“This man [Saul] is a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel.” Ananias obediently went, laid hands upon Saul and said: “Jesus that appeared to you on the road over which you were coming, has sent me forth, in order that you may recover sight and be filled with holy spirit.” (Acts 9:15, 17) As soon as he recovered sight, he was baptized, starting his association with the Christian congregation in Damascus. Now, as a baptized Christian minister, he immediately got busy in zealously preaching the good news about Jesus, the Son of God, among the Jews.​—Acts 9:20-22.

3, 4. (a) How did Paul evaluate his ministry? (b) In what way did Paul’s attitude differ from that shown by the congregation in Ephesus?

³ This zealous minister is better known as the apostle Paul. He always spoke highly of his ministry and the undeserved kindness that was shown to him. “I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who imparted power to me, because he considered me faithful by assigning me to a ministry, although formerly I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and an insolent man. Nevertheless, I was shown mercy, because I was ignorant and acted with a lack of faith.” (1 Timothy 1:12-14) Yes, he highly esteemed the ministry.​—Romans 11:13; 2 Corinthians 4:7.

⁴ Such expressions on Paul’s part illustrate the evaluation of the ministry that he maintained throughout his career. He did not fall into the condition that at one time existed in the congregation in Ephesus, to whom Jesus said: “I hold this against you, that you have left the love you had at first.” (Revelation 2:4) Rather, Paul kept his goal in front of him and kept up the same zeal and enthusiasm for the ministry that he had in the early days in Damascus.

The Right Mental Attitude

8. (a) After serving long in the ministry, what did Paul say about his goal? (b) How can Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 be true in our case?

⁸ After Paul had served God for decades, could he let up in the pursuit of his goal? He wrote the Philippians: “Brothers, I do not yet consider myself as having laid hold on it; but there is one thing about it: Forgetting the things behind and stretching forward to the things ahead, I am pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14) He had already made a good record in the Christian ministry and endured many things, and it was while he was in prison in Rome that he wrote these words to the Philippians, yet his ministry had not come to an end. If he was to receive the prize that was available to those who served in the first-century Christian congregation, namely “the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus,” then he had to keep on pursuing his goal.

14. How did Paul keep his positive attitude in the face of difficult experiences?

¹⁴ What would we do if we had the personal experiences Paul mentions at 2 Corinthians 11:23-28? Why did Paul not give up? Because he had his goal in mind. We may experience some similar things. Yet we must keep pursuing our goal for the prize God holds out to us. When Paul wrote to the Philippians, he showed his good thinking by mentioning that he was in prison bonds for the defense of the good news. (Philippians 1:7, 16) He understood why he was there. That is important when we come under such a test. Furthermore, we know that Jehovah can use us to give a witness to his praise.

15. (a) Why did the Philippian congregation need encouragement, and what did Paul tell them to build them up? (b) How had the congregation in Rome reacted to Paul’s imprisonment?

¹⁵ The Philippians were having some tests similar to what Paul was having at Rome. He wrote: “For you have the same struggle as you saw in my case and as you now hear about in my case.” (Philippians 1:30) In these circumstances Paul could write encouragingly to them. He said that the good news had become known among the Praetorian Guard. Evidently the Christian message had even penetrated into the very household of the emperor, some there becoming dedicated Christians.

At 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul mentioned his own experience with “a thorn in the flesh,” possibly referring to some difficulty with his eyes. He prayed that it might depart from him, but his request was not granted. Nevertheless, having his goal in mind helped Paul to keep pursuing it despite any physical ailments. Though having weaknesses, he found a way with the help of Christ Jesus.​—2 Corinthians 12:9.

18. How did Paul show good balance regarding material things?

¹⁸ The letter to the Philippians (4:11-13) also made mention of life’s necessities. Experiencing shortages can be a test for the Christian as to whether he is going to give up in pursuing his goal. Or will he take the mature attitude by dealing with the problem and still having a share in the ministry? (Compare Acts 18:1-4.) Whether Paul was low on provisions or had an abundance, his ministry came first. When he had an abundance he did not use the occasion to spend a lot of time seeking pleasures, but he kept pursuing the goal of the prize.

1. What was the relationship between Paul and Timothy?

WHEN the apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy, Paul had been pursuing his goal as a minister of God for some 30 years. He had received many blessings from Jehovah. (2 Timothy 1:2) Paul had chosen Timothy to work in close relationship with him in the traveling work, serving congregations. They enjoyed years of fruitful experiences together.​—Acts 16:1-5.

2. What is the significance of Paul’s words at 2 Timothy 4:6-8?

² Now the time had approached for Paul’s ministry to end. He wrote: “I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the due time for my releasing is imminent. I have fought the fine fight, I have run the course to the finish, I have observed the faith. From this time on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me as a reward in that day, yet not only to me, but also to all those who have loved his manifestation.” (2 Timothy 4:6-8) This implied that Paul’s death was imminent. It is understood that Paul suffered death under Nero’s persecution in 66 C.E. When faced with death, what thoughts would run through Paul’s mind? Perhaps these: Did I perform my service well? Did I complete my ministry successfully? Yes, Paul could express his conviction that he had! His faith was very strong, and he was confident that he would gain the prize of the upward call. What satisfaction he must have had because he never deviated from his assignment!