By Pieter Vermeulen, ICC Board Member, as part of a series, “Persecuted but not Forsaken.” Few figures in the history of the church embodied the cost of following Jesus as clearly as the apostle Paul. From the moment of his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul’s life became inseparably linked with suffering. When the Lord spoke to Ananias about Paul’s future ministry, he said something remarkable: “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:16) This statement reveals a fundamental aspect of Paul’s calling.