The Apostle Paul lived a miraculous life. He endured what all of us go through in life, but he had an occasional episode that was quite more intense. He had experiences not shared by the rest of us. Several people have been shipwrecked at sea and had to swim to land, as Paul did in Acts 27, but I don’t think any of us have been stoned by a mob and drug out of the city for dead (Acts 14:19).
In the second epistle to the Corinthians Paul used some of the extreme events of his life to serve as a teaching on how to walk in faith. In chapter 4 he wrote this:
“we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not despairing;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed . . .”
(2 Cor 4:8-9)
Paul got afflicted, oppressed and distressed, just like we do. He got perplexed and confused about what to do, and found himself doubting or struggling with his faith. He got persecuted, maligned, vilified and defamed. Recalling the time he was stoned (perhaps?), Paul reminds the us that he was knocked down to the ground and left for dead.
Paul had a painful, difficult life. In many ways, far more severe than what any of us suffer. But wait! Did you notice the difference? He says that he was afflicted, but not crushed; perplexed, but not at an utter loss as to his resources from God; he was persecuted, but he did not run around crying that God had forsaken him; he was knocked down (stoned?), but he did not die.[i]
He was not crushed, not devastated, not crying that “God has abandoned me,” and not falling down giving up on God. But that’s what I do! Is that what you do? When I go through difficult times, I wail and complain. I gripe and say, “Gee whiz, why me.” But not Paul. How did he remain so faithful, so strong, and full of endurance?
Paul writes in the following verses (vv 10-12) that all of this conflict and suffering in his life is part of his world-view. It does not surprise him. In fact, the suffering causes him to say No to his flesh and Yes to righteousness. His heart is purified more from sin, so that the life of the Lord Jesus is revealed more amazingly in his life.
Then Paul reveals his strong weapon in verse 13. He claims that throughout this suffering, he is able to endure it all because he speaks what he believes (v. 13). He speaks. He speaks God’s word. He speaks God’s perspective on his situations. He has the endurance of the Holy Spirit in his life, because he speaks what he believes. Thus, he has in his life what he speaks with his mouth. Maybe he spoke Isaiah 43:2-3:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they will not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched . . .
for I am the Lord your God.”
Read it. Receive it. Believe it. Then Speak it.
Your words will either establish you in righteousness or put you in crushing defeat. God’s plan of growth includes the Law of Confession. When you confess His word, He can change you at the level of Identity.
-Carter
[i] All italicized words of amplification are based on the Greek language.