Trials and Suffering

Well, today we're going to look at this passage that we looked at back when I had the opportunity about two months ago now, back in April. I looked at the calendar just about two months ago. We looked at the passage in 2 Corinthians. I'd like to kind of go back over and look at what we did last time. Basically, last time we covered verses 3 through 7, and I'd like to kind of cover the remainder of the verses 8 through 11.

And actually, it's a wonderful passage. It really is. It has tremendous truths in there, and I think it's worth repeating some of the up-front part, and there's some really wonderful things about it. We're going to spend a lot of time today looking at the affliction that Paul had in Asia. The words that describe his affliction are just incredible.

But God is faithful and delivered Paul, and he gives thanksgiving to God for the prayers of the saints for him. So that's really a neat passage. Let's start off, maybe, if I could get someone to volunteer to read a little bit of 2 Corinthians in Chapter 1, and volunteer to read 3 through 11 for us. OK, thank you. Thank you very much.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort for which we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out in measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life.

But we have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God, which raiseth the dead. who delivered us from so great a death and to deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us. He also helping to gather by prayer for us that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Great, thank you. That was a long passage. Good reading. Thank you. Well I tried to break it down here. The beginning verse It's basically a eulogy. The word blessed is actually the Greek word for eulogy. So they're giving thanks to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for his mercies. and for his comfort, and he's a God of all comfort. We're going to see the word all and every as we go through here, and basically it's that word in the Greek that means, it's pas, means every kind of variety. So God is able to give comfort in every kind and variety of affliction, and we're going to see that.

We're also going to see another theme that comes through is that Paul talks about himself. He talks about himself having affliction, and God comforts him in that affliction. But one of the goals you'll see is that God is going to use that in the lives of believers. Other believers, they're going to see Paul's affliction. They're going to see his comfort that God has given him, and that's going to benefit other believers. And they're going to give thanks to God for the affliction that happened to Paul. So it's a process where believers are afflicted and are comforted, and then other believers partake in that or share in that.

So we're going to see that theme as we go through here. So in verses 4 through 6, we see God's comfort to us and through us. We see the abundance of suffering and comfort of Christ. We see God's affliction and comfort in you for the brethren. Like I said, it's for the brethren in many cases. And then we see that Paul's hope was firm and steadfast for his brethren, that they were going to be recipients of this comfort from God.

And then this section in here is kind of the new part. This is kind of a review. This section down here, this example of affliction in Paul's life, those words that are used, it was a severe trial in his life. It says that he was under the sentence of death. You think about, in our world, people who are sentenced to death, they're in death row. That's a physical sentence of death. The sentence of death in Paul's life was an internal one. It was a very severe trial. But his focus was on the Lord, and we'll see that as God as it talks about his deliverance, realizing what God has done for him. And then he gives thanks for the prayers of the saints.

Okay, so verse 4, I try to put this kind of in a little pictorial fashion. I showed this the last time, but I didn't have it maybe quite as compact. So verse 4 says, speaking about God who comforts us in all our afflictions so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. So we see here it's a process. In every affliction, and that's that word every pass, every kind and variety of affliction, there's no exception, God's comfort comes to us, or to Paul in this case, And then we are able, based upon that situation, that affliction, to comfort others in every kind of affliction. So it's a process here.

This word affliction, I think Hal showed, it's this word that flips us. It's this pressure, intense pressure. I think Hal had a picture of a guy with a squash face. I mean, it's a pressure, a pressure that we feel when we have a trial or an affliction. It's translated sometimes burden, persecution, tribulation, trouble.

Let's see here, something else I was going to mention here. You know, something that's interesting here, if you look right here, in here, it's the comfort, it's specific. It's not, it seems from this passage that it's saying that that we may go through an affliction or a trial, and we may learn from that. I think that we see that even without Scripture to some degree. If you think about people that had, maybe they had a parent who had Alzheimer's, for example, or a parent that had some disease, many times that child will wind up being a doctor or a nurse or some, for that very affliction. I mean, that's in a human sense, we see that. I think that it's almost, to be expected or natural that we see that things that we've endured, we've experienced, we have gained some understanding. But what's wonderful here is we've gained God's understanding, we've gained His comfort as a believer in Christ, and we can share that with others. So that's what this passage is saying, this process that's going on. Questions about this? Thoughts? This part I'm going to move along kind of rapidly, just kind of go through these verses. Paul's affliction in Asia here.

