2Corinthians 11:22-28 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 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; 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; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which comes upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
‘Fool’ [Greek: paraphroneo] to be beside oneself, out of one’s mind (cp. 2Pet. 2:16).
‘Labours more abundant, in stripes above measure.’ Instead of taking it easy in an established congregational group, he laboured to start others. See the list of Paul’s sufferings summarized under 2Corinthians 11:21.
‘Forty stripes save one’ See Deuteronomy 25:3. Jews did not repeat scourgings except for great crimes, but to Christians, they showed no mercy.
‘Thrice was I beaten with rods.’ Romans used rods. Only once is this recorded (Acts 16:22).
‘Once was I stoned’ this happened at Lystra (Acts14:19).
‘Thrice I suffered shipwreck’ – only one is recorded (Acts 27:41 – 28:1).
‘Journeyings often’ at least three great missionary journeys are recorded (Acts 13:1-3; 15:41; 18:23). Most of the other events of 2Corinthians 11:23-27 are not recorded.
‘Without, that which comes upon me daily, the care of all the churches.’ Besides the outward sufferings of 2Corinthians 11:23-27, there are many inward struggles because of conditions in the many congregations that are under Paul’s care.
Living the Word 