The Cost of St. Paul's Discipleship
St. Paul founded the church in Corinth around the year 51. He spent about a year with them, instructing them and praying with them. He then continued his missionary journeys. But Paul remained in communication with the Corinthians. While he was proud of the people there, he was also disturbed by some of their attitudes he heard about. He was especially upset when he heard that there were Christians in Corinth attacking his credibility. So in his second letter to them, Paul describes the difficulties he has faced proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ:
Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.)
I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2Corinthians 11: 23–28)
Paul was able to survive this difficult life because he was in constant dialogue with God through prayer. He understood the importance of his work in proclaiming salvation in Jesus Christ.
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