2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (Part 38) Items of Hardships

• Paul is not timid about enumerating hardships, I Corinthians 4:9-13; 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 6:4-10; 11:23-29.

• These are not complaints nor appeals for sympathy

Organization of 6:4-10

• Endurance heads the list (the other items come out of this), v. 4: 1) Endured in afflictions, necessities, and distresses; 2) Hupamone—hupo (under) and mone (to remain): endurance that enables and equips; 3) Nothing is more capable of producing benefit and growth than pressure.

• General hardships, v. 4: 1) Afflictions—pressure of any kind from any source. Pressure or stress free life is not a reality; 2) Necessities—hardships (mental attitude is the emphasis). Big principle from this book: our weakness is the backdrop for divine power.

• Distresses—literally “narrow places” (between a rock and a hard place)

• Hardships imposed by man, v. 5a: 1) Stripes—the act and result of hitting; 2) Imprisonments (around Acts 16 at this point in context); 3) Tumults—disturbance or uprising.

• Imposed on himself, v. 5b: 1) Labors—work to the point of exhaustion; 2) Watching’s—sleepless; 3) Fasting’s—foregoing meals

• The inner qualities he faced this with, vv. 6-7a

• The weapon he fought with, v. 7b

• Series of antithesis, vv. 8-10 (this is how he lived his life)

Principle—good men are loved and hated but never liked