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Daily Devotions

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 
Day 
Day 163

"Are they ministers of Christ?"

Text: 2 Corinthians 11:23

SERVING THE LORD

Serving the Lord Jesus Christ should be seen as a great privilege. He saves, equips and empowers! Everything we could possibly need, He supplies! What is there to boast about? The Lord Jesus taught His disciples to see themselves as “unprofitable servants” even though they have served most faithfully (Luke 17:10).

“Are they ministers of Christ? –
I speak as a fool- I am more:
in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure,
in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.”
2 Corinthians 11:23

1. “Are they ministers of Christ”

a) The false teachers claimed that they were “ministers of Christ”.

b) Paul was not impressed by mere claims!

c) What did they do that they should boast about being “ministers” (“servants”; Greek- “diakonos”).

d) However, they did not use the term “bond-slaves” to describe themselves (Greek- “doulos”).

2. “I speak as a fool- I am more”

a) Ordinarily, Paul would have refrained from claiming that he had done “more than others”.

b) But he felt that he had to list a number of things that he did.

c) And even as he did this, he felt foolish.

d) This was not the way of a “bond-slave” of the Lord.

3. “In labours more abundant”

a) Paul ministered in many countries.

b) His labours were legendary.

c) The word “labour” suggests “exhausting work”.

d) His labours were truly abundant.

e) Not all of his labours were captured in the Book of Acts.

4. “In stripes above measure”

a) Paul mentioned this particularly.

b) None of his detractors could ever “boast” about having been given many stripes.

5. “In prisons more frequently”

a) Paul was jailed in Philippi once (Acts 16).

b) He was also incarcerated in Caesarea, Philippi (Acts 23).

6. “In deaths often”

This does not mean Paul died many times. Rather, that he nearly lost his life many times!