Note 17 at 2Co 11:27: Of all the afflictions Paul listed here, there is a noticeable absence of things like sickness and poverty. This is very different than the way some people today include sickness and poverty as a godly type of suffering. Paul did not share that theology.

Some people may try to take Paul's statements in this verse about weariness and painfulness, hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness to preach that he was speaking of sickness and poverty, but that cannot be proven from this passage. The beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, and other things that Paul mentioned here would certainly have produced weariness and painfulness without any sickness being involved. Anyone who traveled as Paul did would also have encountered hunger, thirst, cold, and nakedness without being poor. A momentary need does not make one poor.

Everything else that Paul listed here is some form of persecution. Even those who believe sickness and poverty come from God do not believe they are persecution. Therefore, it would be totally out of character with the other things listed to interpret these things as referring to sickness and disease.

Note 18 at 2Co 11:27: The Greek word that was translated "watchings" in this verse is "AGRUPNIA." AGRUPNIA is only used one other time in Scripture, and it happens to be in this same letter (2Co 6:5). This word only has one meaning: "sleeplessness" (Strong's Concordance). Therefore, "watchings" must be referring to times when Paul was so intent on seeking the Lord that sleep fled from him. This happened to many people in Scripture including Jacob (Ge 32:24-32), Darius (Da 6:18), Jesus (see note 1 at Lu 6:12), and the believers who prayed for Peter (Ac 12:5). Other scriptures that mention "watching" are Lu 12:37 and Eph 6:18.