Comfort, Hope, and Confidence

2 Corinthians 1:6-11

Introduction

Last week we read Paul’s writings about why Christians go through tribulations and hard times. I came across a quote from John Henry Jowett, “God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us comforters.” This was the point of the opening of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian believers.

Paul’s words have haunted me. I think about them constantly and wonder why I didn’t recognize that truth before. Perhaps I wasn’t ready or maybe I am getting ready to go through some rough times and God is letting me know that no matter what happens in my life here on earth, God is in control. The impact of the Word of God is that when He allows us to go through trials and difficulties, it is so we can comfort other believers and unbelievers will see God manifested.

My mind is drifting back to the audience of the first century church at Corinth. Paul went to Corinth during both his second and third missionary journeys (Acts 18:1-17; Acts 19:1-7).

· Remember that it was at Corinth that we met Aquila and his wife Priscilla who became great friends and had the same trade as Paul, they were tent makers.

· It was at Corinth where Paul taught in the synagogues that Jesus was the Christ and when they rejected his teaching and Paul made his famous declaration; “And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles (Acts 18:6).

· It was at Corinth where a great insurrection against Paul was brought before the judgment seat of Gallio who in turn settled the crowd down concerning the charges against him (Acts 18:12-17).

Paul lived over 18 months (Acts 18:11) and so a big part of his second missionary journey was dedicated to this church. It is no wonder that his heart was broken when he found them not following his message or leadership and the first epistle to the church was written. So when he receives the good news from Titus, his heart is overflowing in joy. He knows the conditions that they are living in and the troubles that they are having, so Paul takes the opportunity to encourage them.

2 Corinthians 1:6 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.

In our previous study, we found that God uses our sufferings to help and comfort other believers. It has been my experience that when people suffer often they can become so focused on their own misery that they become very self-centered. The result is that often times the person measures the fortunes of others against the backdrop of their life and the amount of suffering they are going through compared to others. The next emotion is they begin to feel sorry for themselves. Despair replaces joy. Apathy invades the home and sucks all hope and dreams out of them. This leads to a person requiring special attention to be paid to them. Frustration and anger are the next visitors followed closely by their old friend, bitterness. Paul is instructing the church that trials and tribulations will come, there is no alternative to that. But God uses both comfort and suffering in believers to accomplish His work. Paul identifies the purposes of God for comfort and suffering in the believer.

First God uses suffering in the believer for “consolation” or “comfort for other believers who are suffering. I have often told the story that the darkest day in my life was when I found out that my wife had cancer. The prognosis was “maybe five years.” I would never have realized how many people my wife has been able to help and console because she knew what they were going through, because she went through chemotherapy. She could speak to the problem of cancer from the viewpoint of a survivor.

Secondly God uses sufferings in the believer as a means of salvation. Many people do not seek God when everything going on in their lives is great and wonderful. When things go wrong, God is an easy target to vent their anger. A believer must trust God in the hard times as well as the good times in order that others may come to salvation. In Paul’s pastoral epistle to Timothy he states; “Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (2 Timothy 2:10).

Illustration:

A woman visited New York City, and saw on the sidewalk a ragged cold, and hungry little girl, gazing wistfully at some of the cakes in a shop window. She stopped, and, taking the little one by the hand, led her into the store. Though she was aware that bread might be better for the cold child than cake, yet, desiring to gratify the shivering and abandoned one, she bought and gave her a cake she wanted. She then took her to another place, where she purchased for the girl a shawl and other items of comfort. The grateful little girl looked at the woman right in the eyes, and with precious simplicity said, “Are you God’s wife?”

Believers are to trust God at all times; in the good times and bad. We should trust God when we are being offended as well as when we are praised. Our testimony should not waiver when bodily suffering replaces good health. We should be unwavering in times of loss as well as in times of plenty. Our testimonies in front of our brethren should be one of comfort, hope and confidence for the world to see. When the world sees the love of God manifested in the believer, who are going through trials and troubles, no matter what the circumstance, that may lead them to salvation.

