2 Corinthians 1:1-11
The God of All Comfort
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,
4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
5For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which accomplishes in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we experience.
7And our hope for you is sure, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you will share in our comfort.
8We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.
9Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.
10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. In Him we have placed our hope that He will yet again deliver us,
11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the favor shown us in answer to their prayers.
Berean Standard Bible
Paul greets the church in Corinth and the believers throughout Achaia. He does not begin by pretending that ministry is easy. He blesses God as the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, the One who meets people in trouble rather than standing far away from it.
The comfort Paul describes is not merely relief for its own sake. God comforts His people so that they can comfort others who are in trouble. What they receive becomes something they can share. The same Christ who meets them in suffering also gives them a way to stand beside someone else.
Paul tells the Corinthians about hardships in Asia that went beyond his ability to endure. He and his companions felt sentenced to death and despaired even of life. His honesty leaves no room for the idea that faithful people never feel overwhelmed. The crisis taught them not to rely on themselves, but on God who raises the dead.
Yet Paul speaks about past, present, and future deliverance. God has rescued them, He is rescuing them, and Paul hopes in Him for what is still ahead. The Corinthians have a part in that ministry through prayer. Their prayers matter, and when God answers, many people can give thanks together.
Questions
1 How does Paul describe God?
AnswerHe calls God the Father of compassion, the God who meets His people with comfort in trouble.
2 Why does God comfort His people?
AnswerHe comforts them so they can come alongside others who are facing trouble with what they received from Him.
3 What did suffering teach Paul and his companions?
AnswerIt taught them to stop relying on themselves and trust God who raises the dead.
4 How could the Corinthians help?
AnswerThey could help by praying, so that answered prayer would lead many people to thanksgiving.
What This Means for Us
It is safe to tell the truth about suffering in a Christian household. Saying “this is more than I can carry” is not a failure of faith. It may be the honest beginning of trusting God and receiving help.
Notice how comfort moves outward. A parent who has been comforted can sit with a frightened child; a child who has been heard can learn to notice someone else’s pain. Prayer joins the household to people it may never meet.
Prayer
Father of compassion, meet us in the troubles we cannot manage alone. Help us receive Your comfort, pray for others faithfully, and share what You have given us. Amen.