What other scriptures show Paul's willingness to sacrifice for the Gospel's advancement? Standing Alone for Thessalonica—1 Thessalonians 3:1 “So when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left on our own in Athens.” Paul chose loneliness in a pagan city so the young church could be strengthened. That same spirit of sacrifice appears all through his ministry. Physical Hardships Embraced • Acts 14:19-20 — Stoned, dragged outside Lystra as dead; he rose and went back into the city. • 2 Corinthians 11:23-25 — “In harder work, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings… five times the forty lashes minus one… three times shipwrecked.” • Galatians 6:17 — “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” • 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 — “We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus… death is at work in us, but life in you.” Personal Rights Surrendered • 1 Corinthians 9:12 — “We endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ.” • 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 — Became “slave to everyone… all things to all men” to win them. • 2 Corinthians 12:15 — “Most gladly will I spend and be spent for your souls.” • Philippians 2:17 — “Even if I am being poured out like a drink offering… I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” Chains Received with Joy • Acts 16:23-25 — Beaten and locked in stocks, yet praying and singing hymns at midnight. • Acts 20:22-24 — “Chains and afflictions await me… but I consider my life of no value to myself.” • Philippians 1:12-14 — His imprisonment advanced the gospel and emboldened others. • 2 Timothy 2:9-10 — “I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect.” Ready to Die for the Name of Jesus • Acts 21:13 — “I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” • Philippians 1:20-21 — “Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death… to live is Christ and to die is gain.” • 2 Timothy 4:6-7 — “I am already being poured out like a drink offering… I have fought the good fight.” • 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 — Faced deadly peril “that we might not rely on ourselves but on God.” Daily Weight for the Churches • 2 Corinthians 11:28 — “Besides all this, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” • Colossians 1:24 — “I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions.” • Romans 9:3 — Willing to be “cursed and cut off from Christ” for Israel’s salvation. Takeaway: A Life Spent for the Gospel From willingly standing alone in Athens to embracing lashes, chains, and the threat of death, Paul consistently chose personal loss so others could gain Christ. His pattern invites the same wholehearted, sacrificial devotion in every generation of believers. |
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