Ephesians 3 What Did Paul Suffer For?

Jonathan Newlon

Uniontown Church of Christ

15 May 2020

What did Paul suffer for?

Introduction

In Ephesians 3, Paul mentions his suffering for the Lord, but more importantly, why he was willing to undergo that suffering. He was suffering for the sake of the Gospel. Over his ministry, he was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually killed. Paul was hated for the Gospel of Jesus, but he counted it worthy of suffering for. When we read our scripture this morning, notice also that Paul says that he is suffering for us. That means he counted it necessary and worthy to risk suffering greatly so that we might hear the Gospel and be saved. The question is, do we see the Gospel message as being of such importance? Are we willing to suffer as Paul did. Let’s read Ephesians 3:13-21 and see what Paul had to say.

I. Paul suffered selflessly for others.

I have known folks over the years that have suffered for various reasons. Sometimes the suffering of people I’ve known has been from their own doing. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen suffer breathing problems from smoking or have rotted away their brains from drug use. Sometimes people suffer due to outside forces they can’t control. Perhaps they’ve lost a member of their family. Perhaps they’ve suffered loss in a natural disaster such as a tornado. Perhaps they were physically harmed by someone else and suffered permanent injury. There are many reasons as to why people suffer.

Paul suffered very differently than most people I’ve known. Sure, he incurred pain and emotional scarring, but the reason he suffered is quite different from most. You see, Paul suffered selflessly. He didn’t suffer because of something that he did mistakenly or from giving in to bad vices over the years. He didn’t suffer because of an outside force. Paul suffered in order to share the Gospel, strengthen the Church, grow Christians, and for the sake of the Lord’s Kingdom.

Let’s take a look at the suffering that Paul actually endured. In 2 Corinthians, Paul details the suffering that he underwent in order to share the Gospel. We’ve all had bad times, but it seems to me as though Paul had more than most. In 2 Corinthians 11:24-29 Paul wrote, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?”

That’s quite the list. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had to suffer nearly what Paul did. I’ve never been whipped. I’ve never been beaten with a rod in the way that the Romans would. This was way beyond what any of us who’ve been switched have ever dealt with. I’ve never been stoned, shipwrecked, without food or water, or threatened by nature or my own countrymen. Not only did Paul undergo all this, but in the end, he was killed for the faith as a martyr. Church tradition holds that he was decapitated for the faith in the city of Rome at the hands of the Roman government. Needless to say, Paul suffered in a way that is hard for any of us to imagine.

With that being said, Paul didn’t complain about the way he suffered. In scripture, he always refers to the fact that he rejoiced at being counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus. Paul understood that he did not suffer needlessly for the Lord, but rather, that suffering can have a positive purpose both for us and others. Suffering is not always without purpose. Like Paul promises in Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

Paul really shows what suffering can do for us in Romans 5:3-5. Paul wrote, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Look at the formula that Paul gives us here. Suffering leads to endurance. Endurance leads to good Character. Good character produces hope that will not fail us. This is incredible optimism in the face of suffering. Why was Paul able to face the suffering with so much joy? Because he trusted in the Lord.