Okay, let's go on to the next one here. Okay, in verse 5 it says, For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. So we see a two-step process here. We see a process where the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance.

And this top part, the last time we did this, somebody in the class said, well, my life has been pretty good. I don't know if you guys remember that. Actually, when I taught it, you remember things that people say. It's kind of ingrained in your memory. He says, my life's been pretty good. I haven't had many problems. I don't see what the big deal here is about that.

And I said, hey, God is the one, He appoints a believer to trials, He's the one in charge of that. I mean, I can't say, hey, I can't explain why your life has been relatively, you know, no sufferings. But what's wonderful is, when we have those sufferings of Christ, we have this abundant comfort through Christ. So God doesn't leave without a remedy. There are sufferings through Christ, but there are remedies, comforts, through Christ. These words are the same. The abundance is the same.

Abundance of the suffering and the abundance of the comfort. And then probably a larger question is someone asks, well, the sufferings of Christ, boy, that's a big topic. Let me ask you the question. How big are the sufferings of Christ? Hey, all right, that's good. Excellent. Excellent. Think about that. He paid for the sins of the entire world. He suffered on the cross.

So we can't enter into that. That was His work on the cross on our behalf. So we can't enter into that. But there's an aspect I think we do enter into. As He was reviled, as the world hated Him, we are hated as well. And we see that and we experience that. We see the people that are, you know, Christians are dummies. Who would believe in a person that would die at a cross? It's a bloody religion.

All kinds of things, and we suffer in that sense, I think, Christ suffering. Another point that was made, and I really haven't studied this enough, and Hal kind of mentioned it to me as well, think about our identification with Christ in that aspect. were identified with him in his death and his burial and his resurrection. I haven't done enough study on that, and if you have some thoughts, I'd love to have you share them about that aspect of our sharing in his sufferings. I really haven't thought through that and really had that in my mind, that understanding, but obviously Christ's sufferings were infinite because to pay for the sins of the world was an incredible thing that only Christ could have done. We could not have done that. We could not have entered into that. Let's see, what else? Okay, let's just go on. Okay, now we're to verse 6.

It says, but if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. For if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. So I kind of drew two flows here. One basically says we are being afflicted, and let me just look here for a second. And that's a present, the verb is in the present tense, we are being afflicted presently, and it's in behalf of, in behalf of your comfort and your salvation. So there's a purpose.

As I look through this again, through these passages again, I begin to see, and this is really Paul, you can label this Paul, and then this is a brethren. So Paul was being afflicted, and we'll see that in the passage coming up. in verse 8 and 9, he was being afflicted, but it had a purpose. It was for the brethren's comfort and for their salvation, and also Paul was being comforted, and it was in behalf of the brethren for their comfort. So once again, there's that connection. He's being afflicted, he's being comforted, and it's just not for him. It's for the brethren. It's to be shared. So the brethren will see and enter into that, will be sharers in common with that.

And one question that came up last time was this word salvation. It seems a little bit, and you look at that first, you say, well, let's see, Paul's being afflicted and it's in behalf of or for the sake of the brethren for their comfort and for their salvation. Well, what salvation? The brethren, they're already saved. What are they talking about here? And I think we kind of went through that.

If you think about salvation, we have the three aspects of salvation. Salvation from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and from the presence of sin. I think this is speaking of salvation from the power of sin. Because if you think about it, sometimes our reaction to affliction and trials is in the old man, in our old nature. We react, I want to get rid of this trial. I want it out of here. I don't want anything to do with it.

And that's walking in the flesh, right? So the power of sin is taking its effect in your life. Well, he's saying that when you see me, and I'm being afflicted, and God's comforting me, that will be for your salvation from the power of sin in your life.

You won't try to run away from this trial. You'll stay with it. You'll abide under. And that's exactly what it says here. It says, the desire of all this process is producing in you the patient enduring of suffering. And this word enduring is that hupo mone, to remain under, to abide under, stay where you're at.

Don't get anxious to run away from this trial. I mean, that's the first thing we want to do. It's amazing. People want to go and just hang on to hear a tower of prayer. I'll go in, I'll call the tower of prayer, and this tower of prayer will really do the job and I'll be free of this suffering. Go ahead, I'm sorry. You had a question? Are you saying that if you desire to be out from under a trial, that you're automatically in the flesh? Well, go ahead. Didn't Christ even in the garden say, I desire for this cup? Even though that's my desire, it's not my will, it's yours. Also, when he poured the thorn in his side... He desired it to be removed, right. But then he realized God's will.

