1:7 ¶ And our hope of you is
stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye
be also of the consolation. 8 For we
would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia,
that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired
even of life: 9 But we had the sentence
of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which
raiseth the dead: 10 Who delivered us
from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet
deliver us; 11 Ye also helping
together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the
means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.
Paul may have alluded to this trouble in Asia, or modern-day
Turkey, in a previous verse.
1Corinthians 15:32 If after the manner of men I have fought with
beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if
the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for to morrow we die.
You can read Acts 19 to see a description of Paul’s work in
Ephesus. Some believe he was imprisoned there for a time.
Paul, during his time of tribulation, was trusting that God was
able to deliver him. We have another incident in the Bible worth mentioning of
how someone trusted that whatever the sentence enacted on them God could
deliver them.
Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have
set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at
what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and
dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have
made; well: but if ye worship
not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace;
and who is that God that shall
deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and
said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are
not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning
fiery furnace, and he will deliver us
out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if
not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor
worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
In verse 11 either he is
referring to prayer as the gift bestowed or we have a hint that he was ransomed
by the efforts of Christians. Here is another hint that this could be the case,
that such prisoners’ liberty could be purchased;
Acts 24:22 ¶ And when Felix heard these things, having more
perfect knowledge of that way,
he deferred them, and said, When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I
will know the uttermost of your matter. 23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and
to let him have liberty, and
that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. 24
And after certain days, when Felix came
with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him
concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And
as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix
trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient
season, I will call for thee. 26 He hoped also that money should
have been given him of Paul, that he might loose him: wherefore he
sent for him the oftener, and communed with him.
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