1Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God…
Paul is called to be an apostle, like one of the original twelve. When Jesus told Ananias about Paul’s mission, “…he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:6-16), neither Ananias nor Paul had any idea what that meant. Part of it meant that Paul was to travel all over the known world and meet all kinds of people: regular Gentiles, regular Jews, and even some Roman kings. However, Paul’s missionary life was not without trials.
Paul reminded the Christians in Corinth of his past and his struggles. Speaking of others, he asked:
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? —I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (I Corinthians 11-22-28)
Paul recounts receiving five floggings of thirty-nine lashes. The lashings were always “forty stripes minus one” because it was believed that forty lashes would kill the man. He survived a stoning and three shipwrecks. On one failed voyage he faced one of his greatest fears, being lost at sea.
Besides these horrific events, much of his daily life was filled with perils: cold and sleepless nights and hunger-filled days. In all of this, Paul kept his main concern in sight, the spiritual welfare of all of his churches.
You and I are not called to be an apostle in the same way that Paul was; yet, we are called to Jesus and His Way. Is Jesus asking you to make some hard choices for Him? If so, can you learn from Paul and take some strength from his life lessons? What would you do if you had to endure the same kind of trials that Paul endured? How would you find the strength? Perhaps the same way that Paul did, by trusting in Jesus.
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