Comfort & Affliction III, Misc. & 2 Cor 11

Comfort & Affliction III

Misc 2 Cor 11

Explanations are often sought for afflictions of many kinds. It is often the case that we never know why something has been allowed to afflict us or directly sent our way.

Too much mental energy is spent trying to find out the answer to that why question. The what question is of so much more important. The why is often a sinful indulgence to know what cannot be fully known in the minds of men, but only in the mind of God.

After the two planes flew into the Twin Towers on September 11th, 2001, Ron and I were put on the spot at a prayer meeting. We were asked, "Why did God allow such a thing to happen?" Well, with one and a half days to think about it, any answer would have been incomplete. But, I offered something like this, "All we really know is that God has glorified himself once again." I was asked what that meant. I tried to explain that in a single event of that magnitude there are a number of things that could be legitimate effects of the sinful acts of the terrorists--at the time we did not know for certain all of the terrorist ties of the men involved.

Those on the planes and those in the buildings who were believers and lost their lives, it was the act used or even ordained by God to bring to heaven some of his spiritual sons and daughters in order to give them an undeserved and supernatural salvation. On the other hand, for those who were not believers, it was the means to send them to their eternal destination, to experience God's torments forever. For those who died in unbelief, having been warned of the consequences of unbelief, their destruction would be so much greater. To those who were left behind, it was the means whereby many asked questions--good spiritual questions. Others sought some sort of religious experience to salve their consciences without a real commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and his people. Still to others it was a means for them to cuse any notion of God in order to justify their own unbelief--How could a good God allow such a thing? Was their rhetorical question--rhetorical, I say because they were not really seeking answers--they were venting their venomous unbelief in order to try to tear down the fledgling faith of others.

The question remained, however, from where does affliction come? The answer is very basic, in the omniscience of God, he knows what is the right thing in every situation in order to bring his will to pass.

If it is judgment on sin…

If it is correction for the believer….

If it to bring a believer home to heaven….

If it is anything that comes to pass--nothing takes God by surprise..nothing! Not even affliction.

Yet, for the believer under trials, we can always be certain that it is for our good (Rom 8:28-29). It comes from a good God and it comes to pass to glorify God in an ultimate sense.

We talked about those things over the past two weeks. We also mentioned that sometimes we suffer for the good of others. That we take up their concern, comfort them, pray for them, seek to minister God's grace to them with that proverbial cup of cold water that is our redeemed character to give.

In 2Cor 1, among the many wonderful realities we already mentioned, we have Paul's words about others sharing in his sufferings and comforts: the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 

5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.

What did Paul and his apostolic band suffer? We know of some sporadic persecutions from Acts. We know soon after his conversion that he started preaching and convincing his hearers that Jesus was the son of God. We read this in Acts 9. After  many days had passed, the Jews sought to kill him. His treachery was inexplicable to them. How could a man like Saul change so radically into this one called Paul?

Yet, Paul was told directly by Jesus that he would be troubled. Listen to Acts 9:15 "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 

If it is true that, 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name." Our expectation is that we would find this throughout his ministry. Yet, there is plenty to prove the words of Jesus true. Paul was not being chastised for sin in his life, he was being purified for the sake of his ministry. People often assume one when it is the other going on.

Turn to Chapter 11 of Second Corinthians. This is where we have the most concentrated collection of Paul's sufferings. He did not suffer these things on his own account. He kept going for the good of the churches.

I think modern churches are unduly affected by the health, wealth and prosperity gospel. They think suffering is a certain sign of some damning sin when in realitiy it is God being good and gracious in shaping the character of under affliction, or he is attempting to use the one under affliction and his or her afflictions, for the good of others.

Let's read 2 Corinthians 11, the context really beings in verse 16 and continues for quite a while. I want to pick up the narrative in verse 23 where much of the suffering mentioned is autobiographical from the pen of Paul:

An Incomplete Catalog of Apostolic Suffering

23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one--I am talking like a madman--with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death.

The first statements are but general ones. He is contrasting his experience with some who claimed to be supper-apostles. He tells su he is speaking as a fool. And, he does to make an important point--not only is Paul suffering for the gospel, but his life shows his willingness to suffer as Christ suffered--without receiving anything in return, well, at least not in this life.

Paul continues

24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 

39 Lashes--a punishment in accord with Jewish Law. It was the most severe punishment the Jews could administer. Paul received these stripes five times. They would have left his back scarred. That is why they are called stripes.

