Miraculous Escapes
An angry mob in Iconium tried to stone him along with his friend Barnabas, but they were able to escape to Lystra. Another time, the Jews from Iconium who were chasing Paul and Barnabas were able to turn a murderous mob against them. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, leaving him for dead. But when the disciples gathered around him, Paul was miraculously able to stand and walk back into the city. The next morning Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe.
Time and again, Paul was caught, and time and again, he escaped. He was thrown in prison at Philippi, but in the night God sent an earthquake. The prison doors were opened and Paul’s chains fell off. Later, he was imprisoned in Jerusalem until forty men swore to neither eat nor drink until they saw Paul dead. When the Romans found out, they moved him to Caesarea. He was in jail there for two years, and then sent to Rome to be tried before Caesar. On the way, he survived shipwreck only to be bitten by a deadly, poisonous snake. Paul shook the snake off into the fire, preached the Gospel, and many were saved.
Paul’s Sufferings
In a letter to the church at Corinth, Paul gives a brief account of all of his sufferings: “I have worked harder, been put in jail more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. Five different times the Jews gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.
“I have traveled many weary miles. I have faced danger from flooded rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the stormy seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be Christians and are not. I have lived with weariness and pain and sleepless nights. Often I have been hungry and thirsty and have gone without food. Often I have shivered with cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm” 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 NLT.
Arrival in Rome
Paul survived all this and finally reached Rome around 55 AD. There, he was put under house arrest until his trial before Caesar. Most ancient writers agree that, although nearly all his friends left him, he defended himself before Caesar so cleverly that he was set free for a time. After more missionary journeys, he was again arrested, and by this time being a follower of Jesus carried the death penalty…
To be continued…
Date: 16th September 2023
Martyr: Saul of Tarsus
Location: Roman Empire, 35. AD
Source: Jesus Freaks
Author: DC Talk and The Voice of Martyrs
Suffering Saturday 056
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