It is difficult to grasp the real meaning of the word rendered necessities. Darby in his translation also uses the word necessities. The Chinese version uses the word poverty. Whenever we are in want, short of food, lodging, or clothing, we are in necessities. In 12:10, where the same Greek word is used, the Chinese version uses a word meaning straits. The Greek word means constraints, urgent needs that press heavily. It refers to sufferings that result from calamities and straits. An example of calamity would be the eruption of Mount Saint Helens some time ago. That was a calamity to those in the vicinity of the volcano. The result of such a calamity is want, shortage of daily necessities. Paul passed through many calamities and straits and, as a result, was in necessities.
Today Christians evaluate one who is a servant of God not by his experience in necessities but by his riches. If someone possesses great riches, he is considered blessed by the Lord. But if a believer becomes poor, lacking in food, housing, clothing, or other necessities for daily living, many would say of him, “This brother is not approved by God. Because God is not happy with him or pleased with him, He does not bless him.” What, then, about Paul, who was in necessities? Surely he was approved by God. We should not think that riches are a sign that we are blessed by the Lord or approved by Him. On the contrary, it may be that want, necessity, and poverty are the true qualifications of a minister of the new covenant.
In verse 4 Paul also speaks of distresses. Literally the Greek word rendered distresses means narrowness of room; hence, straits, difficulties, distresses. It is not easy to explain the difference between afflictions and distresses. Some translators even reverse the order of these words in verse 4, using distresses for afflictions, and afflictions for distresses. We may say that distresses are the inward sufferings which come as a reaction to the outward afflictions.
From the various words Paul uses in verse 4 we know that he was in different kinds of troubles. This verse clearly indicates that Paul’s life was a life of affliction, calamity, straits, necessities, and distresses. Do you like to hear about this? Do you still want to be a minister of the new covenant when you hear about Paul’s difficulties and troubles? Today many young men are encouraged to be ministerial students. After graduating from a seminary, they may find a good job as a pastor or minister. They may be provided housing and an adequate salary. Paul, however, was not that kind of minister, and he did not live that kind of life. Instead, his life, the life that qualified him to be a new covenant minister, was a life of endurance, affliction, necessities, and distresses.
Verse 5 says, “In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings.” The stripes refer to the beatings Paul received. In 11:23 he refers to “stripes excessively,” where the word excessively literally means above measure. In 11:24 Paul says, “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one.” Furthermore, according to Acts 16:23, in Philippi Paul and Silas had many stripes laid upon them and then were cast into prison (Acts 16:23).
In 11:23 Paul speaks of “imprisonments more abundantly.” Several times Paul was cast into prison. We have already referred to the occasion at Philippi. In Ephesians 3:1 Paul refers to himself as “the prisoner of Christ Jesus,” and in Ephesians 4:1, as “the prisoner in the Lord.” Again, in 2 Timothy 1:8 and Philemon 9 and 23 Paul refers to imprisonment.
Tumults refer to rebellions, revolts, and great disturbances. Acts 17:5 describes one such tumult. Acts 19 describes a great tumult which occurred in Ephesus. Verse 23 of that chapter says, “There arose no small stir about that way.”
In 2 Corinthians 11:23 Paul says that he was “in labors more abundantly,” and in verse 27, speaks of “in labor and hardship.” Paul mentions this in 1 Thessalonians 2:9: “For you remember, brothers, our labor and hardship: working night and day so as not to be burdensome to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.” He refers to this again in 2 Thessalonians 3:8, where he says, “Nor did we eat bread as a gift from anyone, but in labor and hardship we worked night and day that we might not be burdensome to any of you.”