The true measure of a person is not what they have acquired or achieved but what they have had to endure, suffer, and struggle to overcome. This is particularly true of a follower of Jesus in fulfilling God’s purposes and assignment for their lives.
John Piper writes in The Roots of Endurance,
I have found myself in conversation with Christians for whom it is simply a given that you do not put yourself or your family at risk. The commitment to safety and comfort is an unquestioned absolute. The demands of being a Christian in the twenty-first century will probably prove to be a rude awakening for such folks. Since we have not embraced the Calvary road voluntarily, God may simply catapult us onto it as he did the home-loving saints in Acts 11:19: ‘Those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word.’ …Being a Christian should mean that our trajectory is toward need, regardless of danger and discomfort and stress. In other words, Christians characteristically will make life choices that involve putting themselves and their families at temporal risk while enjoying eternal security.[i]
Recently, I read a book by my friend, Dean Merrill entitled Strong to the End.
When David and Alicia Lloyd opened a children’s home in Haiti, they had no idea how their hearts would soar, humbled by the way God was expanding and blessing the ministry. And they had no idea how much it would cost—their son, his young wife, and their dear friend. Strong to the End tells the story of Davy, Natalie, and Judes—their lives, dreams, love, faith, and deaths.[ii]
It is the testimony of a missionary couple in their early twenties who gave their lives for the needy in Haiti and were killed by gang violence.
One of the great spiritual fathers of the Christian faith, Paul, addressed the threat of false teachers deceiving and leading people away from the truth. In 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, he begins to explain the things he had to endure and overcome to bring the gospel to them. In essence, he explains the cost of being an effective disciple maker. Paul simply focuses on the price he had paid as an apostle of Jesus Christ. So, what does this mean for us today? The question we need to ask ourselves is what has it cost us to be faithful to God as a disciple maker? What is the cost of being an effective disciple maker, which is the calling of every child of God.
THE FIRST COST OF BEING AN EFFECTIVE DISCIPLEMAKER IS RELINQUISHING SOME PAST ADVANTAGES
What I mean by this cost of follow Jesus, we must turn away from some past activities, opportunities, and resources to embrace God’s purpose for our lives. In Paul’s case, his religious pedigree and manner of life were set aside. While the false teachers were extolling their pedigree and background, Paul considered them to be of no value. He stated that so emphatically in his letter to the Philippians.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.[iii]
Philippians 4:8 challenges me. What have I lost or given up for Jesus? We need to all reflect upon that in light of what Jesus gave up for us. Jesus gave His life for us. What have I given up for him? It may mean a change of vocation if what we are currently doing is an unsuitable or unethical type of work. When I was pastoring in the U.S., we had an ex-hitman start attending our church. It’s pretty obvious that this job needed to end immediately. But all kidding aside, there are times when God calls us to give up things that are totally legitimate and needed to take on a new vocational challenge in our lives. How many have been called into vocational ministry, from teaching to medicine and law, and left it all to go out as missionaries or pastor a church? They left their careers and practices to follow in a new assignment in their life. We can see from the New Testament, that Peter, Andrew, James, and John left their fishing business to follow Jesus. Matthew left his lucrative tax business to follow Jesus and later became one of the twelve apostles.
Notice how the false teachers in Paul’s ministry boasted of their letters of recommendation and their religious backgrounds as legitimatizing their claims, while Paul saw no value in those things. Paul now attacks their sense of superiority while they were abusing the Corinthians with an inverted sense of boasting, as we will discover.
I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about.[iv]
Linda Belleville explains the sarcastic comments of Paul regarding these pretenders which were duping them with their extravagant boasting.
The intruders are fools on account of the exaggerated opinion they have of their self-importance. And the Corinthians gladly put up with them, thinking themselves to be so wise (v. 19). The position of heµdeoµs (‘gladly’), beginning the clause, heightens Paul’s sarcasm: ‘Gladly you put up with fools.’ The Corinthians have been duped by the apostolic pretenders. Yet they think themselves so wise! The irony of the situation does not escape Paul—nor does the danger. The Corinthians should have seen through these apostolic pretenders, but they chose not to. Moreover, they did not merely turn a blind eye to what they were about but received them with pleasure.[v]
How tragic that they thought these false teachers were so impressive, but they were in reality leading them into falsehood, leading them away from the truth. Paul pointed out that in their folly they thought themselves to be wise. How sad that this is still the case today. People eating up something that will destroy them.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools…[vi]
Paul now refutes the superiority of these false apostles boasts regarding their spiritual pedigree by announcing his own.
Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.[vii]
What is Paul stating here regarding his pedigree and ancestry? Why is this important? It is obvious from this line of defense that the false teachers were promoting themselves based on their Jewish background. Paul now relates that his background may even be more impressive.
