The apostle Paul faced one life-threatening situation after another. (2 Cor. 11:23-28) He also had to endure “a thorn in the flesh,” possibly some sort of health problem. (2 Cor. 12:7) And he had to cope with disappointment when Demas, his onetime fellow worker, abandoned him “because [Demas] loved the present system of things.” (2 Tim. 4:10) Paul was a courageous spirit-anointed Christian who unselfishly helped others, but at times even he felt discouraged. (Rom. 9:1, 2) Paul received the comfort and support he needed. How? Jehovah certainly used His holy spirit to strengthen him. (2 Cor. 4:7; Phil. 4:13) Jehovah also comforted him through fellow Christians. Paul described some of his fellow workers as “a source of great comfort.” (Col. 4:11) Among the ones he mentioned by name were Aristarchus, Tychicus, and Mark. They strengthened Paul, helping him to endure. w20.01 8 ¶2-3

Jesus indicated that it is impossible to explain exactly to someone who has not been anointed how it feels to be “born again,” or to be “born from the spirit.” (John 3:3-8) What change in thinking takes place when Christians are anointed? Before Jehovah anointed these Christians, they treasured the hope of living forever on earth. They looked forward with great eagerness to the time when Jehovah would remove all wickedness and make the earth a paradise. Perhaps they imagined themselves welcoming back a family member or a friend who had died. But after they were anointed, they started to think differently. Why is that? They did not become dissatisfied with that earthly hope. They did not change their mind because of emotional stress or turmoil. They did not suddenly feel that they would find living forever on earth to be boring. Instead, Jehovah used his holy spirit to change the way that they think and the hope that they cherish. w20.01 22 ¶9-11

Under the Law that God gave Israel, appointed men handled not only spiritual matters but also civil and criminal cases. But under “the law of the Christ,” the elders’ role is to handle the spiritual aspects of the wrongdoing. (Gal. 6:2) They recognize that the secular authorities have the God-given responsibility to handle civil and criminal cases. That includes the authority to impose such penalties as fines or imprisonments. (Rom. 13:2-4) How do elders handle the spiritual aspects of serious wrongdoing? They use the Scriptures to weigh matters and make decisions. They keep in mind that love is the foundation of the law of the Christ. Love moves the elders to consider: What needs to be done to help any in the congregation who have been victims of the wrongdoing? Regarding the wrongdoer, love moves the elders to consider: Is he repentant? Can we help him to regain his spiritual health? w19.05 7 ¶23-24