2 COR. 1:3-14 STUDY NOTES
XEGESIS: The God of All Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:1-11)
God's Comfort in Suffering and Our Responsibility (2 Cor 1:1-11)
A. Address (1:1-2)
1. The Senders (1:1a)
Paul is the writer of the letter and Timothy is serving with him in the establishment of the gospel in Corinth. Paul refers to himself as an apostle, that is, one who was specially given authority from the Lord to preach the word and call all men to the obedience of the gospel (1 Cor 9:1-3; Rom 1:5). Paul spoke authoritatively in the name of the Lord to the congregation in Corinth and they were to regard his instruction as coming from the Lord. After all, he was an apostle by the will of God (Gal 1:1).
2. The Recipients (1:1b)
Even though the first letter to the Corinthians reveals enormous struggles in the church, including: division and discord (1-4), sexual immorality of a kind that doesn't even occur among the pagans (5), lawsuits among each other (6), misunderstandings regarding marriage and divorce (7), the proper use of freedom and injuring other people (8-10), contention over head-coverings, drunkenness, and extreme selfishness at the Lord's Supper (11), abuses of the spiritual gifts, with an unhealthy concentration upon the miraculous (especially tongues) as a sign of greater spirituality (12-14), and a faulty view of the resurrection (15)-even though all this was going on, not to mention the trouble they personally gave the apostle, he nonetheless refers to them as the church of God in Corinth. One needs only read through the letters of 1 & 2 Corinthians noting the presence of the term brothers to see that Paul regarded them as Christians (though perhaps not every single one) even though he was deeply grieved over their spiritual condition at times, including their immaturity and lack of love (cf. 1 Cor 3:1-17; 6:11, etc.).
3. The Salutation (1:2)
Paul gives the church one of his standard greetings. Grace refers to that unmerited favor of God toward unworthy sinners that leads to peace in their hearts (i.e., God's peace that he possesses in himself), in their relationship with God, and also in their relationships with others. As with everything else Paul teaches, it is always Christocentric because it is only in Christ that the plan of God is accomplished and realized in the lives of the saints. For Paul, everything grew out of his understanding of the gospel (1 Tim 1:11).
B. Comfort from God in the Midst of Trials in Asia (1:3-11)
After Paul has formally introduced the letter and given his characteristic greeting, he moves on to discuss the nature of his apostolic ministry among the Corinthians since it had come under such fire from certain opponents (cf. 2 Cor 11:23). In this section he will explain the change in his travel plans which had obviously been a sore spot with the church. The fact that he does not open with thanksgiving for the church (cf. Phil 1:3-8; Col. 1:3-8) nor a prayer for them (Phil 1:9-11; Col. 1: 9-14) indicates that the issue of his trial in Asia is ringing fresh in his ears and that the trial, as well as his travel plans, need to be discussed immediately. Only the trial in Asia will be discussed in this paper. However, the context must be pointed out so that the reader realizes that 1:3-11 is functioning in a much larger semantic unit, namely, 1:3-7:6. So then, after Paul deals with the comfort God had given him in the province of Asia (1:3-11) he will tackle the problem of the sinning brother in 2:5-11. Finally, 2:14-7:6 will be dedicated to the nature of the apostolic ministry. Taken together, then, the point of 1:3-7:6 is to reinforce in their minds his commitment to them and to help them understand the nature and problems of spiritual ministry.
1. The Reason God Comforts Paul and His Companions (1:3-7)
v. 3 Paul starts this section off by ascribing blessing to God. While this opening was a typical way a Jew approached God it was nonetheless an expression of deep piety and reverence. But here, as in Ephesians 1:3 (cf. also 1 Pet 1:3) God is specifically identified as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we mentioned in the introduction, for Paul everything was Christocentric. Thus, the way one knows and experiences God is through his Son, Jesus Christ. And it is indeed the "son" that is our Lord (kurios). The use of Lord to refer to Jesus picks up on the Greek Bible's translation of YHWH as Lord (kurios) and affirms the exalted status of Jesus. With the reference to our Paul demonstrates his solidarity with the church under the Lordship of Christ.
