Paul’s initial arrival at Corinth proves telling. By his own admission, he came “in weakness and in fear and much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). While we often focus on the successes and victories of Paul’s missionary efforts, no effort is made to hide the undeniable “dark side” of this work....

In John 4, it is recorded that after the Samaritan woman met Jesus and talked with him that she left her water jar and went away and talked to the people about Jesus. Jesus had introduced this woman to “living water,” this is something she had not heard about before...