Pirates in the Early Modern period, from the 15th to the 18th centuries called 39 lashes Moses Law taking their instruction, interestingly enough, from the Bible.

Paul experienced 39 lashes, 5 times. One time would often kill a man.

25 Three times I was beaten with rods.

Caning was another punishment. These rods were rigid dowell like sticks used for the purpose of inflicting pain. To be beaten has the connotation of being struck down until one could no longer stand. Three times….eight major punishments of a similar kind. 

25b Once I was stoned. The intent of stoning is to leave the victim dead of either the wounds inflicted by the stones, or to suffocate them. Paul survived to minister another day. Why did he survive when humanly speaking he should have died? God had more ministry for Paul and his unique gifts to accomplish. It wasn't a mistake. It was the will of God.

Paul continues with his catalog of sufferings for them and other believers:

25c Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 

We have no idea how bad this was. We know how bad it is today even with all of our modern technology, we have shipwrecks every once in a while. Ferries capsize, cruise ships strike the rocks where the pilot it alleged to have gone too close.

In the ancient world it was even worse. These occurred while Paul was travelling--presumably on his journeys to visit churches or get to Jerusalem. He survived by God's grace and continued the work that had been given to him. Paul tells us this much if his next clause it to be connected with what comes before it and the one clause ofter it. There are three items that deal with maritime experiences. Shipwrecks…

26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers,

Paul often thinks in terms of associations. Considering many of his other lists,

It is consistent to all of a sudden see him throwing in a series of interconnected experiences. I know once people start talking about their experiences on the water that mine come back too. But, I have never been shipwrecked--I fell over in canoes while traversing rapids. That is scary, but nothing of the intensity of an ancient shipwreck. 

If you want to hear the narrative of such a shipwreck read acts 29 sometime. It is about a shipwreck that happened on the way to Rome--make that number four, perhaps.

Paul continues with his afflictions:

of danger from robbers, 

Highwayman or robbers were a constant threat on the Roman Roads especially if you travelled without a Roman guard. These robbers would take all you had of any value and often leave the people robbed for dead. Everyone in the ancient world would have immediately identified with Jesus' parable of the good Samaritan. Eveyrone knew the dangers of highwaymen--even priests and religious leaders.

Robbers, muggers and thieves did not discriminate. Anyone and everyone could be a target. So, one could not relax among your own people. The robbers often dressed like anyone else until they got upon you--then they would pounce.

SO, you feared all sorts….

danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, 

Every once in a while, I hear someone say they would love to live back in the days of the Bible. This is the sort of experiences you would have day in and day out. It was a difficult existence--even for Jesus and Paul. They got very little respect from others outside of their small bands of contacts.

They were always in…

…danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea,

There was no place to escape to in order to be secure and safe. Then, even when you are with professing Christians in your travels or you accept them into your homes, there is 26b danger from false brothers; 

People always find a way to take advantage of others. With the Christian ethos being to love your neighbor, many prey on believers who want to think the best, but are often left thinking otherwise. We have had people try to scam us one way or another--some are very creative. Christians must be wise as serpents while being harmless like doves.

Paul continues:

27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 

What would we call someone with an existence like this? Probably indigent or homeless. When I was young we called them bums. IN this passage we call him Paul, the apostle of the heart set free traveling on his own dime in order to serve Christ's churches,

IN another place, Paul wrote: 2 Timothy 2:10 ESV10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

In 2 Cor 11 we read:

28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 

Enough said. The pressure of one can be tremendous. The average tenure for an Evangelical pastor in America is about two years.  Many good men have been driven out of ministry by unappreciative people who have no idea what the ministry is like.

Paul knows the effects of these things:

29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

All of these things he suffered for the good of the churches to the glory of God. He did not consider his life dear unto himself. But, Paul gave himself wholly to the ministry that the power of Christ might be made perfect through his suffering.

Why does God allow our leaders to suffer? For the good of the flock. Will they take care of the one Christ has given as a gift to His church? I commend all of you for your patience. There have been a few churches in the lst few years who put out good men because they struggled with health matters.

It is the world that wrongly defines strength as vim and vigor. In the scriptures true strength comes from the heart that submits to the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what. It is a hard thing to do. It is full of failure and heartbreak. But, the Lord Jesus and Paul set the bar for suffering in life and in the ministry. Pray the Lord would give his churches many men who will follow their example. And pray for those with good health, that somehow they may learn the lessons of being afflicted.

Afflictions come with their own comforts. Praise the name and work of God among his people. Amen.