God is to be praised for many reasons, for all that he is and does, and the sheer greatness of his being (Ps 145:3), his love (Ps 86:15), faithfulness (Lam 3:22-23), strength (Isa 41:10), and inscrutability (Romans 11:36). Here Paul, in light of his deliverance from deadly circumstances in Asia minor reflects on and gives thanks to God for his immeasurable mercy. In fact, he calls God the Father of mercies (note the plural, "mercies") and the God of all comfort (Mic 7:19; Isa 40:1; 66:13). God's mercy is his pity upon us in our helpless (though not necessarily innocent) state and it results in his comfort being shown to us. Paul had experienced that deep compassion of a father who gives mercy a totally new name and who loves a needy son and extends mercy to him in the midst of his struggles (cf. Rom 5:1-5: God has poured out his love into our hearts..."). He comforted the apostle undoubtedly through the Holy Spirit and ultimately by delivering him from the deadly peril (v. 11).
v. 4 And God does not pick and choose when he will comfort us. Further, there is never a time when we deserve his special presence in mercy. Remember it is according to his mercies-which are many-and in all our affliction or in every affliction we go through. You may have sinned and as a result suffering the consequences, but God will nonetheless draw near to you to comfort you if you allow him.
So God comforts us in all our afflictions. One reason he does this is so that we can comfort others who are in affliction with the comfort by which we were comforted by God. In other words there is a reason why God comforts us. To be sure it is so that we ourselves experience his love and help, but he also wants us as Christians to be conduits of that love, not storehouses. Once we have experienced God's compassion and comfort in the midst of a trial we are better equipped to minister that same comfort to others. We know what it takes, by the grace of God, to help others who are suffering. This is at the heart of the gospel.
v. 5 Paul gives the reason why the argument of v. 4 is true. It is true because just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows. The sufferings of Christ do not refer to any suffering Messiah endured on the cross en route to securing our redemption. Rather, they refer to the sufferings Paul underwent in the context of his apostolic ministry, that is, suffering for Christ which in fact every Christian encounters as a result of living in the "now/not yet." There is an eschatological element in the sufferings as they are destined by God in order to fill up the full measure of Messiah's suffering (Col 1:24). They are Christ's sufferings since they come as a result of his life in us. Indeed, as he lives in us in the current expression of the kingdom, he endures them with us until they are completed.
But as the sufferings overflow so also our comfort through Christ overflows. But, Paul says, the more I suffer the more I experience comfort through Christ. The particular emphasis here is on the experience of comfort in the midst of suffering, not being comforted by being removed from suffering. Though God did save Paul from such a deadly peril (1:8-11), he was nonetheless comforted in the midst of the trial.
1:6 Paul picks up the general thought in v. 4 and applies it to his relationship with the Corinthians. In verse 4 he says that God gives comfort to those in trials so that they can comfort others who are going through trials. He brings this truth home to bear in v. 6 when he says if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort that you experience in your patient endurance of the same sufferings that we also suffer.
Two points must be noted in v. 6. First, Paul's afflictions in the course of his ministry of preaching the gospel for Christ result in the salvation of those who hear the message. This, of course, included the Corinthians. Thus they owe their salvation-which brought them comfort and the experience of God's presence-as it were, to the suffering of the apostle. Second, the fact that Paul is comforted in his trials, demonstrates to the Corinthians that they too can be comforted by God. The mention of this fact, though we are ignorant of the particular afflictions of the Corinthians, awakens them to the possibility of God's comfort. The end result is that everything God did through Paul was both for his benefit as well as the benefit of the Corinthians.
1:7 Since the sufferings Paul refers to are unique to the Christian-sufferings the Christian undergoes in consequence of being a Christian in a fallen world-and the Corinthians are sharing in these sufferings, Paul is confident that the church will also share in a similar comfort; Paul is ultra confident that God will minister his comfort to them. The implication is that they too will be able to comfort each other in the trial they are enduring.
2. Hardships in Asia (1:8-11)
1:8 With the use of a common formula in Pauline writing, the apostle says for we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters. Paul wants them to know the affliction that happened...in Asia, that he and others were burdened excessively, beyond their strength, so that they despaired even of living. The word for (gar) connects this paragraph, namely, vv. 8-11, with vv. 3-7 in the following way: since they can share in his sufferings and comfort he tells them about his great struggle in Asia. Scholars are not certain as to precisely what happened in the province of Asia, but many feel that it relates in some way to distress caused the apostle by Jewish opponents (cf. 2 Cor 11:23). Although we cannot know for certain what the struggle was, it nonetheless brought Paul to his knees-so to speak. He was burdened beyond his ability to endure, beyond his strength, with the result that he despaired of life.
