Comfort for the Committed (2 Corinthians 1:3–11)

When I was in university, I memorised 2 Corinthians 1:3–7. The words are some of the most loved by Christians, for they speak of God’s promised comfort for his children. I have often found my faith strengthened by these verses, but only recently have I come to appreciate that the context limits, in a sense, the promised comfort to those who live committed to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Though there is legitimate application of this comfort for believers in their varied trials, the comfort of which Paul speaks of ten times in but a few verses is in the context of committed gospel living—the kind of living that Paul both displayed and which he desired for his readers.

Leo Tolstoy wrote, “It is by those who have suffered that the world has been advanced.” This is certainly true of the apostle Paul. He suffered much, and he accomplished much. His suffering is at the heart of this second epistle to the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians is the least doctrinal yet the most personal of all of Paul’s letters. George Guthrie observes, “Second Corinthians presents us with the apostle’s most deeply personal book, a book written in the heat and hurt of crisis, and one that delves most deeply into Paul’s theology of Christian ministry.” This is seen from the very first paragraph.

Paul transparently speaks of his afflictions, of God’s comfort, and of his need for the prayers of the saints. He is happy to confess his weakness, for in doing so he magnifies the glorious power of God. Paul was committed to a cruciform ministry. Like Paul, we need the comfort of God as we commit ourselves to a cruciform life.

The Christian life, including church life, can be very difficult and deeply discouraging. Paul’s pastoral experience with the Corinthian church brings this to light. But, by the power of the risen Lord, we can also experience God’s amazing comfort, gracious strength, and merciful encouragement as we remain committed to Jesus Christ. In this study, we will consider this theme of God’s comfort, a theme mentioned no less than ten times in this opening passage.

In chapters 1–7, Paul provides an explanation of his ministerial integrity, which was under assault. Strangely, he begins by pointing his readers to, of all things, his afflictions experienced for the gospel. Yes, Paul suffered, and though his critics used this to attack him as evidence that he was rejected by God, he argues that his sufferings were evidence that he was right with God. We will look at this under four headings.

1. The Celebration of God’s Comfort (vv. 3–4)
2. The Participation in God’s Comfort (vv. 5–7)
3. An Illustration of God’s Comfort (vv. 8–10)
4. An Anticipation of God’s Comfort (v. 11)

The Celebration of God’s Comfort

Paul opens with a celebration of God’s comfort: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (vv. 3–4).

Apparently, many in the church at Corinth had imbibed a prosperity gospel. Throughout this letter, Paul will counter such nonsense. Seifrid writes, “There was no room in this church, which lived for power, for an apostle who lived in weakness. Outward, visible presence and performance-measured, as it must be, by mere human tastes-had become the standard by which the Corinthians judged the presence of Christ, the ministry of the gospel, and the legitimacy of the apostle.” Such a mindset is a defection from the gospel. It refuses to see the need for the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Paul’s opening paragraph is aimed at this false gospel. The false teachers and purveyors of a prosperity gospel claimed that Paul’s afflictions disqualified him from ministry. Paul says that they vindicated his ministry. It was because of his afflictions that he could have a ministry of comfort to others.

Paul here says two things about God’s comfort.

God’s Comfort is Comprehensive

We see, in vv. 3–4a, that God’s love is comprehensive. Most of Paul’s letters follow the ancient pattern of beginning with a customary greeting (vv. 1–2) followed by a word of thanksgiving for the recipients. Second Corinthians diverts from this pattern. Unlike 1 Corinthians, the thanksgiving is not for the Corinthians but rather for God. After everything this church had put Paul through, this is understandable! He therefore begins by celebrating—literally, by “eulogising”—“the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul begins by bragging on his comforting God.

Paul’s use of “Blessed be the God” followed the Jewish pattern of praising God. Perhaps he did so to make a point to the probably Judaising “super apostles” who questioned his orthodoxy. Regardless, we should note that Paul is trinitarian in his praise. He mentions the Father, Jesus Christ, and the repetition of “comfort” (ten times in vv. 3–7) points the reader to the Comforter, the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7). This is orthodox!

Twice, Paul refers to God as Father, perhaps to remind the Corinthians of God’s love for his children, demonstrated in his loving comfort and mercies.

God is “the Father of mercies.” His mercies are for our miseries. God is the originator of mercy. His mercies new every morning, manifold for every situation, and never come to an end for his children (Lamentations 3:22–23).

Our Father is also the God of all comfort. God provides strength for and “puts courage” into his children, and thus our Father provides encouragement in all of our affliction. All comfort for all circumstances. There is no limit. Paul celebrates this experiential comfort for his ministerial afflictions. God has the medicine for what ails his ministers. He provides all comfort to all his committed.

