1 Corinthians 4; 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. 10 We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor 11 To this present hour we are both (hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
The apostle Paul suffers greatly for preaching the cross of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and believes in preaching and learning about in Jesus and Christ crucified. He believes in the power of the gospel, and willing to suffer and endure hardship and be martyred for the sake of the gospel.
Prior to being a follower of Christ he persecuted the church until he met him on Damascus Road. Before he was baptized by Ananias, the Lord shows him that apostle Paul would suffer greatly for sake of gospel. As scriptures states,“ I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Here’s what Paul endured, “many more imprisonments, far worse beatings, near death any times. Five times I received lashes from Jews. Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea. On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers,
dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; or and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing.
Yet, Apostle Paul called it a momentary affliction that would produce an eternal weight of glory. His focus was on was heavenly things not temporal things. As the apostle Paul wrote, “ For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. We do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Jesus spoke these words to the multitudes, Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Apostle Peter wrote these words,” Dear friends, don’t be surprised when the fiery ordeal comes among you to test you as if something unusual were happening to you.”
Eleven of twelve apostles were martyred for of the sake Christ, and the gospel. The apostle John according to history was thrown in vat of oil and survived, and eventuality was exile to an island called Patmos. Eventually, the apostle Paul was beheaded and written in last he’s will testimony, “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
In Fox Book Martyred this account of a blind women. “This poor, honest woman, blind from her birth, and unmarried, aged twenty-two, was of the parish of All hallows, Derby. Her father was a barber, and also made ropes for a living: in which she assisted him, and also learned to knit several articles of apparel. Refusing to communicate with those who maintained doctrines contrary those she had learned in the days of the pious Edward, she was called before Dr. Draicot, the chancellor of Bishop Blaine, and Peter Finch, official of Derby.
With sophistical arguments and threats they endeavored to confound the poor girl; but she proffered to yield to the bishop’s doctrine, if he would answer for her at the Day of Judgment, as pious Dr. Taylor had done in his sermons) that his belief of the real presence of the Sacrament was true. The bishop at first answered that he would; but Dr. Draicot reminding him that he might not in any way answer for a heretic, he withdrew his confirmation of his own tenets; and she replied that if their consciences would not permit them to answer at God’s bar for that truth they wished her to subscribe to, she would answer no more questions. Sentence was then adjudged, and Dr. Draicot appointed to preach her condemned sermon, which took place August 1, 1556, the day of her martyrdom. His fulminating discourse being finished, the poor, sightless object was taken to a place called Windmill Pit, near the town, where she for a time held her brother by the hand, and then prepared herself for the fire, calling upon the pitying multitude to pray with her, and upon Christ to have mercy upon her, until the glorious light of the everlasting Sun of righteousness beamed upon her departed spirit.
Since the Holy Spirit descend on 120 on pentecostal and they proclaim the gospel as apostle Peter declared to the Rulers and Elders these words,“ if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” The leaders and elders threaten them to s, “top preaching the gospel, and they refused declaring these words, for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Later on they were beaten, and rejoice over fact that they were worthy of suffering in Christ name. As scripture states “rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. Over 70 millions were martyred for sake of Jesus Christ for believing in the message of the cross,and proclaiming the gospel.
Maybe the words penned by Apostle Paul, “ we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; (struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you.