A Note on Paul's Affliction in Asia
There have been many suggestions as to precisely what Paul was referring to in 1:8-11: (1) On the basis of 2 Cor 11:25 it has been suggested that "drowning" may have been the affliction. This is unlikely since drowning is not generally thought of as an affliction and it seems that such is unlikely in the province of Asia; (2) Other commentators think Paul was talking about fighting wild beasts in Ephesus (1 Cor 15:32); (3) some suggest the riot at Ephesus which Demetrius, the silversmith, instigated along with the help of others (Acts 19:23-41); (4) some scholars suggest that Paul is referring to a deadly sickness of some kind. This option seems to square with the language about "receiving the sentence of death in them" (2 Cor 1:9); (5) Another option is that his trial in Asia refers to the Jews who gave him a great deal of grief. In Acts 20:19 Paul himself refers to "the trials which came upon him through the plots of the Jews." And, when Paul was in Jerusalem it was the Jews from Jerusalem who stirred up the multitude to lay hands on the apostle (Acts 21:27; cf. also Acts 19:23-41 and Alexander's role with 2 Tim 4:14). The plots of the Jews to harm Paul fits well with the Jewish opposition recorded in the book (cf. 2 Cor 11:23).1 In the final analysis, however, we cannot be certain about the kind of trial, but we can say that it was extremely painful for Paul, perhaps life threatening.
1:9 Paul says that he felt as if the sentence had been passed and death was the verdict. At least this is the place he had come to in his own thinking. He thought for sure that there was no way out whatsoever and that death was inevitable. But, after the entire affair was over he said that God permitted it so that we (he and others with him) would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. Paul had come to view all of his life in the sovereign hands of God and his good purposes. He knew that God had permitted all of his affliction to occur for many reasons, one chief one being the apostle's dependence on God. As Christians, we have, by virtue of becoming a Christian, learned to rely on Christ and not ourselves. We learned that through conversion. But the lesson really never ends and in certain ways is greatly accelerated when we suffer. The deeper the suffering, the deeper the despair. The deeper the despair, the deeper the feelings of death. The deeper the feelings of death, the deeper our cry goes forth to the one who can save us from death. What does all this produce: a greater God-given ability to comfort others who are suffering.
1:10-11 Paul is convinced that God delivered him, and those with him, from so great a risk of death and that he will continue to do so in the future. But he wants the Corinthians to know that such deliverance comes about when God's people pray and petition him in such cases. But the prayer is for more than mere deliverance; it is also for the whole work of proclaiming the gospel and all that such an enterprise entails. The end result of such prayer and "help" is that many will give thanks to God on behalf of his gracious gift of deliverance for Paul and His advancement of the gospel.
III. Principles for Application
1. The worship of God is not a Christian past time. It is our very life and is as integral to the Christian life as "blue is to sky." You cannot have one without the other. "As a thoughtful gift is a celebration of a birthday, as a special event out is a celebration of an anniversary, as a warm eulogy is a celebration of life, as a sexual embrace is a celebration of marriage-so a worship service is a celebration of God" (Ronald Allen, Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel). Praise is a integral element of celebrating God's mercy and compassion upon us, the unlovable. Paul praises his Father and blesses him. Can we do less?
2. The Christian church in America is staunchly individualistic and yet the surest sign of Christian infancy is the thinking, rampant in our churches, that all is for me and that God blesses me with no necessary thought of extending that to anyone else through me. But God told Abraham that he would bless him and the world through him! Paul says that God comforts us so that we can comfort those with the comfort we have received from God. This is what saves us from useless religion! Certainly in our culture there is someone within arms reach who needs God's encouragement through you. Find them and love them.
3. "For two years, scientists sequestered themselves in an artificial environment called Biosphere 2. Inside their self-sustaining community, the Biospherians created a number of mini-environments, including a desert, rain forest, even an ocean. Nearly every weather condition could be simulated except one, wind. Over time, the effects of their windless environment became apparent. A number of acacia trees bent over and even snapped. Without the stress of wind to strengthen the wood, the trunks grew weak and could not hold up their own weight (Jay Akkerman)." We must remember that the wind of adversity strengthens our resolve to rely on the lord and not on ourselves. In effect, like trees subjected to the winds of storms, we end up possessing a greater strength. So it was in the case of Paul, and so it will be in our case as we rely on the Lord who raises the dead.
