Paul's Faith, Trials and Victory!

The Bible is very expressive in its writings especially on patriarch and saints of old concerning their faith in God both in the old and New Testament. From Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Jeremiah, Ezekiel in the Old Testament, and Peter, John and Paul in the New Testament. These believers express their faith in God on various capacity and scenarios. However, this writing, will consider Paul the Apostle and his extraordinary life of Faith in Trials and his eventual Victory.

Perhaps there is no one who knew how to live the victorious life better than the Apostle Paul. He was a man of great faith and strength with God, but he endured circumstances that were almost unbelievable. He wrote of his ordeals in the ministry: "...in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness-- besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

Despite his tribulations, Paul didn't lose sight of his victory. He wrote, "We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed" (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Paul's life and ministry were filled with tremendous hardship, but his attitude remained confident and resisted defeat. "...But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:57).