Paul is emphasising the comforting characteristic of God for at least two reasons.

First, he is transparently revealing the coexistence of the gospel with suffering. As mentioned, there is evidence in this letter that the church had been inflicted/infected with what some refer to as “triumphalism” and others as a “prosperity gospel” and which Matin Luther referred to as a “theology of glory.”

Whatever the title, some members had imbibed at the fountain of doctrinal falsehood that spewed forth the lie that the Christian life is antithetical to affliction. Therefore, early on, Paul aims to refute this lie. But while drawing their attention to the reality of suffering, he pulls their attention to the praiseworthy reality that the Father of mercies is the God of all comfort who comes alongside to aid, strengthen, and encourage us in our afflictions. The fact that the beleaguered apostle could joyfully, confidently, “happily” persevere in affliction is a far better commendation of his apostleship than the superficial triumphalism of the false apostles.

Note that Paul was not miserly in his assessment of God’s merciful comfort, for he says that God comforts us in all our affliction. His pronouns are what are referred to as an “apostolic plural” and so here he is speaking about himself (and perhaps Timothy and others who were with him). But note the reference to all our affliction. God’s comfort covers all troubles. Though Paul will reference ministry troubles in this passage, nevertheless God’s comfort is not restricted to ministerial troubles but to all afflictions experienced by God’s children—that is, relational, physical, emotional, mental, financial, and missional troubles.

That is, committed Christians suffer, not only because of ministry, but also because they live in what is a sinfully tainted and therefore at times a miserable world.

Second, Paul wanted the Corinthian church to know that, despite the affliction they had inflicted upon him, he was okay. Early in this letter of apostolic vindication, he assures the Corinthian church that, whatever affliction they had brought upon him, he was okay because God had strengthened him to be okay. He was okay with them.

The gospel empowers us to move beyond the wrongs incurred by others. It empowers us, in fact, to come alongside and help those who have wronged us! The gospel gives to us an amazing amnesia.

How does God comfort us? By his Comforter, the Holy Spirit. He points us to Jesus Christ; he points us to his gospel. And he provides inward assurance that God is “Abba” (Romans 8:14–16).

God’s Comfort is Communal

We learn also that God’s comfort is communal. The supernatural comfort given to Paul was not to remain with him. Like the Vaal Dam, God’s comfort filled Paul and then the sluices of ministry were to open so those “downstream in their afflictions” could be helped. God comforts us “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (v. 4b).

Paul introduces the truth that the comfort God gives to his children is to be shared with his other children. No Christian is meant to live as an island.

Paul saw himself as a channel of God’s comfort, not its endpoint. Even in his suffering, he was thinking of others. How Christlike!

We need to live with a “so that” mentality. When afflicted, we should seek God’s grace to handle it well so that others can be encouraged to handle their afflictions well. As we experience God’s mercies, we need the “so that” mentality of this same mercy experienced by other brothers and sisters. This can deliver us from a “woe is me” pity-party response to troubles.

The Participation in God’s Comfort

Second, we learn something about participation in God’s comfort.

These verses continue the thought of communal comfort as Paul drives home the theme of partnership with both Christ and with Christians in ministerial/missional suffering.

Partnership with Christ in Suffering

It begins with an understanding that we are partners with Christ in suffering. “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too” (v. 5).

Paul’s life and ministry was Godward. Rather than becoming embittered by battles, Paul blessed God for helping him through them, and v. 5 gives some insight to this. You see, his afflictions were connected to his relationship with Jesus Christ. Because he identified with Jesus Christ in his sufferings, abundantly, he could also count on abundant comfort. No wonder he praised God! No wonder he frequently wrote that to suffer for Christ’s sake is a blessing.

As an apostle, Paul uniquely suffered for the welfare of the church (Acts 9:15–16). Only Jesus Christ could suffer redemptively to atone for our sins, but experiencing this atonement sets the Christian apart from the world introducing us to suffering for Christ’s sake. Again, there are other kinds of afflictions experienced by Christians, but contextually we are considering suffering out of commitment to the Lord Jesus. And just as Jesus experienced comfort from his Father as he suffered for his sake, so Christians will experience the Father’s comfort as we suffer for his Son’s sake (Colossians 1:24). “For those who are afflicted and suffer for following Christ, this passage promises surpassing comfort. The truth is that God’s comfort always exceeds our afflictions” (Hughes).

To summarise, when our sufferings are the result of faithfulness to Jesus Christ, we can be assured of comfort to match the conflict. Paul exemplified this.

