If Apostle Paul was a coward in his youth, the power of God overcame his cowardice as a servant of God. Paul did not show ignoble fear in the face of troubles, hardships, and distress. (4b) God enabled Paul to have great endurance.
Three troubles Paul lists that he endured are beatings, imprisonments, and riots. (5a) Only a few months earlier, while in Ephesus, a riot broke out due to a silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of the idol Artemis. Demetrius was losing money because people were renouncing paganism and becoming Christians. Paul was forced to leave the city he had made his home for several years. (Acts 19:1-20:1. See also Acts 16:22 for beatings.)
Three hardships Paul lists here are hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. (5b) Paul was a layman missionary. (Acts 18:1-4) His often forced travels caused him to sleep in the wilderness, which left him sleepless and hungry. (Acts 16:6-12, 17:10, 14-15)
Apostle Paul does not detail the distress he endured. The Greek noun Paul used for distress describes the emotional and spiritual anguish of being trapped by oppressive circumstances with no room to move or escape, resulting in feelings of severe distress or calamity. Rather than stating the distresses he endured due to the troubles and hardships, Paul states the opposing forces God gave him to combat the distress. Verse 6 states some of the gifts of the Holy Spirit: purity, understanding, patience, kindness, and love. (John 14:26, 15:26; Galatians 5:22-23)
God does not raise cowards who watch as others propagate hate, subvert the truth, and deceive people into believing lies, as some were doing in Corinth. God does not abandon his children to troubles, hardships, and distresses without means to overcome. To many who proclaim the name among those they trust, are quiet and cower among those they do not know.
