The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-08-31

for thee: for my power Is made perfect
In weakness.-II Cor. 1873,
This letter raises interesting ques-
lions for research and discussion, such
as:
I. What II the difference between
Paul's heroism and that Of a soldierf
2. Is war essential to the development
>of heroismY 3. Which courage Is high
'er, moral or physician
: I.Paui, the Hero I'll PIED. To man
of sensitive nature. craving perfec-
ton. sarcasm stirs up the deepest bit
tsrness of the soul. We do not believe
Paul primarily desired 20 refuse these
false charges-they were unworthy of
hm--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 hcathenism he was willing to
seem Ia be boasting. Literally he
says: II speak by way Of disparage-
ment (of MYSELF as though we had
been weak" yet he adds; "Wherelnso-
ever any Is bold, I am bold also" Paul
had ns much Ia boast Of as any one
Of his Jewish opponents ". 2D. Are
they HebrewsT (Of the purest blood,
of one nation and lnnguageD So am
l." Are they Israelitss, worshlping
only one Godp 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 kingdomI Il
speak as a fool. | speak ms one beside
himself. I 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 10 In this list. In prisons oft
(Arts 10 :23). Frequently exposed to
desth aud Ia the perils Of robbers by
lard and sea ". PAY. Five times I
received forty stripes. save one, from
the Jews" ". 25). Thrice was Il
beaten with rods: once was ] stonfd"
tActs. IA :I9). Thrice I suffered ship
wreck" evidently not recorded In Acts,
for his shlpwreck On the way to Rome
was later. "A night and n day In the
deep" this not otherwise recorded.
"In journeyings often" suffering from
the perils Of hard travel. often on foot
In uncivilized regions. in perils Of
water" literally lin rivers" Bridges
were rare, and floods sudden and fire.
quent, 'In perils of robbers" Every
road In Asia Minor then AS now was
infested with robbers. In perils Of
his own codntrymcn; in pcrils by
the Gentiles;" "In I.erils In the city :"
"In perils In the wilderness :" in per-
Ills In the sea" from storms, rocks, pI-
iates; I'm perils among false breth-
ren"-Judnlsing teachers who were
self-seeking instead OF making the gos-
pei :irst (Gal. 2 a; II Cor, II :l3. in
WEAKNESS end painfulness." literally In
labor and travail; I'm watchings oft
en-" repeated nights Of sleeplessness
due 20 anxiety or pain. In hunger and
thirst. In HASTINGS often" hunger I'M
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).
%. Gods Sustaining Grace az :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-
sus. He wrote 10 these churches two
fifths Of the New Testament, thirteen
Of its twenty-seyen books, and this
work was accomplished under the
greatest difficulty. trials and suffering.
To sustain and guide, the Lord gave
him visions and revelations" ". -.
These revelations came Ia him from
the very beginning OF his Christian life
and continued In every great crisis.
The first wps given at his conversion.
twenty years before this letter was
written, when he saw Jesus In His
glory and received his marching or
ders. Again wv. 2-D, fourteen years
before, or about A. ID. A. 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 u0:l4-15).
He was not much concerned by what
his enemies might say.
As TO his opinion OF them, read
chapter 10. Ashamed 10 boast, yet for
their sakes he meets their foolish
charges by giving US this record.
Because Of these sufferings ". 100 he
takes pleasure In infirmities, reproach-
es and prosecutions; "For when i am
weak" Tin my own strength) then l
am strong through Christ who
strengthens me-"
He may be n fool In glorying, COM
PEELED TO as'he had been, yet his work
had been accompanied by the signs OF
an apostle. and he was not TO be be-
hind the very chlefest, although him
aalf ha WAS nafhiuG