2 Corinthians 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 repeatedly faced danger on his many journeys by land and sea, among different peoples and places, from floods and other waters, robbers, his fellow Jews, Gentiles, cities, wilderness, sea, and betrayal by false fellow believers. He endured all this for the sake of the gospel of Christ, pressing forward with untiring labor while carrying the burden and care of the young churches. He gives only a brief glimpse of his sufferings rather than dwelling on them, magnifying God's grace instead of himself. That conflict and toil matured his Christian character, and his wounds stand as trophies showing that suffering borne in faith is victory and cannot separate him from the love of Christ. His account is to be studied as instruction and example for gospel workers, calling them to deeper experience, self-denial, bravery, patience, and faith even to the sacrifice of life.
Dangers Paul Faced
In journeyings often, Paul met peril again and again, by land and sea and in different places and among different peoples. The list covers perils of waters, including floods and other dangers on the waters, perils of robbers, perils by his own countrymen or fellow Jews, perils by the heathen or Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, and perils among false brethren or false believers. These repeated dangers while traveling and preaching were part of the hardships of his life in service and the cost he accepted in serving Christ. They belonged to the conflict and toil through which his Christian character was formed and brought to maturity, and they show that such peril cannot separate believers from the love of Christ.
The stoning at Lystra illustrates what those perils among the heathen and in the city meant. A mob incited by malicious Jews stoned him, dragged his apparently lifeless body outside the city, and left him there as apparently dead. That ordeal stands among the sufferings for the truth later summed up in this account of hardship.
The toilsome road to Perga in Pamphylia illustrates the same perils faced with Barnabas, with hardship and privation and danger on every side. There were dangers from waters and from robbers, together with seen and unseen dangers in the towns and cities through which they passed.
Perils among false brethren meant danger from trusted fellow believers who became enemies and endangered him. Such betrayal by familiar friends can be more painful than harm from an open enemy. The trials endured through false brethren in opposing and harming the work were greater than all his other dangers.
These perils belong with the wider hardships of labor for God: stripes and imprisonment, cold and hunger and thirst, deprivation, sleepless nights, weariness and pain, sustained work and care for the cause, earnest prayer, defamation and reviling, perplexity, persecution, opposition even from fellow workers, and constant jeopardy. They were borne in weariness and pain from unceasing toil and constant danger, with physical labor by his own hands to supply his needs, with bodily weakness from disease, and at times with depression of spirit, yet with steadfast pursuit of the work. Service for God can still involve such danger, deprivation, sleeplessness, weariness, and pain.
Suffering for the Gospel
Paul met all these perils for the sake of the gospel and the truth and in the cause of Christ, pushing forward the work with untiring zeal and unceasing toil and labor. He bore them while guarding the interests of churches still young in the faith and carrying on his soul the burden of all the churches. He trod the path Christ had trod before him, seeking no release from the warfare amid opposition and enemies and the desertion of friends. With them belonged stripes and imprisonment, cold and hunger and thirst, defamation and reviling, perplexity and persecution and constant jeopardy, endured in weariness and pain.
He gives only a brief glimpse of what he suffered and does not dwell on his own trials in his letters, offering these sufferings merely as occasional glimpses of his labors. He did not make his sufferings the focus of his thoughts but magnified God's grace instead. The conflict and toil through which he passed formed his Christian character and brought it to maturity.
These dangers were part of the cost he accepted in serving Christ, living as a homeless wanderer in self-denying service to others and living the Christ-life amid suffering and reproach and abuse and pain. His wounds and scars from this warfare are trophies of victory, showing that suffering endured in faith is not defeat. Such peril cannot separate believers from the love of Christ.
In those perils he trusted in God's power to deliver, with a heart filled with fervent love for perishing souls. He acted as a faithful shepherd seeking lost sheep, with the single object of saving those wandered far from the fold of safety. He had no thought for his own ease and convenience, but was forgetful of self and unfaltering when weary and hungry and cold. He steadfastly pursued his work despite physical labor with his own hands to supply his needs, bodily weakness from disease, and at times depression of spirit.
Lessons for Gospel Workers
Paul's relating of his experience in 2 Corinthians 11 is to be studied and made to speak decidedly as instruction for workers, and is offered as an example to study. It shows the deeper experience needed for gospel work. It calls the worker away from entering into controversies with any man and away from seeking to be original with odd notions, and toward a dignified, elevated, ennobling manner of work.
The chapter where the list of perils stands gives much instruction against the work of criticizing others, climbing upon the judgment seat, and pronouncing sentence. That is a work God has not appointed but has condemned. Those who view matters with human eyesight make very grave mistakes when they do that work. For their own spiritual advancement they should instead watchfully examine their own hearts and their shortcomings and defects of character. They should remove from themselves the beam of faultfinding, evil surmising, evil speaking, bearing false witness, hatred, and accusing of the brethren.
The perils test the pioneer worker and require patience, self-denial, bravery, devotion, and faith, with willingness to sacrifice even life if need be. Lack of stamina to face danger and persecution and adversity disqualifies for the work. This was shown when Mark was overwhelmed with fear and discouragement on the toilsome road and refused to go farther. Service for God can still involve danger, deprivation, sleeplessness, weariness, and pain. These hardships also face medical missionaries, whose zeal can lead them to overtax their mental and physical powers. They must guard their health and avoid excessive strain, or they may become sick and break down.
The repeated dangers on journeys and hardships among different people and in different places show that the apostles, like people today, were human and faced suffering and peril. The list illustrates the heavy burdens and hardships involved in laboring for God. Those burdens include sustained work, care for the cause, sleepless nights, earnest prayer, and opposition even from fellow workers.