But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labours, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to fall, and I am not indignant?

I suppose we can say Paul is showing his ‘credentials’ here. How different genuine leadership is from flashy showmanship. It has nothing to do with ‘Rolex’s’ and private jets and the like.

This is what authentic Christian leadership looks like. For sure, not every church leader will suffer as Paul did. His sufferings were extraordinary. But we must be prepared to ‘carry the cross’ – whatever this may look like in our context. It is the only way that resurrection life and power can flow through us.

It is overwhelming to consider what Paul faced and came through. I think that all of us who have known the ”pressure” of care for one church (at a time) will marvel even more when we read verse 28.

I am taken back to the Lord’s Words to Ananias just after Saul’s (Paul’s) conversion:

”This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name” Acts 9:15,16.