He is their equal with respect to race and ancestry. But he is incomparably effective as an agent of Christ. ‘Hebrews’ may denote those who were born Jews, in contrast to proselytes, or it may denote a pure-blooded Jew, or possibly a Jew who can speak Aramaic, or a Jew with close family ties with the Holy Land.[viii]
We are foolish if we boast of our strengths and advantages. Why? Simply put, these are all God’s gifts to us, but when we boast of our weaknesses, we are in the company of those in the past who were the righteous. There is a deep recognition that all that we have and are, is a gift given to us by God.
We also need to be aware that jealousy and opposition to God’s purposes for our lives is one of the challenges we will experience in this Christian life. This was certainly the case both in the life of Jesus and Paul. Jesus explained that this is actually a sign of grace that we are having an impact in our world.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.[ix]
THE SECOND COST OF BEING AN EFFECTIVE DISCIPLEMAKER IS EMBRACING THE SUFFERING THAT WE WILL EXPERIENCE
Often we think of suffering primarily as illness, either physical or mental, but suffering comes in a variety of ways. Paul now begins to list the obstacles that he needed to overcome to bring the gospel of Christ to others. Paul is not only preaching a crucified Christ, but he is living a crucified life which has a great cost to it. We notice the things which he endured for the sake of the gospel.
Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.[x]
Linda Belleville explains the intensity of work that Paul endured.
Worked … harder translates a Greek term commonly used of physical labor that causes one to collapse in bed at night from utter exhaustion (kopos). Although it is used in 10:15 to describe Paul’s missionary labors, here it may refer to the long, grueling hours he worked as a tentmaker. He did this to avoid being a financial burden on the church at which he was currently ministering. The plural kopoi (“labors”) may indicate that Paul had to work more than one job to keep himself financially afloat.[xi]
So, what are we to make of Paul’s beatings, dangers endured, and the constant threat of violence against him? What is the point that Paul is driving at? What is motivating this servant of God? More importantly, how should we rethink our own service to Christ? Are we serving out of a deep love and passion for Christ, or do we serve simply when it is convenient for us? Do we view our lives as our own? Or do we view our lives as belong to Jesus and He determines the things we should be involved in?
Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. (2 Corinthians 11:24)
The fact that Paul received from the Jews the thirty-nine lashes was a testament of his amazing love for his own people. In Romans, Paul reveals to us that his priority was to preach the gospel first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles (Rom. 1:16). In every community he sought out his own people and often was rejected and punished. The fact that he was lashed was the punishment that was given to those who were considered false teachers, committing blasphemy, or breaking of the law and Jewish customs. Here we see the response that he often received as he taught in the synagogues. The reality is that when he went to the synagogue to teach, he knew that depending upon their response he could very well be lashed. Yet, because of his deep love for his countrymen, Paul risked these beatings so that the message might be communicated. We could ask ourselves the question, what am I risking bringing the gospel to the people around me?
Not only did he receive lashings from his own people, but beatings from those who were in authority in various communities. We know that Paul and Silas were beaten and imprisoned in Philippi. As Paul recounts his story to the Corinthians, this was not a one-time experience.
Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers.[xii]
Kent Hughes explains the nature of Paul’s boasting because Paul was identifying with the suffering of our Lord.
And with that he switches from boasting in his fleshly strengths to boasting in his weaknesses. This was doubly foolish boasting because Paul’s enemies rejected his weaknesses, viewing them as disqualifications. He boasts in his seeming disqualifications.
Paul turns convention on its head and argues for the authenticity and superiority of his apostolic service from his weaknesses, not from his strengths. Double foolishness. Holy foolishness! The apostle begins with a generalized statement of his sufferings—‘with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death’ (v. 23). He pictures a life overflowing with perpetual, incalculable sufferings.
The five synagogue floggings, the three Roman beatings, the stoning, and the three shipwrecks cited here total twelve ‘near death’ occasions (cf. v. 23)—all this with more missionary work to go! To those caught up in the prosperity gospel of the super-apostles, these were hardly resumé enhancers, but foolish admissions. But to Paul, they were proof positive that he was a servant of Christ. Suffering, not success, authenticated Paul’s ministry.[xiii]
What is fascinating about this list is that he mentions that he has been in danger from false believers. One of the most difficult aspects of his ministry was the very experience that he was dealing with at Corinth.
What we see is a servant of God experiencing all these trials, being taxed to his physical limits, but the greater burden was the attacks directed at him to deceit new believers by false teachers. To see some turn away from the faith because of deceptive teaching, was a cross to bear. The list continues of the suffering and price of travel in that ancient world with all of its dangers. He had suffered personal lack. Yet, the primary weight of his deep concern was directed toward those who were newly saved, and it felt overwhelming upon him.
I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?[xiv]
Notice how Paul felt when these new believers succumbed to these temptations. “Who is weak and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?” The intense internal agony of having sacrificed so much to witness this kind of seduction and defeat in the lives of those he had given up to much to reach. It is obvious that ministry was not about Paul, rather, his heart passion was for the wellbeing of these converts to Christianity.