Hope

2 Corinthians 1:7 ¶ And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

Paul proclaims that his “hope” for the church is “steadfast”. Paul’s great joy for the church is sure. His hope is built upon the solid commitment of the church toward him. They could have rejected him, and continued in error, but they were moved by the Holy Spirit that Paul was proclaiming the truth. The Greek word for “partakers” can mean “one who shares” but it can also mean “fellowship” or “partners.” The brethren should be willing “partners” with Christ in suffering. That is not the thought of most Christians today. The last thing we want to think about is suffering. But, what Jesus did for us should supersede any of our wants. His suffering by going to the cross to take our place is His offering in the partnership. We should be willing to suffer for the cause of Jesus and the spreading of the Gospel to all nations. Our part in the “partnership” is to understand that we will go through the trials, but our attitude should be one filled with hope instead of worry, doubt, fear and feeling that you have been wronged. Partnering with Jesus will have its fair share of trials and tribulations, but they will lead to comfort and then hope.

There are four passages in this epistle that deal with “sufferings”. Here in the United States it is difficult for us to understand suffering. We have built empires to pleasure, food and materialism. But for the first century Christians, sufferings were a part of the daily routine. (1:7–11; 4:8–10; 6:4–10; 11:23–12:10).

Recently I have been in contact with several pastors in India and Bangladesh. Two of these works have begun taking in orphans. It is winter there just like it is here and their one cry is for blankets. Not money, iPods, TVs, radios, new vehicles but blankets for the orphan children that is in their care.

There is a young Ukrainian pastor named Paul that walks 15 miles one way to hold bible studies three times a week. No matter what the weather is; snow, rain, sunshine, heat or cold, he makes his way to his flock. His dedication to spreading the Gospel is astonishing. His only request is for a used vehicle so he can start more bible studies in remote areas. His request is not for his own comfort or needs but his hope is that God will supply the vehicle so that more people will hear the Gospel and be saved.

I have an acquaintance in India that has been arrested and beaten for no other reason than that he is a Christian working among the Islamic people in his area. They have seen many follow Jesus and the more that happens the more the attacks.

These men know sufferings and trials and they “count it all joy” (James 1:2), as they are reaching many with the Gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation.

2 Corinthians 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

Paul now wants to fill them in on his own trials in order to give them comfort. There is something that connects two people when they are facing the same trials. A bond is built and a connection is made that in many times are for a lifetime. Paul tells them that his trouble in Asia was so severe that the group even despaired of living. He is aware of trials that could lead to death. He has been through it. He can give comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:

Paul surely thought his life would be taken during these events in Asia. There were many events in Paul’s life in Asia, that it is impossible to pin-point which events he was referring to.

Asia includes Asia Minor of which Ephesus was the capital. Paul could be referring to the persecutions at Lystra, (Ac 14:6,19-20) where a miracle enabled his recovery. Or it could be the riot in Ephesus where Paul had to leave the city (Acts 19). It could be the account in 1 Corinthians 15:32 where Paul was compelled to fight with wild beasts. But the freshest memories would be the plots against his life where the Jews were laying in wait to kill him. These are the kinds of trials he could be talking about that would cause him to talk about the soon possibility of death. All of these trials that Paul faced, he wanted the church to be aware of. It is these trials that he shares with them, a common bond in trials facing death and tribulations.

In all of these trials, the hope is in God who is able to raise the dead if need be for His glory to be revealed.

2 Corinthians 1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

Paul gives the glory to God for deliverance. And not in just these past experiences, but in future ones as well.

2 Corinthians 1:11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf.

Paul ends this section of the passage by thanking them for praying for them. Paul refers to the “gift bestowed”. The gift is the favor of God given freely in rescuing Paul and his party. It was through the many prayers “of many people” on their behalf that were answered by God. Paul believes his deliverance from these times of peril and death were because of the petitions of many.

Conclusion

Comfort

Hope

Commitment