What is the meaning of 2 Corinthians 11:28? Apart from these external trials Paul has just finished listing beatings, shipwrecks, hunger, and other hardships (2 Corinthians 11:23-27). He calls them “external” because they come from outside circumstances—hostile people, harsh environments, physical danger. • These sufferings verify his apostleship, echoing Jesus’ words in John 15:20, “If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you as well”. • They also align with Acts 20:23, where the Spirit warns him that “imprisonment and afflictions” await him in every city. Paul treats these outward pains almost matter-of-factly, signaling that his real burden lies elsewhere. I face daily The word “daily” shifts the focus from occasional crises to an ongoing, nonstop reality. • Luke notes a similar rhythm in Acts 20:31: “Therefore be alert and remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears”. • Matthew 6:34 reminds us that “Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Paul’s troubles pile on every single day, leaving no break in the action. the pressure of my concern Here Paul opens a window into his heart. The “pressure” (or “anxiety”) he feels is not sinful worry but a shepherd’s weighty responsibility. • In Philippians 2:20-21 he praises Timothy for having a like-minded “genuine concern for your welfare”. • Galatians 4:19 captures the same emotional intensity: “My children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you”. • 1 Thessalonians 2:8 shows the motive: “We were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God, but our own lives as well”. This inner load is heavier to Paul than whips or chains, because it touches eternal souls. for all the churches Paul’s pastoral care extends to every congregation he has planted or encouraged, from Antioch to Corinth, from Philippi to Ephesus. • Acts 15:36 captures his pattern: “Let us return and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing”. • Colossians 2:1 reveals his unseen labor for believers he has never met: “I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea”. • 2 Corinthians 2:4 shows the emotional cost: “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears”. His love embraces the entire body of Christ, not just a favorite flock. summary 2 Corinthians 11:28 pulls back the curtain on Paul’s soul. Beyond beatings and imprisonments, his heaviest burden is the nonstop, daily weight of loving, guarding, and guiding every church the Lord has entrusted to him. This verse challenges believers to value spiritual responsibility above personal comfort and to carry one another’s burdens with the same self-giving heart. |
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