Articles
The God of All Comfort - 2 Cor 1
The God of All Comfort - 2 Cor 1
Comfort? God comforts us in all our affliction? Isn’t that a simple contradiction of life experiences? If God really cared, wouldn’t He protect us from such affliction? Shouldn’t we conclude that the one being afflicted is in fact out of touch with God and probably being punished for some sinful action?
The simple answer is NO. No to all of the above.
The situation with Paul: Faithful while suffering. “Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches” (2 Cor. 11:23-28)
How can he write about God as a comforter? In WHAT does he take comfort? Is there really any comfort for one suffering as did Paul? The only way this all makes sense is simply that this current world/age/situation is not our eternal home. Thus, Paul wrote in Romans 8:18: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” He will write to the persecuted church in Thessalonica concerning the coming of the Lord and our being gathered to be with Him forever: “Comfort one another with these words” (1Thess. 4:18)
This world is not our home. God has prepared a better eternal home with Him. Even now, there is comfort from God’s promises, from the association of fellow suffering brethren. Such comfort is found in our hope of what is yet to come for us a God’s people. The road to heaven will lead through all manner of discomfort but will end with complete and eternal comfort with God. Are you looking at the temporary, or have you set your mind on things above and eternity?
Hugh DeLong
An interesting quote From ESVsb
“Paul argues that his weakness as an apostle is the very means by which believers are comforted (1:3–11) and God in Christ is made known in the world (2:14–17; 4:7–12; 6:3–10; 11:23b–33). Paul’s sufferings embody the cross of Christ, while his endurance amid adversity, with thanksgiving and contentment, manifests the resurrection power of the Spirit (12:7–10). Paul’s suffering as an apostle is thus the very means God uses to reveal his glory (1:3–4, 11, 20; 4:15; 9:11–15; 10:17–18).” (English Standard Version Study Bible, Introduction to 2Corinthians).
