Timothy can be strengthened the same way (12 and 18)
“If Christ could change Paul, the greatest of sinners, into an Apostle, there is no limit to His transforming power. So let no man say that his duties as a Christian are beyond his abilities.” Eaton
Source of Authority
Paul made it personal: “I was shown mercy”. “I” used 8 times in this section. It was obviously personal to him.
Paul was consistently forced to defend his own Apostolic call and work. He was after all formerly a persecutor of the church, a blasphemer of Jesus, and had that reputation baggage.