Partnership with Christians in Suffering

Not only are we partners with Christ in suffering; we are also partners with his people in suffering. “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort” (vv. 6–7).

A Unifying Comfort

Our suffering and our comfort involves partnership with one another (v. 6). After all, Christ’s sufferings are intimately connected with his Body. If the Head suffers then the body suffers, and when the body suffers, so does the head (Acts 9:4–5).

Paul sees his gospel affliction as beneficial for the Corinthians’ salvation. Perhaps he is referring to his initial afflictions when he planted the church (Acts 18:9–10). Or he may be referring to their sanctification. That is, Paul was willing to suffer for their growth in Christ. As he will testify, it is often the case that pastoral death is required for congregational life.

Note that Paul connects God’s provision of comfort with perseverance in sufferings. The words “patiently endure” speak of constancy or steadfastness and indicate the Christian’s refusal to swerve from their loyalty to the Lord amid difficulties. The Lord supplies the “courage” to do so. As the Corinthians suffer alongside Paul, they and he experience this strength from God.

Paul is emphasising a mutuality of affliction and comfort. Afflictions overflow to be shared with one another in the church and so does God’s comfort. This is one of the wonderful consequences of true Christian fellowship.

Sometimes, when afflicted, we are tempted to groan, “I don’t need this!” Apparently we do! And so do others. Our afflictions and suffering unite us in a unique way to Jesus and to his people. According to Paul, our experience of suffering and comfort unite us one another. The church suffering together brings us together; our afflictions and God’s comfort are designed to unify us in our mission.

The afflicted are used by God to showcase his mercy to the body thereby edifying the whole. When one member is afflicted, the church family is in a position to grow in Christlike compassion and practical redemption. The rampant individualism of our day—increased by addiction to social media—has no place for this kind of meaningful fellowship. Like the beatitudes, this approach to suffering is upside down in a world that is wrong-side up. Nevertheless, it is the countercultural lifestyle to which we are called.

An Unshakeable Comfort

Paul invited the Corinthian church into his sufferings and into the associated comfort from God. Through false apostles, a wedge was driven between the church and Paul. Though much of that has been resolved, there was residual relational breakdown and therefore he was reaching out for full reconciliation (5:18–19). He was hopeful that they too would experience God’s amazing comfort as they opened themselves up to him and his associated sufferings. He longed for them to join him in celebrating God for the comfort he gives. And because he knew God, he was unshakeable in his confidence that they would be as blessed as he was.

God doesn’t play favourites. The abiding care and comfort that was available to Paul is available to you and me as well.  But note the requirement: sharing in sufferings. Therefore, put yourself out there. Take up your cross, expecting suffering, while expecting great strength as well.

Of course, to many this sounds merely theoretical and far from practical. Therefore Paul next provides a real-life illustration of all he has said.

An Illustration of God’s Comfort

Paul offers this illustration of comfort in vv. 8–10:

“For” keeps the flow of the comforting theme going into this section. Paul did not want the church to be unaware of the severity of his afflictions when he was ministering in Asia (probably Ephesus). He did not want them to treat lightly his sufferings there. Not because he felt sorry for himself, not because he desired to sensationalise his trials making himself the centre of attention. Rather he wanted them to appreciate the intensity of his conflict in order to glorify God for his extraordinary comfort. His immense weakness amid a serious trial was the means of God displaying his power.

With this in mind, let’s examine his words.

Painful Despair

We don’t know the specifics of Paul’s tribulation, but he speaks of a painful despair in vv. 8–9a: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.”

Perhaps it was related to what he said in 1 Corinthians 16:9. Perhaps the many adversaries in Ephesus had become fierce persecutors threatening his life. We do know is that he was so weighed down with the trial that he felt utterly destitute of any personal resources to overcome the trial. He was at the end of the rope without a knot to be tied. He saw no way of escape. This despair is further described as a “the sentence of death.” The sentence was probably his own personal assessment of his situation “Paul conceded that he was done for, that it was over—he was being utterly crushed under an unbearable weight, helplessly awaiting death” (Hughes). The language pictures Paul crushed without any human hope of escape.

Please note his transparent testimony. He did not hide the severity of his trial or of his personal assessment of it. He was at the point of utter loss concerning the outcome of his situation. He had no devised way out of the situation. If there will be any deliverance, it would be the Lord’s, not his. The reality is that Christians don’t always know the outcome of a trial. There is no promise that we will always escape (Daniel 3:16–18). In fact, escape is sometimes counterproductive to God’s plans (see Matthew 27:42; etc.).

Don’t buy into the lie of false teachers who proclaim health, wealth, prosperity message. Be transparent with others about your experience. This opens the door to be able to brag on the sufficiency of Jesus Christ. We see this in what follows.