4. The net result of all that God does is praise. Paul begins this section of 1:3-11 with praise and blessing and ends with compounded praise and thanksgiving being given to God. Remember in your life that all praise goes to God, for from him, and through him, and to him are all things!
CONTEXT: Paul had founded the Corinth church about 50 AD on his second missionary journey, and it had been a struggle from the very beginning. All in all, Paul had remained in Corinth for two years, leaving in 52 A.D. But in his absence, the church had experienced rampant immorality and deep divisions. Paul's reputation as a faithful apostle had been trashed by enemies trying to destroy his authority so they could garner power for themselves. As mentioned in the Introduction, Paul, engaged in ministry in Ephesus, had written a letter and then dispatched Timothy to deal with the church's problems. In 55 A.D., he wrote a longer letter that we know as 1 Corinthians, followed by a short, painful visit when he had tried to put things in order, only to have his authority challenged by one of the members. It was followed by a severe letter. Two planned visits were cancelled, as Paul could see that the timing was wrong. In the meantime, Paul has been going through one of the most difficult periods of his life, trying to deal with physical threats, a severe depression, as well as his deep concern for the troubled Corinthian Church. It is now 56 A.D., and Paul is with Timothy in Macedonia, having just received encouraging news about the church in Corinth from his co-worker Titus. He now sits down to write yet another letter, seeking to repair this rift between the founding apostle and this disobedient church that has broken his heart.
1. 2 Cor. 1:1-2 - Introduction
1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ: Paul's introduction of himself as an apostle is both familiar and necessary because he was held in low regard among the Christians in Corinth. They had to remember and recognize his apostolic credentials.
i. By the will of God strengthens the point. Paul was not an apostle by the decision or desire of any man, including himself. Paul was an apostle by the will of God. Even if the Corinthian Christians held him in low regard, it did not diminish his standing as an apostle before God.
b. With all the saints: It is remarkable that Paul freely calls the Corinthian Christians saints, considering their many problems. We often use the term saints in a different way today, applying it to the "super-spiritual" instead of those who are simply set apart by a relationship of trust in Jesus Christ.
i. All the saints who are in all Achaia shows us that Paul intended his letters to be shared among the churches. They weren't just for the Christians in the city of Corinth but for all the Christians in the region who might read the letters.
c. Grace and peace: These are familiar greetings of Paul (used in all 13 of his New Testament letters), but we never get the impression that they are used insincerely.
d. From God our Father: This reminds us that we are children of God, yet not in the same exact sense as Jesus is the Son of God. We are sons of God, not by nature, but by election; not by ancestry but by adoption; not by right but by redemption.
2. (2 Cor. 1:3-4) - Praise to the God of all comfort.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in [a]any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
a. Father of mercies and God of all comfort: Paul opens this letter by praising the God who gives so much mercy and comfort to the apostle and all believers. We get the feeling that Paul knows the mercy and comfort of God on a first-hand basis.
i. The words all comfort in this passage come from the ancient Greek word paraklesis. The idea behind this word for comfort in the New Testament is always more than soothing sympathy. It has the idea of strengthening, of helping, of making strong. The idea behind this word is communicated by the Latin word for comfort (fortis), which also means "brave."
ii. "Here was a man, who never knew but what he might be dead the next day, for his enemies were many, and cruel, and mighty; and yet he spent a great part of his time in praising and blessing God." (Spurgeon)
b. God of all comfort: Paul considers the Father a comforter, a Paraclete (paraklesis). We also know that the Holy Spirit is our Paraclete (John 14:16, 14:26, 15:26, 16:7) and that God the Son is our Paraclete (1 John 2:1, Hebrews 2:18, Luke 2:25). God, in every aspect of His being, is full of comfort, strength, and help for us.
c .That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble: One great purpose of God in comforting us is to enable us to bring comfort to others. God's comfort can be given and received through others.
i. Often, we never receive the comfort God wants to give us through another person. Pride keeps us from revealing our needs to others, so we never receive the comfort God would give us through them.
ii. "Even spiritual comforts are not given us for our use alone; they, like all the gifts of God, are given that they may be distributed, or become instruments of help to others. A minister's trials and comforts are permitted and sent for the benefit of the Church. What a miserable preacher must he be who has all his divinity by study and learning, and nothing by experience!" (Clarke)
iii. "Mr. Knox, a little before his death, rose out of his bed; and being asked wherefore, being so sick, he would offer to rise? He answered, that he had had sweet meditations of the resurrection of Jesus Christ that night, and now he would go into the pulpit, and impart to others the comforts that he felt in his soul." (Trapp)
3. (2 Cor. 1:5-7) - Paul's personal suffering and consolation.
