2Cor 1:8

“"I die daily," (says he); that is, undoubtedly, in the perils of the body, in which "he even fought with beasts at Ephesus," -even with those beasts which caused him such peril and trouble in Asia, to which he alludes in his second epistle to the same church of Corinth: "For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed above measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life." Now, if I mistake not, he enumerates all these particulars in order that in his unwillingness to have his conflicts in the flesh supposed to be useless, he may induce an unfaltering belief in the resurrection of the flesh.”

“"For we would not, Brethren, have you ignorant concerning our affliction which befell us in Asia." "These things we speak," saith he, "that ye may not be ignorant of what befell us; for we wish, yea have earnestly endeavored, that ye should know our affairs:" which is a very high proof of love. Of this even in the former Epistle he had before given notice, where he said, "For a great door and effectual is opened to me at Ephesus, and there are many adversaries." Putting them then in mind of this, and recounting how much he suffered, he saith, "I would not have you ignorant of our affliction which befell us in Asia." And in his Epistle to the Ephesians too he said the same. For having sent Tychicus to them, he gives this as the reason of his journey: whence he saith, "But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things; whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose, that ye may know our state, and that he may comfort your hearts." And in other Epistles also he doeth the very same. Nor is it superfluous, but even exceedingly necessary: both because of his exceeding affection for the disciples, and because of their continued trials; wherein the knowledge of each other's fortunes was a very great comfort; so that if these were calamitous, they might be prepared both to be energetic and to be safer against falling; or if these were good, they might rejoice with them. He here, however, speaketh as well of being delivered from trials as of being assaulted by them, saying, "We were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power." Like a vessel sinking under some mighty burden. He may seem to have said, only one thing here "exceedingly" and "beyond our power:" it is, however, not one but two; for lest one should object, "What then? granting the peril were exceeding, yet it was not great to you;" he added, it both was great and surpassed our strength, yea, so surpassed it, "That we despaired even of life." That is, we had no longer any expectation of living. What David calleth "the gates of hell, the pangs" and "the shadow of death," this he expresseth by saying, "We endured peril pregnant with certain death."”

“Since he mentioned affliction indefinitely, he now explains what exactly the affliction was. Through this he also shows his love for them, for it is characteristic of love to reveal to others what has happened. At the same time he also presents an explanation for his delay. In Asia, he says, an affliction befell him, about which he also speaks in the first epistle: "for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Cor. 16:9). It would seem that he says one and the same thing when he uses the expressions "exceedingly" and "beyond our strength," but in reality they are not the same. He says the following: the trial was excessive, that is, great; then, since a trial, even being severe, can be courageously endured by one who has the strength to endure it, he says that it was not only great but also exceeded our strength, that is, both great and unbearable, such that we despaired even of life, that is, we no longer hoped even to remain alive. David calls such a state the chains of hell, the pangs of death, because they give birth to death, and the snare of death (Ps. 18:4–6).”

“Then when he says, For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced in Asia, he wins their good will by mentioning certain specific things. And he does three things: first, he describes the persecution he suffered in Asia; secondly, the special comfort he received (v. 10); thirdly, the cause of the comfort. He says first, therefore: it is good for you to know not only what we have said about our afflictions in general, but we do not want you to be ignorant, because it is profitable for you to know them, inasmuch as you are more patient because of our example: we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced; "Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall" (Lam. 3:19). This is the persecution mentioned in Acts (19:23ff), which was launched by a certain Asian silversmith, who incited the people against him. The Apostle describes it from three aspects: from the place, because it was in Asia; hence he says, in Asia, i.e., Ephesus, which is in Asia, where he should rather have been honored and comforted; from its bitterness, because it was an extreme suffering; hence he says, for we were so utterly crushed. Also it was beyond his strength, and so he says, unbearably. But this seems to be contrary to what it says in 1 Corinthians (10:13): "God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength." I answer that to suffer beyond one's strength can be understood in two ways: first, above one's natural strength, which the Apostle means here, above which God sometimes permits his servants to be tempted; secondly, above the strength of grace, which the Apostle means in 1 Corinthians (10:13): "God is faithful." That the Apostle is speaking of natural strength is indicated by what he says next, we despaired of life itself. For it is evident that among all else, life is most desirable. Therefore when a persecution is so great that life itself becomes wearisome, it is obviously above the strength of our nature. And this is what he says, we despaired of life itself, as if to say, this persecution was so cruel that life itself became a burden to us: "I loathe my life" (Jb. 10:1). But against this James (1:2) says: "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials." I answer that affliction can be considered in two ways: either in itself, and then it is wearisome, or in relation to faith, and then it is joyful, inasmuch as it is endured for God and with the hope of eternal life. We were not only weary of life, but we were certain of death; hence, he says, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, i.e., the certainty of death. As if to say: in my opinion I was about to die. Or another way, the sentence of death, i.e., reason itself would say to choose death because of the weariness of life.”