The question each of us needs to ask ourselves is, what has it cost us to bring the good news of Jesus to those around us? Now as freedoms in our country are diminishing, the question will become, what will it cost us to stand for Jesus and share this amazing message of grace to those around us?
THE THIRD COST OF BEING AN EFFECTIVE DISCIPLE MAKER IS THE DEPARTURE FROM RESPECTABILITY AND IDENTIFICATION WITH A DESPISED MOVEMENT
Think of Paul’s life before Christ; a religious zealot who had the backing of the religious political body of his day. He had letters from the Sanhedrin to arrest followers of Jesus in order to imprison them. He was a respected member of his religious community, dealing with what he considered at that time a dangerous heretical sect.
Yet, it was on his way to Damascus that everything changed in Paul’s life. He had an encounter with the resurrected Jesus, and from that point, Paul now became part of that despised and persecuted minority in the land. He would be considered a traitor. It was in Damascus that Paul fled like a criminal from being arrested by King Aretas.
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.[xv]
So, what does escape from the King of Damascus have to do with boasting that reveals his weakness? Paul’s own testimony of being apprehended by Christ on the road to Damascus with letters from the High Priests to track down and punish believers is suddenly arrested by Jesus. The amazing transforming encounter on the way to Damascus, in which Paul now becomes the great propagator of the faith, leads to finally escaping the city like a common criminal. This change of direction in his life moves Paul from being esteemed among his colleagues to demeaned and decried as a traitor to his heritage. Paul is revealing the cost that he has paid.
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness’ (v. 30). The apostle does this by recounting a very low point in his life, when he was lowered in a basket from a window in the city wall to escape. The telling of this event would be so incredible to his triumphalist detractors that he uses an oath to assure them that it is true— ‘The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying’ (v. 31). This oath ensured that his detractors would listen. ‘Why the oath?’ we wonder. The story is patently benign. ‘At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas was guarding the city of Damascus in order to seize me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands’ (vv. 32, 33). How can this story merit an oath?
The key to the answer comes from the identification of the city as Damascus. It was to Damascus that Paul first went as a proud Pharisee to seek out and destroy the people called Christians. But it was on the road to that city that he met Christ and received his call. And when he left the city it was like a lowly criminal, ‘lowered like a catch of dead fish in a basket whose smelly cargo he had displaced.’ In effect, Paul views the incident in Damascus as a paradigm for his life. God’s strength would be perfected in his weakness. Paul tells us by this story that weakness was at the heart of his calling from the very beginning of his apostleship.
He highlights matters of difficulty and hardship: hard work, imprisonment, floggings, and threats to his life. He is again ironically inverting the ancient convention of boasting.[xvi]
While the false teachers were boasting of their accomplishments, Paul was boasting of this challenges and weaknesses.
What is the cost that we are paying for the gospel to be brought to our culture today? Are we prepared to be misunderstood, to suffer the loss of respectability in the eyes of others? Could there be physical costs, loss of finances, personal threats, possibility of imprisonment? These were all things that happened to Paul. These are things that are currently happening around our world.
The Christian life is a blessed life but also filled with challenges. Paul returned to communities where he had preached the gospel and established churches to encourage and strengthen them.
They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, Strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.[xvii]
I mentioned earlier the book Strong to the End. The martyred deaths of Davy, Natalie and Judes, who ran to protect the orphans and one another, were captured, tortured, and finally killed. They knew of the dangers in that land but gladly went to serve. Like Paul, motivated out of love, they were willing to risk everything in order to bring God’s message of the gospel. Are we willing to spend our lives in order bring the gospel to others? When we consider the price Jesus paid for our salvation, what are we willing to pay to bring His saving message to others?
https://pixabay.com/photos/fishermen-beach-boat-fishing-sea-2983615
[i] John Piper, Roots of Endurance, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2002), 18-20.
[ii] Dean Merrill, Strong to the End, Moody Publishers, 2026.
[iii] Philippians 3:4b-8, The New International Version of the Bible, Zondervan, 2011.
[iv] 2 Corinthians 11:16-21.
[v] Linda Belleville, 2 Corinthians, TheIVP New Testament Commentary Series, Vol. 8, (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996), 2 Corinthians 11:16-21.
[vi] Romans 1:21-22.
[vii] 2 Corinthians 11:22.
[viii] Anthony Thiselton, 2 Corinthians: A Short Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary, (Cascade Books, 2019), 125.
[ix] Matthew 5:11-12.
[x] 2 Corinthians 11:23.
[xi] Linda Belleville, 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians 11:23-25.
[xii] 2 Corinthians 11:25-26.
[xiii] Kent Hughes, 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness, 202-04.
[xiv] 2 Corinthians 11:27-29.
[xv] 2 Corinthians 11:30-33.
[xvi] Kent Hughes, 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness, (Crossway Books, 2006), 207.
[xvii] Acts 14:21-22.