Powerful Deliverance

Paul was able to boast of God’s powerful deliverance: “But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again” (vv. 9–10).

“But” is often a wonderful contrasting conjunction in Scripture, such as “but God” in Ephesians 2:4. So it is here.

Paul admitted his utter inability to do anything about his life-threatening circumstances; nevertheless God, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (v. 3) provided a way of escape. God delivered him and his coworkers (“us”) from such a deadly peril. Again, we are not provided details, but he could testify to God’s amazing work. The statement “to make us not to rely on ourselves but on God who raises the dead” points to at least three considerations.

First, God brings us to the end of ourselves so that we will confide in him alone.

The word “rely” translates the Greek word meaning “to be convinced,” “to have confidence,” “to trust.” It is in the same linguistic family as “to believe.” Paul’s affliction was God’s means to increase his faith. It was God’s means to remind him of his weakness, of his powerlessness bringing him to the point of completer dependence upon the Lord. “The experience in Asia, moreover, had given Paul a posture of trust” (Guthrie). Desperation to divine dependence—this is God’s pattern of providing comfort. This is good for our soul!

Beware the temptation to run to the rescue too soon. Self-reliance is antithetical to Christian maturity. Self-governance, yes; self-reliance, no!

Second, the doctrine of the resurrection is not only about when we die.

Plummer observes that “raises” is a “timeless present participle expressing a permanent attribute of God. God’s nature is to raise the dead.” Chrysostom commented, “Although the resurrection is a thing of the future, Paul shows that it happens every day.” The point is that the Christian knows that the nature of God is to ultimately be our Deliverer, Rescuer, and Saviour.

The promise of our bodily resurrection provides perspective and reassurance amid whatever we face, including the most severe of trials. If God can raise our dead and decayed bodies, surely he can transform other likewise seemingly hopeless situations.

We need to live in light of the gospel truth of the resurrection. When all appears hopeless, remember that, on the Sabbath after Jesus was crucified, it could not have been more dark and despairingly hopeless. The women showing up to anoint Jesus’ corpse was not a statement of faith but a resignation to futility. And yet early Sunday morning, as the hymnist put it, “Up from the grave he arose with a mighty triumph o’er his foes!”

Third, beware lest our desires become demands (v. 10).

Paul confesses his confidence that God is able both to deliver him from such a deadly peril and his hope that God will do so again. Perhaps God had revealed to him that he would deliver him, or perhaps he was simply saying that, because of the resurrection, the Lord would ultimately deliver him (and us) from death. Either way, we recognise that God would not always deliver Paul from death threats. He would, after all, eventually die at the hand of Nero.

I say this to make the point that our confidence needs to be in our all wise, sovereign triune God, not in our expected outcome. Our desires must not become demands. Understand that the diagnosed disease might kill you; the authorities might arrest and execute faithful Christians; you might lose your possessions; things may not turn out the way you desire. However, we can still rely on God. We must rely on him remembering he is our Father of mercies and God of all comfort.

Paul wanted the Corinthians to grasp that his hope was in God, and if it took ministry afflictions and missional suffering for him to experience God’s comfort, bring it on. If need be, God would rescue him. From what he says next, it appears that he was confident in God’s deliverance.

An Supplication for God’s Comfort

Having boldly stated his conviction that God would deliver him, Paul now points to a means God will use: the prayers of the church. “You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many” (v. 11).

Prayerful Dependence

Paul’s reliance on the Lord (v. 9) and his assurance of God’s comfort and deliverance (v. 10) is linked to the help through the prayers of many. The Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, the God who raises the dead, the God who delivers, will often use means—the means of the prayers of the saints. Paul knew this. His dependence upon God was reflected in the prayerful dependence of the saints. Prayer, we must remember, is a confession of our dependence upon God.

Never undervalue the prayers of the saints. When moved to pray, pray! When you hear of a need, pray! When are you are asked to pray, pray!

For the Glory of God

Paul wanted many to pray so that many would give thanks to God when he answered the prayers. God’s glory is the ultimate end of experiencing God’s comfort. As he strengthens us, as he puts courage in a Christian to persevere, we see the hand of God and we glorify him. We must pray for God’s comfort so that God will be celebrated. And now we are back to v. 3!

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, the gospel-driven life invites affliction. But our afflictions are matched by God’s comfort. And this brings glory through thanksgiving. May God empower us to be so Godward in our perspective that, when we are called to suffer, we will do so in dependence, not upon ourselves, and not even upon others, but rather on God who raises the dead.

To God be the glory, great things he has done.

AMEN