Sure. Okay, that's a good point. I'm trying to reconcile that with the fact that he's telling us here that the reason for this process is that you patiently endure the suffering. So I'm trying to balance that patient enduring with the desire to be free of it. So there's a balance there. I mean, you may say, I would prefer, my preference would be that I'm out of here. But if I see, if God has convinced me through his word and through other believers that I should stay here, then that's where I want to be. And I can patiently endure that. But I don't think any of us would want to see, I think Hal mentioned that, like with his trial. I mean, no one welcomes a heart condition. No one welcomes the loss of a child. I mean, that's not welcomed and our desire does not happen. But when it does happen, the Lord wants us to be patiently enduring that.

I'm sorry if I maybe got carried away there. Okay, other thoughts? So it's not sinful to want to not have that child? That question comes up a lot. As it was mentioned, Christ said, if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. But he looked to God for the answer. Nevertheless, not my will, but your will be done. I think that has to be our response. As the Holy Spirit leads us, we have to be in that mode. That's where we want to be. Other thoughts? I probably didn't answer your question. You said, Roger, you never answer my questions. Okay. Let's see. All right. Let's go on.

So verse 7 says, And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our suffering, so also are you sharers of our comfort. So in this part here, it talks about Basically, once again, Paul's looking at the brethren, looking at the believers, and he calls them, you all. There's more than one.

He says, my hope for you is firm. And basically, that describes his hope. His hope is firm. That word is actually steadfast, secure, that which does not fail. That hope for him is firm, based upon God's character, who God is. That hope for those believers is firm.

That you are sharers of our suffering, and as a result of being sharers of our suffering, you're also a sharer of our comfort. I think that's what it says. Knowing. And that knowing is that idea, it's that word oida, which is a knowledge that from past experience, you experienced it in the past, and it's present with you now, that His hope for them is secure and firm in who God is and His character, that as they share in His sufferings, they will share in His comfort. Actually, if someone could read, let's look at Hebrews for a second. This kind of, that word firm, this kind of passage that talks about the firmness of, in Hebrews chapter 6, if someone could volunteer to read Hebrews chapter 6 and verse 19.

Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul for sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil? Whether the forerunner is for us entered even Jesus made a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. The reason I chose that passage is because it has the same word hope that we have here. It's an anchor for our soul, a sure and steadfast. So this hope that he has for these believers is sure and steadfast based upon God's character and that their shares of suffering and therefore will be sharers of God's comfort.

So that's kind of what I call the review. If you weren't here before, it was new. So now I'd like to kind of go on, and we're going to look at starting in verse 8. So Paul's going to go through and describe his suffering, his affliction, in Asia here. It says, For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life." When I started looking at this passage, and you start looking at the words in this passage, this was really a severe trial for Paul in Asia. He first starts off, he says, we do not want you to be unaware of our affliction. Why do you think he didn't want them to be unaware? Why do you want to inform them of his affliction?

I think it kind of relates to what we just read. I just got to give you a hint. This is my thought process here. He starts off, brethren, I don't want you to be unaware of our affliction. Why? Why is he telling them about this affliction? He wants that process to be carried out. He just went through explaining the process. I'm afflicted, and then I can comfort you, and when you see that affliction, you will share in the same suffering and the same comfort. He wants them to share in this, and this is a severe trial. So he may have an understanding of where he's at.

So I think that's why he wants them to be aware. Actually, that word is ignorant, and it's the idea of to be ignorant, not to know. And it's used, you know, in Scripture, it's used in a variety of places. It's used, Paul uses it in Romans at least one time, and also in other parts of Corinthians he uses it. He wants to inform us of things that will be beneficial to us. Okay, so now let's look at this section here.

