Eight times, in a single verse!
The word is “perils,” in Greek “kindunos.”
It means “dangers.”
And outside this verse today, 2nd Corinthians 11:26, it is only found one other place in all the Bible. And Paul was the penman in that verse as well! Romans 8:35, which asks: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or PERIL, or sword?”
Then Paul answers his own question. “As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Romans 8:36-37, quoting Psalm 44:22, actually the two clauses immediately following the formula “as it is written.”
Paul lived a life of peril, because he loved Jesus and preached the Word of God!
And, even more significantly, Paul believed we would lead such lives too!
In 2nd Timothy 3:12 he boldly asserted: “Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
Wow!
Now, to today’s specific verse: “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.” 2nd Corinthians 11:26
Here it is again, with the word “perils” capitalized. “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.”
The noun being emphasized is, again, “kindunos.” And its history, its derivation, its etymology is “uncertain.” Most (Greek) lexicons and dictionaries say.
One textbook says of “kindunos” … “a condition of threatening circumstances.”
Another thinks: “a risk, a hazard, a danger.”
Then a third: “a state of dangerous and threatening circumstances.”
Paul suffered all these things (another Lesson coming tomorrow about the specific “dangers” involved here) for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord!
He had enumerated (catalogued) them in his mind and heart!
He later wrote to the Galatian Christians: “From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.” Galatians 6:17, with “marks” being the Greek noun “stigma,” Read this, copied from a reputable dictionary: “Stigma: a mark pricked in or branded upon the body. To ancient oriental usage, slaves and soldiers bore the name or the stamp of their master or commander branded or pricked (cut) into their bodies to indicate what master or general they belonged to, and there were even some devotee’s who stamped themselves in this way with the token of their gods.”
Amazing!
Sounds like Paul (in one sense) may have nearly “volunteered” for such perils then! He certainly did not “run” from them! He used them as a “badge” of authenticity to his Christian life, his commitment to Jesus.
One more thing today, in each case “kindunos” occurs (all 8 of them) in 2nd Corinthians 11:26 … it is framed in the “dative” case. This nuance of any Greek noun indicates a “to” or “for” set of circumstances. The “robbers” and “Jews” and “Gentiles” involved were deliberately trying to “hurt” Paul The “perils” were directed at him … actually “to” (“toward”)him or “for” him indeed!
What malice!
And Paul stayed in their “danger zones” in order to preach the word of God!
What a “hero” he is!
A perilous life, sacrificed for Jesus ….
This is a quality of Christianity is not often seen in America, not lately.
Jesus, He is Worthy!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell