1:1 ¶ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will
of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at
Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the second letter to Corinth Paul uses the greeting that he
uses in every letter to each church. The letter to the Hebrews is traditionally
thought to be dictated by Paul to Timothy but does not start with his name.
Achaia was that area of Greece in which Corinth was located. Of course, all the saints refers to Christians not
demi-gods brought over from paganism to be intermediaries between God and man.
There is only one intermediary between God and man.
1Timothy 2:5 For there
is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to
be testified in due time.
1:3 ¶ Blessed be God, even
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all
comfort; 4 Who comforteth us in all our
tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by
the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,
so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and
salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we
also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and
salvation.
One of the things God does for us, can do for us, is to comfort us
in a fallen world burdened under the care of judgment, dying in its sins. God
can comfort us in all of our tribulation.
Tribulation is persecution, whether
it be from Satan-inspired individuals in the earthly realm or messengers of
Satan in the spirit world sent to trouble us as Paul will make mention of later
in this letter.
Matthew 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth
for a while: for when tribulation
or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Revelation 7:14
And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are
they which came out of great tribulation,
and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
How are we comforted by God? Isn’t He the ultimate author of our
misery when it comes as nothing can happen that God doesn’t either allow to
happen or directly cause to happen by His permissive will or His direct will?
Paul will explain in this letter one of the purposes of our suffering as we
grow more dependent on Christ and His strength is made apparent in our
helplessness. Our suffering, if experienced in faith, is one of our greatest
testimonies.
Romans 5:1 ¶ Therefore being justified by faith, we have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and
rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3
And not only so, but we
glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience,
hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed;
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is
given unto us.
Tribulation as earthly persecution in particular cannot be stood
without God’s assistance. Christians were often faced with being told to reject
Christ or die. It is a theme throughout the New Testament. Here, Jesus tells
His Apostles that the Holy Ghost will tell them what to say in the face of
extreme persecution and not to deny Christ;
Luke 12:1 ¶ In the mean time, when there were gathered
together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon
another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the
leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2
For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid,
that shall not be known. 3 Therefore
whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that
which ye have spoken in the
ear in closets shall be proclaimed
upon the housetops. 4 And I say unto you
my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no
more that they can do. 5 But I will
forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath
power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings,
and not one of them is forgotten before God? 7
But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not
therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. 8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess
me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
9 But he that denieth me before men
shall be denied before the angels of God. 10
And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of man, it shall be
forgiven him: but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not
be forgiven. 11 And when they bring you
unto the synagogues, and unto
magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer,
or what ye shall say: 12 For the Holy
Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
We are taught how to comfort others.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice
with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Job 2:11 ¶ Now when Job’s three friends heard of all
this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place;
Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for
they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort
him. 12 And when they lifted up their eyes
afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent
every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
13 So they sat down with him upon the
ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they
saw that his grief was very
great.
Our modern hit-and-run attention where we stop by and say
something pithy like how God will make something good come out of this tragedy
then head out hardly counts as Christian comfort done in the spirit of
charitable love.
Paul makes it known that he suffers for the Corinthians and that
Christ suffered for us all.
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