“For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;”
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for him — Paul reframes suffering as charis (grace, gift), not curse: suffering for Christ is a privilege (echaristhē, given as gift). The structure ('not only... but also') elevates suffering: faith alone is insufficient; suffering extends faith into costly witness. This verse invokes a theology of vicarious representation: as Christ suffered, so his witnesses suffer. Suffering becomes identification with Christ.
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