Suffering, as depicted in the New Testament, often describes the painful experiences believers endure due to their faith, encompassing rejection, opposition, abuse, neglect, hunger, thirst, and deprivation. Paul speaks of being hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, as well as enduring beatings, imprisonments, stonings, shipwrecks, and countless perils, along with weariness, sleeplessness, cold, and nakedness. In Colossians 1:24, Paul rejoices in his sufferings for the sake of Christ's body, the church, expressing that he fills up in his flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ. He emphasizes that suffering brings fellowship with others who endure similar trials, creating a powerful bond. Paul suffered the loss of all things to know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, believing that sharing in similar afflictions throughout his Christian life of service allowed him to know Christ more deeply. Even ordinary suffering, not directly tied to faith, offers an opportunity to fellowship with Christ, who experienced human life and its trials, helping us to relate our sufferings to His and gain a clearer picture of our Savior.

Paul also says that we even rejoice in tribulation in the middle of it, whatever is going wrong. The word rejoice is used by Paul to characterize our hope for participating in the glory that will be revealed in the future. Rejoice also carries over to another area different in nature and time, namely that of sufferings. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into His grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Peace with God does not necessarily bring peace with other human beings. The conditions of our lives amid an antagonistic society are not easy or pleasant. Still, the knowledge of acceptance of God and His grace being constantly supplied and the prospect of future glory enables us to rejoice while suffering. The word sufferings is often rendered tribulations as in verse 3, and the word tribulation is used to emphasize the element of pressure. Not just the suffering aspect physically, but the mental pressure and distress. And as a result, the usual implication of the word is external suffering, such as persecution. Still, it is sometimes used for distress because external events affect our internal attitudes and emotions. In Philippians 3:8 and 10, as well as other places, Paul emphasizes that our sufferings are the extension of the sufferings experienced by Christ in the days of His flesh, and it is right for us to experience suffering because we now make up His Body. And as unified individuals in the church, we form the Body of Christ and share in His sufferings. We can enjoy rejoice in and by our suffering, showing our love and loyalty to our Savior. The apostle Peter realizes that joy is often mingled with grief. Sufferings are God's will for us to purify our faith, and such faith has a great reward because at the return of Jesus Christ, honor and praise will belong to Jesus Christ and us. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your souls.

The apostles were beaten and released and went away in joy, not defeated. They counted it a privilege to suffer for Christ. They were strengthened so that the ministry of the church continued daily in public and in private homes, preaching the gospel and teaching God's way of life. Jesus had told them to expect persecution and had instructed them to rejoice in it. The opposition of men meant the approval of God and it was a privilege to suffer in His name. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. The purpose of life is to glorify God by the building of character through truth no matter what it takes. The Sanhedrin thought that it had won a great victory when actually the council had experienced a crushing defeat. No doubt they congratulated each other for doing such a good job of defending the faith, but it was the apostles who were the winners because they grew in godliness as they yielded to God's will and suffered for their Master. Neither the threats nor the beatings stopped them from witnessing for Jesus Christ. If anything this persecution only made them trust God all the more and seek greater power in their ministry. True believers are not quitters. The apostles had a commission to fulfill and they intended to continue as long as God enabled them. The apostle's ministry went on without ceasing, the authorities had told them to stop witnessing, but they went ahead and witnessed all the more. Their motive was not defiance to the law, but rather obedience to God. It was not something they turned on and off depending on the situation, they were always working at it and kept going at it as long as God gave them the opportunities and empowered them. The witness of the church included both teaching and preaching and that is a good balance. Down through the ages being a Christian has been branded by many to be a disgrace. One reason is that it requires duties: prayers, praise, seriousness, and benevolence. All of these things the people of the world view as degrading and menial and so they connect those who practice with disgrace. A short list of disgrace for Christians includes: loss of property; loss of reputation; shame of public punishment; terrors of prison, the stake, and the rack. One main design of persecution was to select a kind of punishment so disgraceful as to deter others from professing Christianity. Disgrace may subject one to the ridicule of friends and family. We hear our opinions abused, our names vilified, our Bible falsified, and as if that is not enough, the name of our God is profaned and our Redeemer blasphemed. Our feelings are shamelessly and rudely torn by cutting sarcasm or bitter sneer. Books and songs revile us, comedians/actors encourage indecent laughter in the stage, in this way we are subjected to shame for the name of Jesus Christ. But we must not be ashamed of Christ because He said, if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us. So we can stand with the righteous pride that comes from Jesus Christ as to what we have been given. Everyone who is called to be a Christian must remember that this is part of our inheritance and we should not think of it as dishonorable to be treated as Jesus Christ was before us. We have the assurance of God's grace exactly as the apostle Paul was promised regarding his major trial. Paul prayed that his thorn might be taken away from him, but God answered that prayer, as He answers so many prayers, by not taking the thing away, but rather He gave Paul the strength to bear it. That is how God works, He does not spare us things, but makes us able to conquer them. The more we are persecuted, the more trials we go through, the more challenges we have, the stronger we become. That is the way we must look at these things. To Paul and all the disciples of Christ come the promise and the reality of the all sufficient grace. This is true for us as well because we are His disciples.