There are things that sometimes come because of a negative reaction to the Gospel that is preached, such as beatings or imprisonment. The apostle Paul certainly knew about those things. Later in 2 Corinthians Paul says he had received the thirty-nine lashes five times in his life. People sometimes died from that kind of a beating. He talks about imprisonments, a number of which we read about in Acts. He also talks about riots. We know of at least nine riots that were caused by the apostle Paul’s preaching. Virtually everywhere he went he stirred up that kind of opposition. He mentions the hard work, sleepless nights, and even hunger.
How did Paul commend himself in that kind of circumstance? Well, I suppose it would have been possible for him to have done it but to have complained along the way. He might have said, “Well, this is what the Lord has given me to do, but it certainly is hard. And I certainly do feel miserable.” None of us would have said at that point, “Paul, you’re not bearing a very good witness.” We would have understood why he would feel so discouraged, and we would have tried to sympathize with him in his great suffering.
But Paul did not do that. If you want an example of the way in which Paul conducted himself, turn to the sixteenth chapter of Acts, where we have Paul for the first time crossing over into Europe and preaching at Philippi, where a riot ensued. Paul and his companion Silas were arrested and severely beaten. They were then taken into the prison, and their feet were placed in stocks. A jailer was put over them to make sure they did not escape. And the jailer was going to keep a careful eye on them because if they got away, the jailer’s life would be required.
What do you find Paul and Silas doing? You find them singing and praising God that He counted them worthy to suffer for His name. While this is going on, outside on the other side of the wall or the gate, you have the jailer listening to all of this. And when God intervened that night to set them free, you find that man falling on his knees before them and asking, “Men, what must I do to be saved” (v. 30). This is how the apostle Paul endured through all the difficulties of his ministry, and this is how we need to act as well in our own calling to bear a faithful witness to Christ.
The second category has to do with Paul’s character. In verse 6 he lists purity, understanding, patience, and kindness, which all flow from the Holy Spirit. People read about Paul and notice that he was an aggressive evangelist. He could be a bit feisty, and maybe even hard to get along with at times. Yet, here was a man who at the same time was characterized by these virtues that come from the Holy Spirit. While it is true that not all these things are formally listed as the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, I think that as Paul put down these items here, he realized that those characteristics are not the kind of things that come out of a man or woman naturally. We are not naturally patient, or kind, or pure. The Holy Spirit does that in people. And perhaps because he is still thinking of the fruit of the Spirit, he mentions “sincere love” as well.
