Who are the lost people Paul could not stop thinking about?
They were unsaved individuals for whom Christ had already paid their sin debt, for whom His blood had been shed, and whose lives were ready to be ransomed by His resurrection. Paul’s overwhelming burden was that these lost people be saved, not that he seek his own profit.
Les teaches that as you study Paul’s letters, one overriding thought becomes clear: the man could never get lost people off his mind. All Paul could think about were lost people—people for whom Christ had already paid their sin debt, people for whom the blood of Christ had been shed, and people whose lives were ready to be ransomed by virtue of His resurrection from the dead. This fits Paul’s statement that he pleased all in all things, not seeking his own profit but the profit of many, that they may be saved. The context also shows Paul distinguishing between Jew and Gentile, and those Jews and Gentiles who were members of the Body of Christ.