We were burdened, and he uses two words, we were burdened excessively beyond our strength. And looking at some of these words here, that word burdened is the idea of being weighed down, heaviness. In fact, it's used in the Gospels when the Lord Jesus, remember in the Garden of Gethsemane where He came to the disciples and they were sleeping? and it says their eyes were heavy, heaviness of eyes, that's the same word here for burden, this heaviness, this weightiness that we feel on ourselves. And then there are kind of like two modifiers, it says excessively, and this word excessively is the idea over, above, beyond, it's way beyond, and actually it's used, and one of Vern's favorite words is this word ballo, you know where you ball, And it's actually, I think he's told us before, it's when you overthrow, it's way beyond, that word is way, you way overthrow the intended place for the ball, way overthrown, hooper, hooperbalo, that's what it is in the Greek, to throw beyond. And that talks about beyond our strength, that talks about the strength or power that we have, so this burden was beyond Paul's strength or power. He wasn't capable of handling it.

It's interesting, as we go through here, you don't see, as our brother pointed out here, about the fact that Christ asked for that and Paul asked for that too. In this case, he doesn't record that he asked for this trial to be removed. He explains this trial, but he doesn't ask for it to be removed. He cedes God's purpose in this trial, in this affliction. I thought that was kind of interesting. He doesn't ask, even though like the thorn in the flesh he did, but in this case he does not.

Okay, so now we come down to one of the parts that really caused me to think for a long time. What does it mean here when he says, causing us to despair of life? I think, in my mind, it's kind of critical to see what does he mean there by causing us to despair of life?

I looked at that and I said, boy, I don't know. Is he contemplating something here? If a person says they're despairing of life, my first reaction is not real positive for that person. They're considering suicide, possibly. So, any thoughts? And I said, Lord, help me to understand what this means. My first thought was that.

It doesn't compute. It doesn't seem to... I think he wants to express how intense that affliction was and that he almost rather would have died than continue in that kind of a suffering. No, not that he wanted to take his life, but he just came to a point at which I was dead.

Okay. Well, I think it's a big help when you look at that word despair, despair of life. It helped me a lot by looking at that word, and it's a compound word, and I can't pronounce it, but it's the idea to be utterly out of the way. To be... I'm sorry, I didn't say that right.

To be utterly without a way. He saw no way out of this. He saw no possible solution that he had within his own resources. There was no way it was done. Done deal. There was no way out of the situation. So he despaired that he could ever live. It couldn't be any more intense. That's pretty, I mean, that's like, you know, people have described different things when they, may a plane's going to crash in the ground or whatever, they survive this, but they say, I thought I was dead. I mean, it's over with, it's gone. So he, this situation was so intense that he saw no way out. There was no possible way that he could live through this. And then, what's interesting is this continues on. He doesn't stop here in this verse.

He continues on in the next verse to describe... Okay, let's see. Let's just go on to the next verse. Okay, now in this verse he says, continuing on with the previous verse, Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves. So we just stop there for right now.

So he basically said that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, causing us the despair of life, Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves. So now is another question. We asked a question about despairing of life. What does the sentence of death mean? The key part here, it says, within ourselves. So did Paul, was he before a judge here? Was he before a tribunal and they sentenced him to death? Is that what he's speaking of, you think? Or is it something different?

Certainly it would be physical rather than spiritual death. And that's a good point. Because he says within ourselves, in my mind that was key because it said that that was an internal thing that's happening within his life, not necessarily external. He wasn't going before a firing squad or before whatever. It was an internal thing because of the burden that he had the excessive burden, beyond our strength, the despair of life, he felt that within himself, he had this sentence of death.

And actually, it's a term that's used in a judicial sense. In fact, some translations have the answer of death. I don't know, King James doesn't have that, but there are some translations that have the answer of death within themselves. It's like the idea of a sentence. I put it here. the original sense of judging or judicial decision, he felt that there had been a decision made, and this is in his mind, it seems like, that he was sentenced to death. That was it. If I get carried away here, you can stop me. Okay, let's see, what else? So, Art, did I answer your question there? And here's what's really interesting.

In this rendering here, and this even makes it more, I think, even shows us more of an internal struggle. It says, we had the sentence of death. So it seems like, just reading that, well, Paul's looking back to some time in the past, and he's saying, boy, in Asia, times were tough. It was so bad there, I was burdened excessively, and I had this sentence of death in my mind, and now I'm all better.

That's not good English. But no, that actually is that perfect tense, which means something that's happened in the past, and it's a continuing action up into the present. So he's saying, that was so intense. I still remember that. I still see it vividly in my mind, how bad that was, how intense that was. But what's interesting is that this translation that King James has just had, and the one I found that kind of brought it out was the Uist, which is kind of my favorite one kind of expanded Greek, if you will. I'll just read the Greek rendering of verse 9.

