23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I’m being irrational) I am more: in labors more abundantly, in beatings beyond count, in prison more frequently, in ‘deaths’ oftenVerses 24 and 25 spell out the ‘deaths’; verse 26 resumes with the ‘in’s. We have no record of most of the experiences listed, an impressive list! Humanly speaking, he should have died several times.— 24 five times from the Jews I received the ‘forty lashes minus one’;Deuteronomy 25:3 forbids exceeding forty blows, so the Jews always stopped one short, just in case they had miscounted. 25 three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked (I spent twenty-four hours in the open sea)— 26 in frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, in danger from robbers, in danger from my countrymen, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in cities, in danger in wildernesses, in danger in the sea, in danger among false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, in many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, in frequent fastings, in cold and nakednessWhen the Lord told Ananias to go and restore Saul’s sight, and he protested, the Lord continued, "For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake" (Acts 9:16). Paul paid for what he did against the early Church. By the way, we usually have to pay for our misdeeds down here (how can you pay in Heaven?).— 28 quite apart from the other things, my daily disturbances, my concern for all the congregations. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel it? Who is caused to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?
When I am weak, then I am strong
30 Well, if I must boast, I will boast of the things that concern my weakness.
Domínio Público. Esta tradução bíblica de domínio público é trazida a você por cortesia de eBible.org.