Thirsting Souls Bible Teaching

(2Co 11:32)  “In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: (33) And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.”  Important, less we forget: notice there was no “standing up for my rights”, nor any form of fighting for them, though Paul had rights as a Roman citizen. “Wise as serpents, harmless as doves”; “But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another:”; and “turn the other cheek” is practiced.

 (2Co 11:31) “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not.”  I say to you that the very fact the Lord God has preserved this statement in the canon of Scripture, demonstrates that God is witness of the truthfulness of Paul’s statements recorded here. You may trust every Word recorded in the Bible, for it has been miraculously preserved through time.

(2Co 11:30) “If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.”  Notice that carnal men glory in their accomplishments, letting  you know “who” they are or “what” they are. Paul, led by the Spirit of God, set forth instead, not his accomplishments, but the many ways he had suffered for Christ. If we listen, we can learn a lot about the person speaking to us.

(2Co 11:29) “Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?”  This kind of reaction could only come from one who is living “others before self” (Phil 2:2). Every believer is seek to live in such a way.

(2Co 11:28) “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”   After mentioning multiple areas concerning physical sufferings, Paul now redirects our focus. “The care of all the churches” may not appear to stack up to the level of the first statements, but actually far exceed them. You see, churches are made up of the souls of saved people redeemed by the very blood of Christ Jesus! They far exceed the importance of Paul’s daily comfort – or that of you and me.

(2Co 11:27) “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.”   Just contemplating these things should tell us that, in living for and serving Jesus, there is not promise of ease or comfort. Since the Lord has promised to meet our needs, this reveals that our true need is to be faithful to Him above all other things.

(2Co 11:26) “In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;”  Paul’s revealing statements remind me of what the Lord Jesus said regarding him, (Act 9:15) “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: (16) For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” 

(2Co 11:25) “Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;”  Now we know Paul did not just suffer shipwreck on the way to Rome, but twice more. In one of those it took a day and a half for rescue to take place. Most of us would take that as a sign from God not to continue on. Paul took it as routine, as hardships being a part of serving God. 

(2Co 11:24) “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.”  By what he said in Verse 23, “…in stripes above measure,…”, we know that it was not only of the Jews that Paul received beatings (Acts 16).  Thought: Would those who would not speak for Christ now, do so if they were persecuted for it?