5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ. 6 But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 7 and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
a. The sufferings of Christ abound in us: Paul had a life filled with suffering. He describes some of these sufferings in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28: stripes . . . prisons . . . beatings . . . stonings . . . shipwrecked . . . perils of waters . . . robbers . . . in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Yet, Paul knew that all his sufferings were really the sufferings of Christ.
b. So our consolation also abounds through Christ: Because Paul's sufferings were the sufferings of Christ, Jesus was not distant from Paul in his trials. He was right there, identifying with the apostle and comforting him.
i. "As the hotter the day, the greater the dew at night; so the hotter the time of trouble, the greater the dews of refreshing from God." (Trapp)
ii. We can count on it: when sufferings abound, consolation also abounds. Jesus is there to bring comfort if we will receive it. Of course, this assumes we are not suffering as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. (1 Peter 4:15-16)
iii. "It is not of suffering as suffering that the apostle here speaks. There is no tendency in pain to produce holiness. It is only of Christian suffering and of that sufferings of Christians, that is, of suffering endured for Christ and in a Christian manner, that the apostle says it is connected with salvation, or that it tends to work out for those who suffer an eternal weight of glory." (Hodge)
c. Our consolation also abounds through Christ. God may allow situations in our life where our only consolation is found through Christ. Sometimes we think the only consolation is found in a change of circumstances, but God wants to console us right in the midst of our difficult circumstances, and to do it through Christ.
i. This is the same idea Jesus expressed in John 16:33: In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
ii. Jesus also suffered, therefore He is fully qualified to comfort us in our time of trial. (Hebrews 2:18)
d. If we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation: If Paul and other ministers were afflicted, it was for the sake of God's people (like the Corinthian Christians). God had a larger purpose in Paul's suffering than just working on Paul himself. God brought consolation and salvation to others through Paul's sufferings.
i. How could God bring consolation and salvation to others through Paul's suffering? As suffering brought Paul closer to God and made him rely more and more on God alone, Paul was a more effective minister. He was more usable in the hand of God to bring consolation and salvation to God's people.
ii. Whenever we pray, "Lord, just use me. I just want to be used by You to touch the lives of others," we do not realize that we pray a dangerous prayer. Through this good prayer, we invite God to bring suffering into our lives if that is the proper tool to make us more able to bring consolation and salvation to the lives of others.
e. Which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer: The consolation and salvation the Corinthian Christians received from Paul's suffering were at work in the Corinthians, making them able to endure the same sufferings Paul and the other apostles endured.
i. Significantly, Paul writes of the same sufferings. It is unlikely the Corinthian Christians were suffering in exactly the same way Paul was. Probably, not one of them could match the list Paul made in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Yet, Paul can say they are the same sufferings because he recognizes that the exact circumstances of suffering are not as important as what God does and wants to do through the suffering. Christians should never get into a "competition" of comparing suffering. There is a sense in which we all share the same sufferings.
ii. Of course, sometimes it is useful to compare our sufferings to those of others - to see how light our burden really is! It is easy for us to think our small problems are really much larger than they are.
iii. The New Testament idea of suffering is broad and not easily limited to just one kind of trouble (like persecution). The ancient Greek word for suffering (thlipsis) originally had the idea of actual physical pressure. In old England, heavy weights were put on certain condemned criminals until they were "pressed to death." Thlipsis describes that kind of "pressing."
f. Effective for enduring: God's desire is that we would be enduring through suffering. The ancient Greek word for enduring is hupomone. It isn't the idea of passive, bleak acceptance, but of the kind of spirit that can triumph over pain and suffering to achieve the goal. It is the spirit of the marathon runner, not of the victim in the dentist's chair.
g. Or, if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation: God did not work only through the suffering Paul endured. God also worked good things in others through the comfort Paul received from the Lord.
i. We see Paul living in the footsteps of Jesus, who was truly an others-centered person. Paul's life is not focused on himself, but on the Lord and on those whom the Lord has given him to serve. Is Paul suffering? It is so that God can do something good in the Corinthian Christians. Is Paul comforted? It is so that God can bless the Corinthian Christians. Suffering or comforted, it wasn't all about Paul; it was all about others.
ii. "We are not brought to real submission until we have been laid low by the crushing hand of God." (Calvin)
h. We know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation: According to many passages in the New Testament, suffering is promised in the Christian life (Acts 14:22, 1 Thessalonians 3:3, Philippians 1:29, Romans 5:3). Nevertheless, we are also promised consolation in the midst of suffering.
