Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.)

 

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[1] II Corinthians 6:3-4

[2] “by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything” (II Corinthians 6:4-10).

[3] This was drawn to my attention by two commentaries I was looking in for help to understand the original meanings of the words Paul used: Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 310). Logos Research Systems, Inc.; Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians (Vol. 19, p. 214). Baker Book House. Logos Research Systems, Inc.

 

 

[4] Bible Sense Lexicon, Logos Research Systems, Inc.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.