2 Corinthians 11:22 – 29 – Enduring challenges to strengthen others

These verses give us a feeling that Paul’s adversaries were boasting about themselves and what they could offer. To counter them, Paul pulled out his credentials and experiences to show that he was not inferior to any of them.

He showed that racially speaking, he was not just a Jew but a Hebrew, one who could speak Aramaic. And as an Israelite, he was a member of the covenant people. Besides he was a seed of Abraham, showing that he was an heir to the promises of God. Regarding servant-hood, Paul maintained that he was a servant of Christ. And as a servant, he suffered much more than any of them. Although Paul felt crazy talking about such things, he would indulge in this madness to prove how authentic a servant of Christ he was.

From verses 23-29, he enumerated all that he went through in the ministry. Regarding work, he worked to the point of sheer exhaustion. If one were to compare imprisonment, it was his second home. In beating, he was flogged countless times. In threats of death, he ran the risk of it on many occasions. On five different occasions he received 39 stripes on his back. What about the three times they used the rod to beat him up. And he was also stoned once. Paul also encountered shipwrecked three times and he had also spent a night and a day drifting on sea.  

Paul was also constantly on the move and in his journey, he faced all kinds of dangers: in the river, from the robbers, from his own people who wanted to destroy him, and from Gentiles. He was in danger in the city, country, and at sea. As if these were not enough, Paul also had to put up with false brothers. He endured physical exhaustion resulting from his labor and toil, and he had gone on for hours without sleep. He also had been hungry and thirsty, and had no food for a period of time and was exposed to cold and nakedness. On top of all these, Paul also had the burden, on a daily basis, from his concern for the needs of all the churches.

He rounded up in verse 29 asking, “Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?” Here Paul was identifying with the Corinthians who were weakened by the exploitation and violation of the false teachers. He expressed his deep concern for those who were led into sin by his adversaries.  

Despite the challenges Paul encountered, he never backed down in order to bring others closer to God. He did it all to strengthen the church. What Paul went through reminds us of what Christ Himself went through. Hebrews 12:1-4 said, that he did it for our sake. So that when we look at Him we will not lose heart in what we are going through. What is your challenge today? Look to Christ, He has set the perfect example!