4. (2 Cor. 1:8-11) - Paul's desperate affliction.
8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in [a]Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; 9 [b]indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; 10 who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, [c]He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, 11 you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.
a. Our afflictrion which came to us in Asia: We don't know the exact nature of this trouble. It was probably some type of persecution or a physical affliction made worse by Paul's missionary work.
b. We were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life: Whatever the problem was, it was bad. Because of this problem, Paul lived with the awareness that he might die at any time (we had the sentence of death . . . who delivered us from so great a death).
i. Because of the threat of death, many feel Paul's problem must have been persecution. However, the idea of a recurring physical malady isn't a bad choice. In that day, Jews could refer to sickness as "death" and healing as a "return to life." The use of the present tense in 2 Corinthians 1:4-6and 1:9-10imply that the problem was still with Paul as he wrote the letter. This makes it more likely - though by no means certain - that the trouble was a stubborn illness.
ii. In ourselves tells us that Paul's sentence of death was something he felt within, not something that a court of law had imposed on him from without.
c. That we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead: Even though the resurrection is a future event, there is a sense in which the reality and power of the resurrection touches every day for the suffering Christian. As we know by the power of His resurrection we will also be blessed by the fellowship of His sufferings. (Philippians 3:10)
d. Who delivered us . . . and does deliver us . . . we trust that He will still deliver us: Paul knew that God's work in our lives happens in three different verb tenses. God works in us past, present, and future.
e. You also helping together in prayer for us: Paul knew the value of intercessory prayer and was not shy about asking the Corinthians, despite their many spiritual problems, to pray for him. The Corinthian Christians were really helping together with Paul when they prayed for him.
i. Paul knew that blessing in ministry was granted to us through many: that is, through the prayers of ma nypeople. We often think of the great things God did through Paul, and we rightly admire him as a man of God. Do we think of all the people who prayed for him? Paul credited those praying people with much of his effectiveness in ministry.
ii. "Even an apostle felt the prayers of the Church necessary for his comfort and support. What innumerable blessings do the prayers of the followers of God draw down on those who are the objects of them!" (Clarke)
f. Persons is literally "faces." The idea "is that of faces upturned in prayer, the early Christian (and Jewish) attitude of prayer being one of standing with uplifted eyes and outstretched arms." (Bernard)
B. Paul defends his ministry. 1. (2 Cor. 1:12-14) - Pauls' integrity and simplicity in ministry towards the Corinthian Christians.
12 For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you. 13 For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end; 14 just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day
of our Lord Jesus.
a. The testimony of our conscience: In this section, Paul defends himself against the accusation that he is fickle and unreliable. Here, he simply states that he has a clear conscience before God and trusts that the Corinthian Christians will understand this.
b. We conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom: The Corinthian Christians were so accustomed to dealing with ministers who were calculating and manipulative, they figured Paul must be the same way. Therefore, when Paul said he was coming to them (1 Corinthians 16:5) but did not, they figured he was just manipulating them. Paul lets them know this was not the case.
i. The Corinthian Christians had become cynical. They believed that everyone had bad motives and was out for personal gain and power. They didn't trust Paul because they were cynical.
c. We are not writing any other things to you than what you read or understand: Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to know he had no "hidden meanings" in his letters. His meaning was right out on top for all to see.
i. A cynical heart always thinks, "You say this, but you really mean that. You aren't telling the truth." Paul assured the Corinthian Christians that he really told the truth and he didn't communicate with manipulative hidden meanings.
ii. "In Paul's life there were no hidden actions, no hidden motives and no hidden meanings." (Barclay)
Paste from this bible.org site: https://bible.org/article/god%E2%80%99s-comfort-suffering-and-our-responsibility-2-cor-11-11
