Sacrifice integrates seamlessly with serving the Lord. It is not just a by-product of the desire to aggressively share the faith. It is also a badge of honor conveying the depth of commitment to those receiving the message. Not that Paul was a spiritual masochist (that is, one who enjoys suffering in a weird sort of way), but hardships and trials were a means to an end. His life goal was not the elimination of difficulties, but to get the message out even through the difficulties and persecutions.

The book of Acts records much of Paul’s travels and hardship, punctuated by excerpts from his letters (e.g. 2 Cor 1:8-10, 4:7-18, 11:23-33). Persecution began shortly after his conversion, when he began preaching fearlessly in the city of Damascus (Acts 9:23-25) and he was let down from a window in the city wall in a basket in fear of the Jews. In 2 Corinthians 11:33, Paul concluded his litany of difficulties with that very first one, which may have left the most indelible and possibly embarrassing impression on him. At the least it was a foretaste of greater persecution—and he was resolved to never be deterred by it.

During his first mission tour, when he circled through the area called Galatia minor on the northeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, he was confronted with physical persecution when he was dragged out of the city, pelted with rocks and left for dead (Acts 14:19-20). Then in sight of the new believers, he got up and continued his mission in the nearby city of Derbe where he had just previously preached.

It was during his second mission tour, as he was revisiting the churches established on the first tour, that the Holy Spirit redirected him to Macedonia (in particular, Philippi). It was on his way from Galatia to his port of departure at Troas that he bypassed Colosse (he later visited the nearby city of Ephesus on his return trip). Laodicea was also in that area (known more for the letter written to it as recorded in Revelation 3:14). Interestingly, Paul’s letter to the Colossians refers to Laodicea four times, indicating the close relationship of the believers in the two neighboring cities. None of the believers in these two cities had apparently ever met Paul in person, but had most likely come to faith in Christ through those who had met Paul. Though they had not met, Paul still had a sacrificial affection for them, helping them grow through his writings.