It has, We ourselves have the sentence of death in ourselves, and at this time, present, still have that experience. So he still remembers back, and still right now, as he's penning scripture, he's remembering how bad that was and how intense that was. So it's up into the present time. It's used like that That tense is used like the disciples in 1 John when they talk about, we have seen and handled the Lord.

They remember the Lord. That's a perfect tense there. They remember so vividly. They remember hearing His voice. It's very vivid in his mind. I thought this was really consistent with trials and sufferings. I'll speak for my own self. Many times a trial and suffering will happen in the past. It can be years. It can be ten years ago. a long time ago, and I remember it vividly, how bad it was. I remember it right now, and that's what Paul's saying, how bad it was, how intense it was. But what's wonderful is, he sees the purpose. He sees God's purpose in this, and that's the rest of the... From here on, we'll see the wonderful purpose that Paul sees in that.

And he uses the word, so that, and actually, that so that is this could be rendered in order that, or for the purpose that, and that we would not trust in ourselves. So, it would seem like that God purposed in Paul's life, or appointed him to this trial in Asia, so that he would not trust in himself, but he would trust upon God who raises the dead. So, trials and suffering many times are for a purpose, they're purposeful. God isn't doing it willy-nilly. He's doing it for a purpose. And the purpose is that we would trust not in ourselves, but in God.

I like Hal's picture. I brought him along. Actually, this word, upon, is the same word that's used here in Romans. This is in Hal's picture, in Romans 3. And here's a place where God wanted Paul. Rejoicing and resting upon the hope that's in the glory of God. The absolute certainty of who He is. That's where the Lord wants us to be. That's where He wanted Paul to be. That's where He wants us to be.

Resting upon who and what God has done for us. That was a wonderful thing. And Paul saw that. Even though it was vividly in his mind from times past, the purpose was that he would he would rest upon the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Father and Son of the Holy Spirit. So, let's go back here just for a sec. Let's see, there might be something else here. I was kind of thinking, you know, the purpose that we would not trust in ourselves, but upon, you know, resting upon God, and God is the one who has the power over death.

You know, I was thinking about If you look in Scripture, unbelievers, as the verse has been showing us, they're called the dead. Unbelievers are called the dead because we're dead. Unbelievers are dead in trespasses and sins. So we're dead outside of Christ, and we become alive when we come to know Christ. He says, but he's resting upon or trusting upon the God who raises the dead. He's going to go on and expand that in the next verse. I thought that was really Do we not know what kind of afflictions did he go through in Asia? Did he not make any mention?

Specifically, I don't know. And actually, I did not go down that path, and maybe I should have. I did not look through other parts of scripture and say, OK, what's this affliction in Asia? I didn't want to do that. And maybe there's more information. I thought it was a good point. Arden mentioned that. Was it spiritual, or was it really bodily, like on the outside? And that could shed some light on it. Quite often it is both. If it's bodily then it goes into spiritual realm also. Generally our body suffers first bodily and then spiritually.

It's kind of strange that he makes such a big point about it and doesn't tell what it was. Of course he was beaten. Well he describes other places as severe. I think Hal read the list. There's a list of all the afflictions of Paul. Twice he was left for dead. It had an effect within his very being that he felt he was dead basically. Another question.

It says in Asia. Well, we know he was in Asia. Corinth is written in Corinth, and Corinth is in Greece. So we know he was in Asia, Ephesus, all those cities there are in Asia. So all that time we don't know what the persecution had to happen in that period of time. Right. He was also in Asia. A lot of his ministry was in Asia. Yeah, that's a good point.

Yeah, he doesn't really, he doesn't give the details when he describes how intense this was, how, you know, having the sentence of death within ourselves. And he's speaking of, you know, I gather he's speaking of himself and others who were with him. I mean, he says ourselves. So, I mean, it was an intense suffering and trial that he went through in Asia.

But what's wonderful, I think, in this is that he's going to give praise and honor to God for who he is and what he's done. That's what we're going to see in the next chart. He's going to say, but we're trusting, we're not trusting ourselves, we're trusting in God who has the power over death. He had the sentence of death within his mind, but he says, God who raises the dead, he has the power over death, and I can trust him. And that's what the next verse is going to talk about. So then it goes on in verse 10. Who delivers us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, he on whom we have set our hope, and he will deliver us."

