No man ever lived who was a more earnest, energetic, and self-sacrificing disciple of Christ than was Paul. He was one of the world’s greatest teachers. He crossed the seas and traveled far and near, until a large portion of the world had learned from his lips the story of the cross of Christ. He possessed a burning desire to bring perishing man to a knowledge of the truth through a Saviour’s love. His soul was wrapped up in the work of the ministry, and it was with feelings of pain that he withdrew from this work to toil for his own bodily necessities; but he seated himself to the drudgery of the craftsman that he might not be burdensome to the churches that were pressed with poverty. Although he had planted many churches he refused to be supported by them, fearing that his usefulness and success as a minister of the gospel might be interfered with by suspicions of his motives. He would remove all occasion for his enemies to misrepresent him and thus detract from the force of his message. {4T 409.2}

Intet andet menneske, som har levet, var en mere alvorlig, energisk og selvopofrende Kristi discipel end Paulus. Han var en af verdens største ledere. Han krydsede havene og rejste fjern og nær, indtil en stor del af verden havde lært beretningen om Kristi kors fra hans læber. Han havde et brændende ønske om at bringe fortabte mennesker kundskab om sandheden, ved hjælp af en Frelsers kærlighed. Hans sjæl blev pakket ind i tjenestens arbejde og det var med smerte at han holdt sig borte fra dette arbejde, for at slide for sine egne legemlige fornødenheder; men han udsatte sig selv for håndværkerens slid og slæb, så han ikke skulle være menighederne til byrde, som ellers var undertrykt af fattigdom. Selv om han havde plantet mange menigheder, nægtede han at blive underholdt af dem, i frygt for at hans nytte og succes som evangelieforkynder, kunne kollidere med hans motiver. Han ville ikke give sine fjender anledning til at give forkert billede af ham og derved forringe budskabets kraft.