THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Key verse: 9b

NIV

1 Paul, an apostle(A) of Christ Jesus by the will of God,(B) and Timothy(C) our brother,

To the church of God(D) in Corinth,(E) together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:(F)

2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.(G)

Praise to the God of All Comfort

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(H) the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us(I) in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ,(J) so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation;(K) if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings,(L) so also you share in our comfort.

8 We do not want you to be uninformed,(M) brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced(N) in the province of Asia.(O) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,(P) who raises the dead.(Q) 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,(R) and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope(S) that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers.(T) Then many will give thanks(U) on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 1:8 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 8:1; 13:11.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Greeting

1 Paul, (A)an apostle of Christ Jesus (B)by the will of God, and (C)Timothy our brother,

To the church of God that is at Corinth, (D)with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:

2 (E)Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

God of All Comfort

3 (F)Blessed be the (G)God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and (H)God of all comfort, 4 (I)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. 5 For as we share abundantly in (J)Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.[a] 6 (K)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. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you (L)share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[b] of (M)the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us (N)rely not on ourselves (O)but on God (P)who raises the dead. 10 (Q)He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. (R)On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 (S)You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf (T)for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

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Footnotes
  1. 2 Corinthians 1:5 Or For as the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ
  2. 2 Corinthians 1:8 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND CORINTHIANS

The Apostle Paul left Ephesus shortly after writing 1 Corinthians. His life was in grave danger in Ephesus because of an uproar caused by an idol maker whose business had been hurt by the rapid spread of the gospel (Ac 19-20). He made a painful visit to Corinth (2Co 1:23;2:1). It was painful because he dealt uncompromisingly with some practical problems. The Corinthians did not resent his rebuking visit. They repented and wholeheartedly supported Paul's plan to take an offering to Jerusalem. He wrote Romans while in Corinth, and after Jerusalem, planned to go to Rome. 2 Corinthians, written from Macedonia a few months later, is full of love and basic appreciation for the faith and obedience of the Corinthians, although some of the problems he had talked about in 1 Corinthians were still there. This letter follows the visit, and is in response to good news from Corinth brought by Titus. Paul is writing to express his joy at their repentance, and to encourage them to finish what they had started in preparing an offering for the poverty-stricken Christians in Jerusalem. He also defends his apostleship and answers his critics. He will visit them on God's time-table. Meanwhile, he is sending Titus back to them with a brother who is praised by the church (8:16-18), for the purpose of getting the offering the Corinthians had promised.

Paul is like their father. He shares with them his personal pain and struggles, and the comfort of Christ.

1. Christ's overflowing comfort (1-7)

Paul wrote with apostolic authority. Timothy was with him. After greeting them, he praised the God and Father of Jesus, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. Only those who suffer for Jesus' sake can know the God of comfort. Paul looked at the world through Christ's eyes and shared in Christ's suffering for a lost world. He did not avoid suffering nor did he try to protect his sheep from suffering--rather, he sought and received God's comfort, and he encouraged them to learn patient endurance and receive Christ's overflowing comfort. This is the way to grow in Christ-like character (Ro 5:3-4).

2. That we might rely on God (8-11)

He was almost killed in Asia (Ephesus--Ac 19); but through this Paul learned to rely on God who raises the dead (1Co 15:31-32). He learned resurrection faith, and he learned to trust in God who reveals his strength and gives his comfort to those who depend on him.

Prayer: Lord, help me know the depth of your love and comfort, and share it with others.

One Word: Rely on the God of comfort