Living for Christ will bring sufferings, a sign of our devotion to Him

2 Corinthians 11:16-33

Click for a description of the mark of the beast.

• Boasting about our suffering for Christ is not as important as boasting about Christ.
• Tolerating worldly subjection is not the same as suffering for Jesus Christ.
• Boasting of our Christian credentials shouldn’t be used to exalt ourselves over other Christians.
• As Christians, we will suffer in this world for sharing the testimony of Christ.
• As Christians, we will be cut-off from citizenship, or rather social interaction.
• As Christians, moving around in society is filled with perils.
• As Christians, we suffer a lack of bodily needs, such as sleep, rest, and warmth.
• As Christians, we do not exalt ourselves over the weaknesses of others.
• I am weak but Jesus Christ is strong.
• The world wants to “arrest” us, but our escape is in Jesus.

Boasting about our suffering for Christ is not as important as boasting about Christ. “I say again, let no one think me a fool. If otherwise, at least receive me as a fool, that I also may boast a little.” 2 Corinthians 11:16 Unfortunately, the society we live in today relies solely on human rationale and considers the followers of Christ to be fools. However, what they do tolerate is boasting about earthly matters, which is foolishness compared to achievements through the Gospel of Christ.

“What I speak, I speak not according to the Lord, but as it were, foolishly, in this confidence of boasting. Seeing that many boast according to the flesh, I also will boast.” 2 Corinthians 11:17-18 Paul is going to deviate from talking about the Gospel and what Jesus suffered for us, and he considers that deviation to be foolishness. He is going to talk about what he has personally suffered for Jesus. Paul is about to unleash an impressive list of earthly sufferings which he experienced in the flesh. In earthly terms, no one can even come close to Paul in what he suffered for Jesus Christ. He starts-off speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as a fool so to speak.

Tolerating worldly subjection is not the same as suffering for Jesus Christ. “For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise!” 2 Corinthians 11:19 In the Holiness of Christ, we constantly endure the tactics from non-believers who want to subject us to the ways of the world. But the wisdom of the Corinthians was a little less Godly. “For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face.” 2 Corinthians 11:20 The Corinthians were allowing themselves to be put into bondage of sin by the false teachings of others. Their faith in Christ was being devoured, the promises of God through Christ was taken from them, others were exalting themselves above the Christianity of the Corinthians, and often superiors would slap their subjects. They were putting up with that gladly while considering themselves to be wise.

“To our shame I say that we were too weak for that! But in whatever anyone is bold—I speak foolishly—I am bold also.” 2 Corinthians 11:21 Paul is speaking somewhat “tongue-in-cheek,” as he said, somewhat like a fool. He and his companions were too weak to allow themselves to be put into worldly bondage (tongue-in-cheek), then he goes on to boast of what it really means to suffer in the flesh as a Christian.

Boasting of our Christian credentials shouldn’t be used to exalt ourselves over other Christians. “Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.” 2 Corinthians 11:22 By worldly standards, Paul was everything that those seeking authority over the Corinthians were. In fact, Paul was a Pharisee of all Pharisees before giving his life to Jesus.  “Are they ministers of Christ? —I speak as a fool—I am more:” 2 Corinthians 11:23a.

The reason Paul says it’s foolish to consider himself above others who share the Gospel is because we are all one in Jesus Christ. In his “tongue-in-cheek” speaking, he could foolishly boast that he has done more for spreading the Gospel of Christ than anyone whom the Corinthians has ever known. Even though it’s foolish to boast about ourselves and not Christ, everything that Paul mentions about himself is 100% true. It really happened.

As Christians, we will suffer in this world for sharing the testimony of Christ. Everything Paul says about himself is true and is verified by Luke who wrote the book of Acts and the Gospel of Luke, “…in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.” 2 Corinthians 11:23b. Paul worked day and night to spread the Gospel of Christ, was whipped, put in prison often, and was even stoned to the point of death. He frequently faced death. The life of Paul can be read about in Acts, and the life of Paul really starts in Acts 8, before his conversion.

“From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one.” 2 Corinthians 11:24 Paul was no longer a Pharisee of all Pharisees, but instead was whipped for his dedication to the Gospel of Christ. “Forty stripes minus 0ne” is because the sentence was 40 lashes with a whip, but if the one giving the lashes went over 40, then he would be given forty lashes. Therefore, they stopped at 39 as an extra precaution. Many died during those lashings. Those who live and govern by the mark of the beast are constantly giving the followers of Christ “lashes.” Those lashes come in many forms, such as in our feelings, mentally, or physically.

As Christians, we will be cut-off from citizenship or rather social interaction. “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;” 2 Corinthians 11:25 Being beaten with rods was a Roman punishment, but Paul was a Roman Citizen so technically it was illegal to beat a Roman Citizen with rods. The Romans beat him with rods because of his devotion to Jesus Christ. Now, not only is Paul out of good standing with the Romans, but he is also out of good standing with the Jewish leaders, and all because of his devotion to Jesus Christ.

As Christians, moving around in society is filled with perils.  ^“…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;” 2 Corinthians 11:26 Paul was constantly on the move to share the Gospel of Christ. He faced dangers in the face of being mugged, dangers among the Jewish and the Romans, dangers among those who were not Jewish nor Roman, dangers in the city and rural areas, dangers while sailing, and dangers among those who pretended to be his friends.

As Christians, we suffer a lack of bodily needs, such as sleep, rest, and warmth. “…in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:27-28 Paul suffered bodily pain, weariness, lack of sleep, hunger, cold, and without clothing. Everything which Paul suffered was for his deep concern for the Church, and to be an instrument of God through the Holy Spirit to bring the word of Christ to us today.

As Christians, we do not exalt ourselves over the weaknesses of others. “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? ” 2 Corinthians 11:29 We should never exert our strength over the weaknesses of others, and in the Holiness of Christ we should feel indignation towards those who cause others to stumble. As Jesus says, “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” Matthew 18:6

I am weak but Jesus Christ is strong. “If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 Followers of Christ do not boast to exert ourselves above others, but we boast in Jesus Christ.

“Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
I am weak, but He is strong.”
(Jesus Loves ME)

“The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying.” 2 Corinthians 11:31 God knows our devotion to Him, and it shows through the Spirit of Christ in us as we walk in Holiness in the face of affliction.

The world wants to “arrest” us, but our escape is in Jesus. “In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me;” 2 Corinthians 11:32 (Acts 9:23-25) Today, those who govern and live by the mark of the beast dominate the community and intend to keep the Spirit of Christ “arrested” within our soul. They want to subject us to the thing that forms what we think, feel, and do, which is to synchronize us to the mark of the beast. “…but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.” 2 Corinthians 11:33 Our escape from the ways of this world is to live in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that