Referring to his own experience, Paul showed that in choosing the service of Christ he had not been prompted by selfish motives, for his pathway had been beset by trial and temptation. "We are troubled on every side," he wrote, "yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 331 persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body."

Med hensyn til sine egne erfaringer viste Paulus dem, at han ved at vælge tjenesten for Kristus ikke havde ladet sig lede af selviske motiver; for hans vej havde været omgærdet af trængsler. "På alle måder er vi hårdt trængte," skrev han, "men ikke indestængte, tvivlrådige, men ikke fortvivlede, forfulgte, men ikke forladte, slået til jorden, men ikke slået ihjel. Altid bærer vi Jesu dødslidelse med os på vort legeme, for at også Jesu liv må blive åbenbaret i vort legeme."