The Fellowship of His Sufferings

Paul was called to the fellowship of Christ's sufferings:

"I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Phil. 3:8, 10, 11, NKJV, emphasis added).

The goal of Paul's sufferings was, that he might know Christ and to attain to the resurrection from the dead. All believers should have similar goal. In order to understand what it takes to have fellowship of Christ's sufferings we must first acknowledge and understand the sufferings of Christ and Paul.

The Sufferings of Christ

The Scripture says God knew before hand, by the mouths of all His prophets, that His Christ should suffer. When Jesus Christ came He would be a suffering savior. He would be a man of sufferings and a man of sorrows:

"He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).

The Gospel says Jesus suffered mentally and physically with anguish. He was rejected, He was distrusted, He was abused, He was mocked and laughed at. He knew what it was to be lonely, hungry, poor, unloved and shamed. He was humiliated and slandered. He was called a liar, a fraud and a false prophet. His own family members misunderstood Him. His most trusted friends lost faith in Him. His own disciples forsook Him and fled when He needed them the most. One of them betrayed Him; one of them denied he knew Him. Finally they spat on Him; they mugged Him and murdered Him!

Someone had aptly said the soul anguish which Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane was equal to that which He suffered on the cross of Calvary! In reality, Christ 'died' in Gethsemane before He ever died on the cross. He, no doubt, was 'nailed' to Gethsemane's ground by prayer burden before the nails of the Roman soldiers hanged Him to the cross!

The Sufferings of Paul

Paul was called by Jesus Himself to suffer. Jesus commanded Ananias to go and lay hand on Paul right after he was converted:

"Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:15, 16, emphasis added).

The ministry of Paul was the ministry of suffering. He was called to suffer for Christ. In comparison with other apostles Paul said:

"Are they ministers of Christ? - I speak as a fool - I am more: 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 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 the churches" (2 Cor. 11:23 - 28, NKJV).

Paul lived his entire life through sufferings - physically and mentally. No man outside of Christ had suffered like him. Yet Paul said, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

The Jews were watching Paul to see whether or not he could stand the tests and trials. They had a philosophy that suffering was a result of God rejecting you. The judgment of God is upon you when you suffer. On the other hand, the blessing of God was determined by prosperity and having a comfortable life. If you are prospering then God loves you. But if you are suffering then God is mad at you. Therefore the Jews assumed that if God was with Paul, he would not be suffering; he would not be thrown in jail or shipwrecked!

Because of this confusion in the Church concening Paul's sufferings, he sent Timothy to the Church in Thessalonica to establish the the faith of the believers with this message:

"..... that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know" (1 Thess. 3:3, 4, emphasis added).

Paul also wrote to the Church in Ephesus:

"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory" (Ephesians 3:13).

Believers are called to suffer

The New Testament Scripture clearly says that all believers are called to suffer and to partake of Christ's sufferings:

"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12, 13, emphasis added).

"But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:20, 21, emphasis added).

We suffer because Christ suffered.

"Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creater" (1 Peter 4:19, emphasis added).

To suffer as a Christian for doing good, is the will of God, but to suffer as "a murderer, a thief, an evildoer ..." (1 Peter 4:15), is not the will of God.

"All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12, emphasis).

The word 'all' means no exception. The reverse is also true - all who do not suffer persecution are not living a godly Christian life. They are compromising believers who are not the doers of His Word, but hearers only (James 1:23). They gospel message is painless!

Jesus Himself said that in the last days there will be tribulation and sufferings for God's people:

"In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake" (Matt. 24:9, emphasis added).

Notice the word 'all' again. All nations, including Christian nations, will hate you because you are a believer and a disciple of Christ!

The primary purpose of sufferings for the Church

Our God is a God of all comfort for He sees what is coming ahead for the Church - sufferings and tribulation. He reveals to His Church that the primary purpose of sufferings is to produce comforters to the Body of Christ. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter but He desires His children to be comforters too, so that they may comfort and encourage one another in the midst of sufferings:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation" (2 Cor. 1:3 - 7).

The above passaged of Scripture is rather length, but we can learn from Paul's ministry of sufferings and comfort. Paul and Timothy wrote to the Corinthian Church regarding the need of comfort and consolation for the believers. Paul was essentially saying that he and Timothy were examplses for their sufferings. What some of them had been through was not just to train them, and not just for their own good only, but also for the good of others. Whether they were afflicted or comforted it was for their consolation and salvation.

Enter the Kingdom of God through tribulation and sufferings

Paul said, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

Jesus, in explaining the parable of the Sower to His disciples, said:

"He who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately recieves it wih joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles" (Matt. 13:20, 21).

It is true that salvation and entering the Kingdom of God is a walk. But, it is a walk of endurance through tribulation and sufferings. Paul rejoiced in tribulation because of the hope of salvation:

".... and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:2, 3, 4).

Many Christians have been destroyed by sufferings and tribulation because of the lack endurance and perseverance; they have been blown away by it; they just give up because they do not understand it. They just quit on the Lord and say it does not work for them!

Concerning the chastening of the Lord, the writer of Hebrews said:

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11, emphasis added).

The fruit of righteousness is not sufferings but sufferings understood!

Deliverance from sufferings and trouble

The psalmist said, "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted" (Ps. 77:2).

By seeking the Lord the psalmist turned away from self dependency to total dependency on the Lord Jesus Christ.

David said, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:17, 18).

Here is the climax of this message:

Paul revealed the secret of life through sufferings:

"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is working in us, but life in you" (2 Cor. 4:11, 12).

All deliverance comes through death; death to self will, self ambition and self life - bring all these to the Calvary to be crucified with Christ! All true deliverance comes throuh the "Gethsemane experience".

The whole purpose of suffering is that we may bring forth life to ourselves and to others. Every time we testify concerning our suffering for Christ's sake, to somebody, life comes out of us! Thank God for sufferings and tribulations!