In the thought of Paul, Jesus had suffered and died because he had been dedicated to the same objective that was Paul’s own in his work as an apostle, namely, building up a community of people who would live in love, righteousness, and solidarity under Jesus as their Lord. Jesus’ faithfulness and total commitment to that objective had led to his death, yet it was precisely by giving up his life that he had made it possible for such a community now to exist and to take the shape it had.