THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT

Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Key verse: 3

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

Paul was an apostle of Christ, and especially so for the church in Corinth. His first letter to them not only contained many rebukes, but also the most encouraging testimony of the gospel of the resurrection. He saw the Corinthians as those made holy through Christ Jesus, and Paul now wanted them to have God’s comfort. If they had troubles and sufferings, they were sharing in Paul’s sufferings and even Christ’s sufferings. Paul reminded them of God who is the Father of compassion. Godly comfort is not the absence of suffering but the hope of being bound to the Lord Jesus. After all, Jesus suffered to bear our sins and produce in us endurance and hope.

Paul was under tremendous pressure as he preached the gospel—so much so that he despaired of life. But when he held on to God and relied on him, he found that he was delivered every time. More than that, he learned that God is the deliverer. He delivered Paul, and he would continue to deliver Paul. God did this to demonstrate that he raises the dead. He delivers us from the power of death and grants us grace.

Prayer: Lord, you are God who delivers. Bless me to know you—the God of all comfort.

One Word: God of comfort, God who delivers