E.p.i.c. Word Of Truth

The Apostle Paul, the most influential missionary in church history, a man of unwavering faith and perseverance, openly confesses here that he was "pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." This is not a casual statement. The Greek word for despaired (ἐξαπορέομαι, exaporeō) means to be utterly without a way out, completely at a loss, to feel trapped with no escape. This is deep affliction. This is the kind of suffering that pushes a person to the very brink. This is the kind of affliction that pushes a person to the edge where life itself feels like it is slipping away. This is the inspired Word of God - Paul is not exaggerating here. He is describing a moment in which he and his companions believed they were going to die. And yet, what do we see in this passage? That God had a purpose even in this depth of suffering—to strip Paul of all self-reliance and teach him to trust only in "God which raiseth the dead” (v.9). This passage is not just about suffering; it is abo