Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
Last week, we looked at the introduction to 2 Corinthians. One of the main themes of this letter from Paul to the first-century church in Corinth is the idea of being comforted in affliction or suffering, and this initial paragraph of the letter’s content embodies that theme.
Paul often follows the greeting in his letters with a statement of praise to God, as we see in verse 3. We know from right after this passage (verses 8-10) that Paul experienced great troubles while in Asia to the point of thinking they would die. That was likely very recently before he wrote this letter, so God’s comforting presence in the face of suffering is fresh on Paul’s mind and near to his heart. God’s compassion and comfort are what allowed Paul and his fellow travelers to get through the situation in Asia, to continue their mission to spread the gospel, and to write this letter.
It’s important to note that Paul does not appreciate God’s comfort solely for his own benefit but so that he can comfort others (verse 4). We as humans generally try to avoid suffering and remain in our comfort zones, but that is often not how God works. Following Jesus Christ is not an easy path, and we often end up in situations where we seek God’s comfort. This happens not only for our own edification and growth in the faith (James 1:2-4) but also so that we can share that comfort with others. When God works in our lives, we are indebted to pay that forward by sharing our stories and helping and encouraging others through the trials they experience in life. That’s what it means to be the family of God – walking together through the easier times and the more difficult times in life (Romans 12:15).
Why does our suffering help us be more aware of God’s presence in our lives? When we experience suffering that often feels beyond our control in this life, we as believers remember that our only hope is in Jesus Christ. We share in the sufferings of Christ, and we share in His comfort (verse 5). We cannot have one without the other. If we never experience suffering, then we won’t recognize God’s comforting presence in our lives. We trust that God’s character will remain true and He will remain faithful through all of the circumstances that come our way in this life, whether good or bad. He is always there to provide comfort to us, no matter what.
The first part of verse 6 may seem counterintuitive to us: “If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation.” How is distress for our comfort and salvation? We need to remember that this is a letter that Paul is writing to a local church. Paul is saying that if he and his fellow ministers are distressed, it is for the comfort and salvation of the people he is writing to. Because of Paul’s suffering, he can testify to the goodness of God in that situation as a witness to the people. He is equipped to encourage them because he has gone through these difficult situations himself. His distress will encourage the people and provide them comfort for when they, too, will go through difficulties.
But it is not only Paul’s distress that will provide comfort to the Corinthians. When he has been comforted by God, that is also a testimony to the goodness of God that Paul can share with them. Either way, the people will be working toward developing patient endurance through Paul’s witness to them. Paul’s testimony of what he has been through will guide and encourage the Corinthian people as they will likely face similar sufferings for the gospel in the future.
Paul affirms this in verse 7: “And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.” Paul trusts that as brothers and sisters in Christ, they will share with him both in suffering and in comfort. Paul is confident that their faith will remain strong in the future when they face suffering because of their identity as the Church. Paul shares how he and his traveling companions endured hardship but God brought them through it, which will strengthen their faith so they can endure what is to come.
A form of the root word for comfort in Greek is used 10 times in this passage, so it’s important to talk a bit about that word. The root is parakaleo in Greek, which is the same root word Jesus used to refer to the coming of the Holy Spirit in John 14:16: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.” In that translation (NIV), the word is translated as advocate. It has the idea of a counselor, comforter, intercessor, helper, encourager, etc. The same is true for this word we’ve been translating as comfort in today’s passage. The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity who provides this comforting, encouraging, counseling, helping, etc. in our lives.
Where are you joining with fellow believers in their suffering? Where are you joining with fellow believers in comfort? How do you rely on the comfort that only God can bring during the distressing times of your life?
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