The God of All Comfort
For Meditation
Think of one of the hardest or most painful experiences you have ever gone through. Maybe you don’t want to think about it, and that’s ok. But if you’re able to reflect on it a bit, my guess is that these two things are probably true: first, that in the midst of your pain and struggle you experienced the comfort and love of God for you in a significant way. Second, that at some point since then, you’ve been able to help another person out who is going through something similar.
That is the “comfort cycle” that Paul unpacks in these verses. The word “comfort” sounds a bit fluffy in english. But we’re not meant to think of soft towels and puppies- the word “comfort” for Paul is not a tranquil word but is about the fortification of the heart that enables resilience and courageous perseverance. He first invites us to consider that the Christian life is really hard; in fact, if carried out faithfully, will inevitably involve pain and suffering. Paul himself knew more suffering than any of us would ever want. And yet that suffering, for the person who is in fellowship with Christ, becomes a doorway to access the powerful comfort of God. There are ways we come to know God’s strength and power that we only can know in our pain.
But the purpose of this comfort we receive is not just for ourselves- it is always for others. Paul says that God "comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Out of the well of comfort we have received in our own struggles, we can in turn offer help and encouragement to others as they struggle.
In preparation for worship this Sunday, watch the Bible Project summary video of 2 Corinthians, and invite God to use this book to shape and change us!
2 Corinthians 1:1–11
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us 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, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 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. 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.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. 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, who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.