In verse 21 Paul says, also ironically, “I speak by way of dishonor, as though we have been weak; but in whatever anyone is daring, I speak in foolishness, I also am daring.” Here Paul seems to be saying, “I forget about my standing, my honor, and my glory. I speak by way of dishonor. I don’t care what you think about me. I speak as though I have been weak.” Paul then goes on to compare himself with the Judaizers, saying that he is also a Hebrew, an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, and a minister of Christ.
In these verses we have a comparison between Paul and the Judaizers. In verse 23 Paul speaks of being in labors more abundantly, in imprisonments more abundantly, in stripes excessively, and in deaths often. In verses 24 and 25 Paul says, “From the Jews five times I received forty stripes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked; a night and day I have spent in the deep.” The stripes in verse 24 were from the Jews, and the rods in verse 25 were used by the Romans (Acts 16:22-23; 22:25). Not including the shipwreck at Melita (universally recognized as Malta), Paul was shipwrecked three times, none of which is related in the Acts. The Judaizers, of course, did not suffer any of these things. There is no comparison between them and Paul in matters such as these.
Verse 26 says, “In journeys often, in dangers of rivers, in dangers of robbers, in dangers from my race, in dangers from the nations, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the desert, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among false brothers.” The rivers here are those which were liable to violent and sudden changes from the sudden swelling of mountain streams or flooding of dry watercourses. The robbers mentioned in this verse were of tribes inhabiting the mountains between the tableland of Asia Minor and the coast, tribes notorious for robbery. The false brothers spoken of in verse 26 refer mainly to the Judaizing Christians.
Verse 27 continues: “In labor and hardship, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” Since fastings are listed here with hardships, they must refer to involuntary fasting due to lack of food. Hence, they differ from hunger. Hunger may refer to a situation in which there is no way to obtain food; involuntary fasting may refer to a situation of poverty. The cold was due to the weather and insufficient clothing; the nakedness refers to insufficient clothing or nakedness due to scourging or shipwreck.
In verse 28 Paul says, “Apart from the things which are not mentioned, the pressure upon me daily, the anxiety for all the churches.” In this verse the Greek word rendered pressure literally means a crowd. It denotes a crowd of cares pressing on Paul. This refers to the anxious care for all the churches. The things which are not mentioned are things not mentioned in verses 23 through 27.
In verses 23 through 28 nearly thirty matters are covered. In only two is there actually a comparison between Paul and the Judaizers: labors and imprisonments. The Judaizers labored and were sometimes imprisoned. But Paul was in labors more abundantly and in imprisonments more abundantly. Furthermore, the Judaizers did not have any of the other items. It is certain that they did not have any anxiety for the churches. But the apostles, especially Paul, daily had an anxious care for all the churches.
In verse 29 Paul goes on to say, “Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is stumbled, and I do not burn?” The word “burn” means to burn in sorrow and indignation over the cause of stumbling.
In verse 30 Paul continues, “If I must boast, I will boast of the things of my weakness.” Here Paul refers to his sufferings and hardships, which made him appear weak, mean, and contemptible in the eyes of his adversaries. He was attested as a true apostle by these things, not by the strength of which his adversaries boasted.
Paul’s sufferings made him appear weak in the eyes of others. A strong man can do many things to eliminate suffering or reduce it. Paul, however, could not do anything about his sufferings. The fact that he could not reduce his sufferings indicates that he was weak. Therefore, in the eyes of the opposers, he was a weak and pitiful person.
In ancient times as well as today, there was the concept that a person who is blessed of God should not have suffering. Paul’s adversaries thought that if Paul were truly of God, God would bless him and he would not suffer. They regarded Paul’s suffering as a sign that he was not of God or was not under God’s blessing. Paul’s concept was different. Here Paul seems to be saying to the Judaizers, “If you were truly of God, God would allow you to suffer a great deal. A genuine minister of Christ is one who suffers.” Many Christians today have the concept that if a person is rich, prosperous, and flourishing, he is a faithful servant of God and is blessed by Him. They also have the concept that those who must endure suffering and hardship are not under the blessing of God.
In verses 31 through 33 Paul concludes, “The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus, the governor under Aretas the king guarded the city of the Damascenes to seize me, and I was lowered in a basket through a window, through the wall, and escaped his hands.” If you had been Paul, would you not have felt ashamed to escape in this way? Some may ask, “Why was it necessary for an ambassador of Christ to escape in a basket? Why did he not claim the victory of Jesus and the headship of the King of kings over this ethnarch? There is no need for you to escape in a basket through a window. This man cannot be God’s chosen one, for God does not bless him.”