2 Corinthians 1:1-7: a reflection

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the assembly of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: 2Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as the sufferings of Christ abound to us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. 6But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. 7Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so you are also of the comfort.

Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians by blessing God as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, and he describes something remarkable about the comfort God gives. God comforts us in all our affliction, he says, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. The comfort God gives us in our affliction is not for us alone; it equips us to comfort others in theirs. Having been comforted by God, we are able to bring that same comfort to others who suffer, so that our own afflictions become a means of comforting others.

Notice the purpose of the comfort God gives: that we may comfort others. God does not comfort us in our affliction only for our own sake; he comforts us so that we, having received his comfort, can bring it to others in their affliction. Our own afflictions, and the comfort God gives in them, become a means of comforting others who suffer as we have. The comfort flows through us: received from God, passed on to others. What we have suffered, and how God has comforted us in it, equips us to comfort those in similar affliction. The comfort God gives is meant to overflow, from him to us, and through us to others.

That is worth taking to heart, for the comfort God gives us in affliction equips us to comfort others in theirs. We can think of the comfort God gives us as only for ourselves; but Paul says God comforts us so that we can comfort others, that our own afflictions and God's comfort in them become a means of comforting those who suffer as we have. The comfort we receive is meant to flow through us to others. Do not keep the comfort God gives you only to yourself; let it flow through you to comfort others in their affliction, as God comforts us that we may comfort others. Let the comfort God gives you in your affliction overflow to comfort others in theirs, using what you have suffered and how God has comforted you to comfort those in similar affliction, as Paul says God comforts us that we may comfort others; for the comfort God gives is meant to flow through us to others, and our own afflictions, met by his comfort, equip us to comfort those who suffer as we have.

Lord, Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians by blessing you as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, and he describes something remarkable about the comfort you give. You comfort us in all our affliction, he says, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by you. The comfort you give us in our affliction is not for us alone; it equips us to comfort others in theirs. Having been comforted by you, we are able to bring that same comfort to others who suffer. Show me the purpose of the comfort you give: that we may comfort others. You do not comfort us in our affliction only for our own sake; you comfort us so that we, having received your comfort, can bring it to others in their affliction. Our own afflictions, and the comfort you give in them, become a means of comforting others who suffer as we have. The comfort flows through us: received from you, passed on to others. Take that to my heart, for the comfort you give me in affliction equips me to comfort others in theirs. I can think of the comfort you give me as only for myself; but Paul says you comfort us so that we can comfort others. The comfort I receive is meant to flow through me to others. Keep me from keeping the comfort you give me only to myself; let it flow through me to comfort others in their affliction, Lord, using what I have suffered and how you have comforted me to comfort those in similar affliction.