You know, I was really struck here. He uses the word deliver three times. He repeats the word deliver. God deliver us out of so great a death. God will deliver us in whom we have hoped. He will deliver us. So, I mean, If you think about it, he talked about how intense this trial was. He comes back with, in the next verse, verses, he comes back with, God will deliver us, God will deliver us, God will deliver us. So that was the anchor, that was the anchor for his soul, so to speak. That's what, that God will deliver us.

And I think he's looking at the big picture of God's deliverance, that word deliver, It's this word, to rescue from, to preserve, therefore to deliver. And actually it's synonymous, I believe, with the word for with a word for to save, sozo in the Greek. It's a synonym of that word. I think salvation is in view here. It looks like Paul is going back and remembering Christ's work on the cross, and he's remembering that he delivered us out of so great a death. You know, can you think of another passage in scripture that you've heard that phrase, so great, so great, in a word?

That's what I'm thinking of. Of course, I know what it is, I looked it up, but you guys, it's not fair. There's a particular passage in scripture that talks about something being so great, that's something that the believer possesses. I'm not good at answering. I'm not like a mic. A mic can kind of answer the questions and kind of lead you down the path. I'm doing a good job there.

Let's turn to Hebrews chapter 2. Hebrews chapter 2. Could someone read verse 3, Hebrews chapter 2 and verse 3. How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him?

Okay, that's great. That's fine, thanks. So that same word, so great, is used, so great salvation. So I think he's looking here that God delivered us out of so great a death So I think he's looking at the fact of our very salvation. We've been preserved, we've been saved from so great a death, being separated from God from all eternity. So he kind of steps back and looks at the magnitude of God's work.

And then, this speaks really of, actually the tense of the verb here, is actually something that's happened in the past. It's a past, actually the aorist tense, which is a past point fact. So we've been saved or we've been delivered from death. And then he looks to the future here. God will deliver us. God will deliver us.

So this is looking to the past. This is looking to the future. You know, I almost, as I look through here, I thought about, I almost was looking for the present aspect of our salvation, but it didn't seem to be there. So he focuses on delivering us from so great a death and delivering us from a future to sense. And this is once the word is hope, the same word we saw before is absolute certainty. All right, let's go on.

The last verse here, in verse 11, it says, You also join in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many. I found this kind of a difficult verse to read, and I tried to take it in chunks.

Actually, the idea of joining and helping us is the idea of laboring together, helping together, joining and help, and it actually is literally to serve or work together under someone. So, Paul saw the brethren in their prayers as working together under God, basically. They're laboring together. So he saw them as part of this, under this trial that he had in Asia.

And he's giving thanks, or thanksgiving, that thanks or thanksgiving may be given in behalf of us by many persons. So they were giving thanks to God for Paul and what he endured and how God brought him through, for the favor bestowed on us through many.

Actually, the prayers of is not really in the... It's implied, obviously, through the prayers of many. And this favor is God's gracious mercy for us. God was merciful. The fact that Paul could go through a severe trial and see that the purpose of that trial was that that were not to trust in ourselves. I mean, Paul saw that and was able to rejoice in that and thank God for that.

He saw the purpose of the severe trial that he wouldn't trust in himself. I think many times we, you know, it may take years for us to see that. And maybe never sometimes, it seems like. Some things, even in believer's life, are so intense that they never see that God had a purpose in that, or they never can see, and they never know either.

So this is wonderful that Paul went through that very difficult trial was able to give God the glory and the thanks for that. Any other thoughts or questions? I found this an incredible passage. There's a lot more you could do. I felt that when you go through the Scripture and you get through it and you think, wow, but there's more. You can go down and examine the trials that Paul had across all his entire ministry and see some insight there. There's a lot you could do. Okay. Let's have a closing word of prayer then.

Dear Father, we thank you so much, Lord. We thank you that you're faithful, Lord, that you know the end from the beginning, Father. We're thankful that you, in Paul's life, showed him that he was not to trust himself, Lord, and you were able to use a trial that was severe. And Lord, we thank you that you have a purpose in every trial and suffering, Lord, and that your comfort Your consolation is always there in every situation, Father. We can share that with other believers, and they can see that our trials can be for their benefit, Father. We thank You for that. In Christ's name, Amen.