Where and how did Paul become so sick that he despaired of life and thought his ministry was over?
After leaving Troas and traveling to Philippi in northern Greece, Paul became deathly sick. There he despaired of life itself and thought his ministry had come to an end. The context attributes this severe affliction to satanic forces pressing upon him.
Les explains that Paul had been under pressure from the persecutors of Ephesus and had gone to Troas hoping to meet Titus. When Titus did not come, Paul had no rest in his spirit and eventually traveled on to Philippi, up in northern Greece. Les teaches it was probably there that Paul became so deathly sick that he despaired of life itself and thought his ministry had come to an end. Les sees all of this as being heaped on the man by satanic forces.