suffering and rejoicing with fellow believers (note 1:29–30; 2:17–18; cf. 1 Cor 12:25).24 In 4:12 Paul elaborates further on how he had been schooled in contentment. The apostle indicates that he had “learned the secret of” or had “been initiated into” contentment irrespective of circumstances. Decided differences in applied meaning notwithstanding, the verb Paul employs to depict his entry into this “school of hard knocks” (myesthai) was also used by various mystery cults to bespeak of a person’s