The Nature and Scope of Paul’s Sufferings for Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:23b-29 and Its Implications for Christians Today

The Nature and Scope of Paul's Sufferings for Christ in 2 Corinthians 11:23b-29 and Its Implications for Christians Today

Alexander Mak

There is a tendency among Christians to think of Christian suffering solely in terms of persecution for their faith. This is because quite a number of passages in the New Testament portray Christian suffering in terms of persecution. On the other hand, there are others who have too wide an interpretation of Christian suffering in that they interpret every misfortune that comes their way as suffering for Christ. The author avoids both extremes and seeks to detail the nature of Christian suffering and show how it is relevant to Christians today by providing a careful exegesis of 2 Corinthians 11:23b-29.

This essay argues that the sufferings of Paul listed in 2 Corinthians 11:23b-29 are in many ways relevant to Christians today, even for those who live in countries where there is religious “freedom”. The passage shows that any difficulty that Paul encounters as a result of his ministry for the gospel can be considered as suffering for Christ, even his labor for the gospel. It also shows that Paul's greatest suffering does not come from persecution, but from false brothers who mislead the Corinthian church, something which causes him great anxiety. Finally, this article also argues that Christian suffering is not meaningless because God has chosen it as a backdrop for the demonstration of the resurrection power of Christ, in such a way that a believer's life becomes a living witness of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Viewed from these perspectives, many Christians today do suffer for Christ in meaningful ways.