Paul’s Fear and Trembling
Paul reminds the Corinthians of his coming to them, saying, ‘I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.’ He was certainly in great bodily weakness, having been violently treated previously. But what does he mean when he says he was in fear and in much trembling?
Was he frightened of coming alone to the sophisticated city of Corinth, bringing what to them might seem a ridiculous message, that they were all sinners, alienated from God? Was he trembling at the thought that he could be seized at any time? Was it opposition, crowds, and heckling that he was afraid of?
Acts 18.9 tells us that it was none of these things, recording how the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision soon after he arrived in Corinth, saying, ‘Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.’
Paul had received a magnificent assurance of success in his mission and he firmly believed that assurance. So his fear and trembling was not produced by any outward threat.
Paul’s great fear was due to the responsibilty which lay upon him. His whole frame seemed to say that the work was above his capacity.
The task of bringing people to conviction of sin, and seeing their need of Christ, caused him to pray, ‘Lord, how can I bring this about? How can I do it?’ He was afraid for their souls, thinking, ‘Shall I come to Corinth, labour to preach, and then go my way leaving people under the judgement of God for rejecting these things?
Lord, be thou present in mercy; help me, and work in their hearts by irresistible power. Deliver me from mistakes, and own thy Word.’ Paul was not a self-sufficient preacher.
Most preachers are accustomed to preaching, and even if they are fearful of standing before crowds in their early days, they get over that. They are not generally afraid of confronting people. But the earnest preacher is always afraid in the way that Paul was. As a preacher he knows he is not sufficient for the task.
There are souls, eternal souls, before him, and he needs the help of the Spirit to make the Gospel plain. He must do justice to the message, and lift up Christ, but only the Spirit can move the heart.
The preacher says to himself, ‘If only I could make him real to people, and his dying love, and his heart to redeem, so that the Spirit may use the message!’
What a task! When the day comes that the preacher is not anxious, fearful, and apprehensive about souls, and about affecting people, he has surely lost his sincerity and usefulness to God. He has become, even in precious work, little more than a showman.
Paul reminds the Corinthians of his coming to them, saying, ‘I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.’ He was certainly in great bodily weakness, having been violently treated previously. But what does he mean when he says he was in fear and in much trembling?
Was he frightened of coming alone to the sophisticated city of Corinth, bringing what to them might seem a ridiculous message, that they were all sinners, alienated from God? Was he trembling at the thought that he could be seized at any time? Was it opposition, crowds, and heckling that he was afraid of?
Acts 18.9 tells us that it was none of these things, recording how the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision soon after he arrived in Corinth, saying, ‘Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city.’
Paul had received a magnificent assurance of success in his mission and he firmly believed that assurance. So his fear and trembling was not produced by any outward threat.
Paul’s great fear was due to the responsibilty which lay upon him. His whole frame seemed to say that the work was above his capacity.
The task of bringing people to conviction of sin, and seeing their need of Christ, caused him to pray, ‘Lord, how can I bring this about? How can I do it?’ He was afraid for their souls, thinking, ‘Shall I come to Corinth, labour to preach, and then go my way leaving people under the judgement of God for rejecting these things?
Lord, be thou present in mercy; help me, and work in their hearts by irresistible power. Deliver me from mistakes, and own thy Word.’ Paul was not a self-sufficient preacher.
Most preachers are accustomed to preaching, and even if they are fearful of standing before crowds in their early days, they get over that. They are not generally afraid of confronting people. But the earnest preacher is always afraid in the way that Paul was. As a preacher he knows he is not sufficient for the task.
There are souls, eternal souls, before him, and he needs the help of the Spirit to make the Gospel plain. He must do justice to the message, and lift up Christ, but only the Spirit can move the heart.
The preacher says to himself, ‘If only I could make him real to people, and his dying love, and his heart to redeem, so that the Spirit may use the message!’
What a task! When the day comes that the preacher is not anxious, fearful, and apprehensive about souls, and about affecting people, he has surely lost his sincerity and usefulness to God. He has become, even in precious work, little more than a showman.
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