The love of Christ constrained Paul, and he carried an unfinished calling to bring the gospel to the unreached Gentiles — so he kept going despite every suffering.
Les Feldick points to 2 Corinthians 5:14, where Paul says 'the love of Christ constraineth us.' Paul knew he had been set apart at Damascus to go to the Gentiles, and he knew Christianity was still in its infancy and attacked from every direction. He never threw in the towel; even when he despaired of life, he trusted that the Lord who permitted the affliction would give strength to bring him through it.
2 Corinthians 5:14 — Paul states that the love of Christ constrained him — the motivation Les highlights behind his endurance.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 — Paul describes being troubled, perplexed, and persecuted yet not destroyed, showing the resilience that kept him going.
2 Corinthians 1:8 — Paul reveals that he despaired even of life, a reminder of how severe his suffering was.
Paul's letters record the unrelenting pressure he faced for the gospel. He lists five times he received forty stripes save one, three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three shipwrecks, a night and a day in the deep, perils in journeys, waters, robbers, his own countrymen, heathen, city, wilderness, sea, and among false brethren, plus weariness, painfulness, watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold and nakedness (2 Corinthians 11:24-27). He describes being hungry, thirsty, naked, buffeted, homeless, laboring with his own hands, reviled, persecuted, defamed, and made as the filth of the world (1 Corinthians 4:11-13). Yet Scripture also records his confidence: 'We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed' (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). The Bible's clearest statement of his motivation is 2 Corinthians 5:14: 'For the love of Christ constraineth us.'
Les Feldick teaches that Paul was motivated by the love of Christ. In Les's words, 'the love of Christ is what constrained him, and so he was able to suffer all the privations' listed in 2 Corinthians. Les also explains that Paul had a deep sense of unfinished work: he had been set apart back at Damascus to go to the Gentiles, and he knew Christianity was still in its infancy and attacked from every direction. Paul carried the burden of the unreached millions of the Roman Empire, and that is why he did not quit. Even when he was perplexed and persecuted, he never said, 'I'm throwing in the towels.' Les notes that Paul also had the promise that the Lord who permitted the affliction and pressure was the Lord who had strength to bring him through it.
Paul's catalog in 2 Corinthians 11 includes five times he received the forty stripes save one from the Jews, three times beaten with rods, once stoned, three shipwrecks, a night and a day in the deep, perils of waters, robbers, his own countrymen, heathen, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, and among false brethren. He also endured weariness, painfulness, watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold and nakedness. In 1 Corinthians 4 he describes hunger, thirst, nakedness, buffeting, no certain dwelling place, and laboring with his own hands as a tent maker.
Les says Paul never threw in the towel. Even though he was perplexed and persecuted, he did not quit because he knew he hadn't finished the work and Christianity was still in its infancy. Paul had been set apart at Damascus to go to the Gentile, and he knew that. Les also emphasizes that the love of Christ constrained Paul and enabled him to bear all the privations. On top of that, Paul carried the burden of the unreached millions of the Roman Empire and thought he would have to minister to them.
Les points to 2 Corinthians 1:8 where Paul said he was pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that he despaired even of life. Les explains that Paul did not think he would live to finish his ministry. Yet Les says the early believers had the promise that the Lord who was permitting the affliction and pressure was also the Lord who had the strength to bring them through it. Paul kept on until Rome finally put him to death.
Paul's Catalog of Sufferings for the Gospel
Les walks through Paul's list of Jewish beatings, rod beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, journeys, perils, weariness and more, showing that all of this was for the sake of the gospel.
Paul Never Threw in the Towel
Les explains that Paul was set apart at Damascus to go to the Gentiles, knew his work wasn't finished, and never gave up even when perplexed and persecuted.
Burden of Unreached Millions
Les says Paul carried the burden of the unreached millions of the Roman Empire and suffered all the beatings, shipwrecks, hunger and nakedness for the sake of the gospel.
Constrained by the Love of Christ
Les identifies the love of Christ as what constrained Paul, enabling him to suffer all the privations he lists in 2 Corinthians.
Gave Up Wealth and Worked With His Hands
Les notes Paul gave up his previous wealth and prestige and worked as a tent maker, enduring hunger, thirst, nakedness and homelessness for the gospel.
Suffered Even in Sickness
Les shows Paul suffered not only at enemies' hands but also in areas of sickness, becoming deathly sick after leaving Ephesus.
A Martyr's Death
Les reminds readers that Paul suffered for years and finally died a martyr's death because of his work with the gospel.
Despaired of Life but Given Strength
Les explains that Paul was pressed out of measure and despaired even of life, yet knew the Lord who permitted the affliction would provide strength to bring him through.
2 Corinthians 5:14: For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
This is Paul's clearest statement of the motive that kept him serving through suffering.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9: We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Paul shows the pattern of pressure without collapse that marked his ministry.
2 Corinthians 1:8: For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
This verse reveals that Paul reached the point of despairing for his own life, yet continued.
1 Corinthians 4:11-13: Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
Paul describes day-to-day hardships of hunger, thirst, homelessness and manual labor.
2 Corinthians 11:24-27: Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
This is Paul's own catalog of the physical suffering he endured for the gospel.
Paul is saying that Christ's love was the controlling motive that kept him going. Les Feldick teaches that the love of Christ is what constrained Paul, and that is what enabled him to suffer all the privations he lists in 2 Corinthians.
Les says Paul never said, 'I'm throwing in the towels.' He was perplexed and persecuted, but he never gave up because he knew he hadn't finished the work and Christianity was still being attacked from every direction.
Les explains Paul despaired even of life in Asia, but the early believers had the promise that the Lord who permitted the affliction was also the Lord who had the strength to bring them through it.
Watch the Teaching: Why Does God Wait Until the End to Judge? — 1 Corinthians 4 Explained