The Book of Revelation was sent to seven churches in Asia Minor. The churches in that region included Galatia and Ephesus, a city the apostle Paul was all too familiar with. “Why are we in danger every hour? I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.’” (1 Corinthians 15:30-32 ESV). The persecution of Paul was relentless and the church at Corinth was one of many that shared in that tribulation. Later in his letter, Paul reminds them of the extent of his persecution:
Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. (2 Corinthians 11:23-25 ESV)
So extreme was the persecution that it was only by the grace of God that Paul was still alive. But Paul also told them that God had made them “ministers of a New Covenant” (2 Corinthians 3:6 ESV) who were trying to reach those whose “minds were hardened” (2 Corinthians 3:14 ESV). At the top of the next chapter, he goes on to say, “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart” (2 Corinthians 4:1 ESV). Starting at verse seven, Paul reveals the tremendous comfort of knowing the power of God that gives them the strength to go on:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. (2 Corinthians 4:7-11 ESV)
Powerful words to those who faced death daily. In one of the most beautiful chapters of the New Testament, Paul stated it this way, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered” (Romans 8:36 ESV). But his conclusion was this: “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 ESV). Jesus was their strength.
In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul comes right out and tells us that he lost everything because he professed Jesus as Lord. “I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things” (Philippians 3:8 ESV).
I’ve never faced this level of persecution. That makes it difficult for me to apply this passage to myself. But it shouldn’t be our goal to apply everything to ourselves. Isn’t that a bit narcissistic? But I can learn from this by putting my trivial trials into perspective and trusting Jesus to get me through the nontrivial.