He came over to us, took Paul’s belt, and tied his own hands and feet with it. Then he said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘This is how the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the owner of this belt. They will hand him over to the Gentiles.’ ”
There they strengthened the disciples, encouraging them to remain faithful to what they’d been taught. “We have to go through many hard times to enter the kingdom of God,” they explained.
“I’ve told you these things so that you can have peace because of me. In this world you’re going to have trouble. But be encouraged! I’ve already defeated the world.”
But I’m not going to try to save my own life. My only goal is to finish the race and complete the work that the Lord Jesus has given me, to tell others the good news about God’s grace.