BIBLICAL RESPONSE FOR BELIEVERS WHO SUFFER

INTRODUCTION

II Corinthians 6:1-4a

“We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.  For He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.  Giving no offence in anything, that the ministry be not blamed: But in all things approving ourselves as the servants of God”.

BELIEVERS’ SUFFERINGS

II Corinthians 6:4b-5a

“In much patience” polus polos great, sore, much; hupormone hopeful endurance, patiently waiting, waiting with joy.

“In afflictions” thlipsis pressure, persecution, hopeful endurance, tribulation, waiting cheerfully, afflictions.

“In necessities”anagke constraint, distress, needful.

“In distresses” stenochoria narrowness of room, calamity, anguish, distress.

“In stripes” plege a stroke, wound, stripe.

“In imprisonments” phulake a guarding, hold, cage, ward, watch.

“In tumults” akatastasia disorder, commotion, confusion.

“In labors” kopos toil, pain, trouble, weariness.

ADDITIONAL SUFFERINGS

II Corinthians 11:23-28

“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more;”

“In labors more abundant” kopos toil, weariness; perissoteros much more, exceeding;

“In stripes above measure” pledge a stroke, wound, stripe; huperbauontos excessively.

“In prisons more frequent” phulake guarded, cage, hold, ward, watch; perissoteros more abundant, exceedingly, much more.

“In deaths oft” thantos death; pollakis many times, frequently, often. 

“Of the Jews Ioudaios of Judah I received lambano to take five times pentakis five received I lambano to take forty stripes tessarnonta forty; para near save one mia one. ” 

“Thrice tris three was I beaten with rods” rhabdizo to strike with rods, beaten with.

“Once was I stoned” hapax once; lithazo stone,

“Thrice I suffered shipwreck” tris three; nauageo suffer, stranded, shipwreck,

“A night and a day nuchthemeron night and day, full day, 24 hours I

have been in the deep” buthos depth of sea, deep;

“In journeyings often” hodoiporia travels; pollakis many times, often.

“In perils of waters” kinduos danger; potamos floods,

“In perils of robbers” kinduos danger; lestes thief, plunder,

“In perils by mine own countrymen” kinduos danger; genos kin, kindred, nation, people,

“In perils by the heathen” kinduos danger; ethnos race, foreigner, non-Jew,

“In perils in the city” kinduos danger; polis town with walls, city,

“In perils in the wilderness” kinduos danger; eremia desert,

“In perils in the sea” kinduos danger; thalassa sea,

“In perils among false brethren” kinduos danger; pseudadelphos false brother, pretending brethren;

“In weariness” kopos toil, reduced strength,

“And painfulness” mochthos sadness, travail,

 “In watchings often” agrupnia sleeplessness, keeping awake; pollakis many times, frequently,

“In hunger and thirst” limos destitute, scarcity of food, famine, dearth,

“In fastings often” nesteia abstinence, lack of food, fast; pollakis many times, frequently,

 “In cold and nakedness” psuchos cold; gumnotes nudity. 

“Beside these those things that are without” choris separately, apart; parektos near outside,

“That which cometh upon me daily episustasis conspiracy, riotous; hemera day by day, the care of all the churches” merimna drawn in different directions; ekklesia called out ones to be gathered. 

“Who is weak astheneo to be feeble, impotent, sick, and I am not weak?” astheneo same as above.

“Who is offended akandalizo entrap, trip up, stumble, displeasure, and I burn not?” puro to kindle, ignite, tried, be refined. 

BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO SUFFERINGS

II Corinthians 6:5b-10

Watch

“In watchings” agupnia sleeplessness, watch, keeping awake.

Fast

“In fastings” nesteid abstinence, lake of food, fast;

Purity

“By pureness” hagnotes cleanness, blameless, pure.

Kindness

“By kindness”  chrestotes usefulness, gentleness, good, goodness.

Holy Spirit

“By the Holy Spirit” hagios holy, sacred, pure, blameless, consecrated; pneuma Holy Spirit, breath, life, Spirit; aynupokritos without hypocrisy.

Love

“By love unfeigned” agape affection, dear, God kind of love; anupokritos without hypocrisy;

Word

“By the word of truth” logos communication, computation, utterance; aletheia true, actual, true to fact, truthful.

Power

“By the power of God” dunamis miraculous, force, miracle, abundance, might, mighty, wonderful work; Theos Deity, Supreme Divinity, Exceeding God.

Armor

“By the armor of righteousness hoplon instrument, offensive weapon for war; dikaiosune holiness, just, quality of being right, truthfulness in character, on the right hand dexios right side and on the left,” aristeror left side.

Honor

“By honor” doxa glory as being very apparent, magnify, dignity, have glory, praise worthy, keeps to the word and “dishonor ” atimia infamy, indignity, disgrace, despised, shame, vile.

Good Report

“By evil report” dusphemia defamation, bad, hurtful, mischief, trouble, wrong, slander, defaming; “and good report” euphemia good language, praise report.

True

“As deceivers” planos roving as a tramp, imposter, seducing, “and yet true” alethes not concealing, truthful, truth;”

Well Known

“As unknown” agneo not know, not understand, and “yet well known” epiginosko recognize, fully acquainted, to acknowledge, know, perceive.

Life

“As dying” apothnesko die, to die off, be dead, death, slain, “and, behold” idou lo, see, behold; “we live” zao to live, life.

Chastened

“As chastened” paideuo to train up a child, educate, discipline, punish, instruct, teach; “and not killed” me negative, not; thanatoo kill, put to death.

Rejoicing

“As sorrowful” lupeo to distress, be sad, cause grief, grieve, heaviness; “yet always rejoicing;” aei continue duration, ever, regularly, earnestly, always; chairo full of cheer, happy, be glad, joyful, rejoice.

Making Many Rich

“As poor” ptchos beggar, distressed, beggarly; “yet making many

rich;” pluspolos much, abundant plenteous; ploutizo enrich, to make wealthy.

Possessing All Things

“As having nothing” medeis medemia meden none, not even one thing); “and yet possessing all things.” kathecho to hold fast, keep, possess, retain; pas every, whole, all.

CONCLUSION

II Corinthians 11:30-33

“If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities.  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 

In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of Damascus with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.”

II Corinthians 4:15-19

“For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God.  For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for the moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are

temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

II Corinthians 6:14-18

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?  And what communion hath light with darkness?

What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?  For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you.  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”