Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-09-07

for thee; for my power is made perfect
in weakness.-II Cor. 1919
This letter raises interesting ques.
tons for research and discussion, such
as:
1. What is the difference between
Pauls heroism and that of soldler7
2. Is war essential to the development
Of heroism? 3. Which courage is high
err, moral or physical?
Paul, the Hero III :21-22). To man
OF q sensitive nature, craving perfec-
ton, sarcasm stirs up the deepest bit
Paul primarily desired to refuse these
false charges-they were unworthy of
hlm--but the knowledge of his suffer-
ings for the cause of Christ and the
truth of the gospel would augment his
power to serve the church. For the
sake of those whom he had reclaimed
from heathenism he was willing to
seem to be boasting. Literally he
says: Il speak by way of disparage-
ment (of myself) as though we had
been weak" yet he adds: "Whereinso-
ever any Is bold, am bold also" Paul
had as much to boast of as any one
of his Jewish opponents ". Ply. "Are
they Hebrews? (Of the purest blood,
of one nation and laEguageO So am
l." Are they Israelites, worshiping
only one God? Are they of the seed OF
Abraham, inheritors of the ministry Of
the promise and the Messianic hope
and the kingdom of God? Are they
ministers Of the Messiah, seeking to
bring all men into his kingdom? II
speak as fool. l speak as one beside
himself. / am more" In labors he
was more abundant; he had occupied
a larger field with greater results. In
stripes above measure-those inflicted
by the heather were not limited to
forty blOws--besides other beatings re-
ferred to In this list In prisons oft
(Acts 16 :2S). Frequently exposed to
death and to the perils of robbers by
land and sea ". 24). give times
received forty stripes, save one, from
the Jews" ". 25). "Thrice was I
beaten with rods; once was / stoned"
iActs. IA :19). "Thrice I suffered ship
wreck" evidently not recorded in Acts,
for his shipwreck on the way to Rome
was later. "a night and a day in the
deep" this not otherwise recorded.
SIN journeyings often" suffering from
the perils of hard travel, often on foot
In uncivilized regions. "In perils of
water" literally ''in rivers" Bridges
were rare, and floods sudden and FREE
quent. f'In perils Of robbers" Every
road in Asia Minor then as now was
infested with robbers. 'Tn perils OF
his own countrymen; SIN perils by
the Gentiles;;" I'm perils In the city,"
I'm perils in the wilderness" I'm per-
lis in the sea" from storms, rocks, pi-
tates; I'm perils among false breth-
ren''-Judaising teachers who were
self-seeking instead Of making the gos-
pei first (Gal. 2 a; II Cor, IL :13). I'm
WEAKNESS and painfuiness," literally In
labor and travail TN watchings oft
en- :" repeated nights Of sleeplessness
due to anxiety or pain. I'm hunger and
thirst, In Hastings often" hunger I'M
satisfied for long time. 'In cold and
nakedness;" in the mountain passes
badly shod and badly clothed. Besides
these things which were without, In
Vulnerable other trials such as the
care of or anxiety over the churches
wv. 80, 33).
II. Gods Sustaining Grace (12 :1-10).
To Paul God gave one Of the greatest
tasks over committed to man, viz, the
planting Of the gospel In heather
lands; founding churches; teaching
them the gospel truths of the Lord Je-
,us. He wrote to these churches two
ifths of the New Testament, thirteen
If its twenty-seven books, and this
work was accomplished under the
greatest difficulty, trials and suffering.
To sustain and guide, the Lord gave
him visions and revelations" ". u.
These revelations came to him from
The very beginning of his Christian life
and continued in every great crisis.
The first was given at his conversion,
twenty years before this letter was
WlillCilB WHICH iiC saw OCoho IL 1ti'
glory and received his marching or
1ers. Again wv. 2-4),. fourteen years
before, or about A. D. 43, when he was
In Antioch and first entered upon his
foreign missionary work. He obtained
his gospel directly from the Lord. Sub
sequently he had other visions to sus-
tain and guide him.
Teachers ought to study this entire
section, beginning at chapter 10. Paul
says that as an apostle he did not la
Dor in the fields Of others C10:14-15).
He was not much concerned by what
his enemies might say.
AS to his opinion of them, read
chapter TO- Ashamed to boast, yet for
their sakes he meets their foolish
charges by giving US this record.
Because of these sufferings ". 10) he
takes pleasure in irffirmities, reproach-
es and prosecutions; ''For when I am
weak" lin my own strength) then I
am strong through Christ who
strengthens me-"