Note 8 at 2 Cor. 6:5: Many of God's servants were imprisoned for their faith. Some that are mentioned in scripture are: Joseph (Gen. 39:20), Micaiah (1 Ki. 22:27; 2 Chr. 18:26), Jeremiah (Jer. 32:2-3; 33:1; 37:15), John the Baptist (Mt. 4:12; 14:3; Mk. 1:14; 6:17; Lk. 3:20), Peter and John (Acts 4:3; 12:3-4), Paul and Silas (Acts 16:23), the apostles (Acts 5:18), and various unnamed believers (Mt. 25:36; Acts 8:3; 22:4, 19; 26:10; Heb. 11:36; Rev. 2:10).

Paul said of his imprisonment that he was an ambassador in bonds (Eph. 6:20), that his bonds were in Christ (Phil. 1:13), it was for the defense of the gospel (Phil. 1:17), for speaking the mystery of Christ (Col. 4:3), and to remember his bonds (Col. 4:18).

In Paul's day, having a prison record for the cause of Christ was a sure sign of a minister of the gospel. Those who wanted to be ministers had to love the prison ministry (see ref. h).

Note 9 at 2 Cor. 6:5: A tumult is "the commotion, disturbance, or agitation of a multitude" (Webster). "Tumults" in this verse, is translated in various translations by the phrases "in riots"(The Twentieth Century New Testament [TCNT]), "faced angry mobs"(LB), "in the midst of tumult"(Knox), etc.

Examples of tumults that Paul was involved in can be found in the following verses: "But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas..." (Acts 13:50); "And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead." (Acts 14:19); "And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silias, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers..." (Acts 16:19); "And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre." (Acts 19:29); "And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut" (Acts 21:30).

Some other tumults described in scripture are: when Moses saw the people running wild (Ex. 32:25 NIV), when Ahimaaz said, I saw a great tumult (2 Sam. 18:29), the tumult in the Philistine camp (1 Sam. 14:19), a tumult at a funeral (Mt. 9:23), a possible uproar over Jesus' crucifixion (Mt. 26:5), and a tumult in the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 12:20).

Note 10 at 2 Cor. 6:5: The Greek word that Paul uses here for "labours" is "kopos," and literally means a "beating" and the "weariness" that it causes, as well as the "exertion" of manual work that brings on physical tiredness (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament [TDNT]). Paul often uses this word to describe the labour of his own ministry (1 Cor. 3:8; 15:58; 2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23, 27; 1 Th. 2:9; 3:5), the work and labour of his own hands (2 Th. 3:8), as well as the scars he received from beatings, which he referred to as the marks of the Lord Jesus (Gal. 6:17).

Note 11 at 2 Cor. 6:5: The Greek word that Paul is used here for "watchings" is "agrupnia," and carries the idea of "sleeplessness," i.e. not being able to sleep regularly because of various circumstances. Paul gives one such example in 2 Thessalonians 3:8 when he states, "Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you."

Note 12 at 2 Cor. 6:5: There are several Hebrew and Greek words for "fast" and "fasting" that are used in scripture. The literal meanings of these words carry the idea of "covering one's mouth and abstaining from food" (see note 1 at Mt. 4:2, p. 75). A common expression for fasting in the Old Testament was the "humbling or afflicting of one's soul" (Lev. 16:29-31; 1 Ki. 21:29).

"The Hebrews. . .were in the habit of fasting whenever they were in hard and trying circumstances (1 Sam. 1:7), misfortune, and bereavement (1 Sam. 20:34; 31:13; 2 Sam. 1:12), in the prospect of threatened judgments of God (2 Sam. 12:16; 1 Ki. 21:27), on occasions of falling into grievous sin (Ezra 10:6), or to avert heavy calamity (Esth. 4:1)" [Unger's Bible Dictionary (UBD)].

The fasting that Paul is speaking about in this verse may be a deliberate fast for spiritual purposes, or it may be referring to hunger experienced under trying circumstances (Phil. 4:12-13).