2 Corinthians 1:1-11

Butler's Comments
SECTION 1

Affliction (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 which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed 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, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that we despaired of life itself. 9Why, we felt that we had received the sentence of death; but that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead; 10he delivered us from so deadly a peril, and he will deliver us; on him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us in answer to many prayers.

2 Corinthians 1:1-7 Aim: The aim of adversity or affliction is to strengthen. That is God's aim. Men have difficulty accepting that. Men cannot see the eternal purpose in all earthly circumstances and most of them will not believe God's revelation. God subjected all creation to futility (which inevitably includes affliction) so that it would hope and groan for divine assistance and redemption (Romans 8:18-39). With the subjection to affliction, God also supplies the divine assistance.

The word for comfort in Greek is paraklesseos. It is a combined word from para meaning alongside and kaleo, meaning to call or summon into one's presence. It is the same word used by the apostle John in his Gospel as the name of the Holy Spirit, or Paraclete, and is translated, Comforter, Counselor (John 14:16; John 14:26; John 15:26). The word means to call for an assistant. To be comforted means to be assisted, helped, strengthened.

Should those who preach and teach the gospel understand their experiences of affliction as assistance? Yes! So says God through the apostle Paul. Such an understanding and acceptance can only come, however, when the human mind and emotions are surrendered to the divine revelation. Acceptance will not come by human reason or feeling or experience. Everything in the human perspective says affliction is disadvantageous and in opposition to man's highest good. Only God knows affliction assists man to his highest good. Man has to believe God in opposition to his feelings and his experiences.

The Greek word thlipsei is translated affliction and means, trouble, suffering due to pressure of circumstances. It is translated straitened in the KJV. Jesus was under constant pressure in his earthly ministry (see Colossians 1:24). He was troubled or straitened often (Luke 12:50; John 11:33; John 11:38; John 12:27; John 13:21). He said those who wished to be his disciples would enter through a difficult gate and continually travel on a road of affliction (Matthew 7:13-14) (tethlimmene, Greek perfect tense verb depicting a continuity of circumstances and results). Thlipsei refers not only to physical suffering but also to mental, emotional and psychological pressures. Every servant of God will suffer both afflictions. Sometimes physical suffering is induced by the psychological afflictions, or vice versa. Jesus experienced both (see Hebrews 2:10-18; Hebrews 5:7-9; Hebrews 12:1-2). Paul suffered both (2 Corinthians 11:21-33; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Philippians 4:10-13; Galatians 6:17). The early Christians suffered both (Hebrews 10:33; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; 1 Peter 4:12 ff; Revelation 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 1:4, etc.).

Christians are not to be surprised that affliction comes their way as if it were something strange (1 Peter 4:12). All who would live godly in this world will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). In fact, anyone not being disciplined or strengthened by affliction should question their relationship with Christ (see Hebrews 12:5-11).

Jesus was assisted (strengthened) by the afflictions and pressures He suffered. The book of Hebrews says Jesus was perfected through the things he suffered (Hebrews 2:10; Hebrews 5:9; Hebrews 7:28; Hebrews 12:2). That means, Jesus reached the goal God set for him and he did it through suffering affliction. It was for the very purpose of suffering that Jesus came into the world (Isaiah 53:1-12; John 12:27; Luke 12:50; Matthew 26:38-39). It was revealed to Paul that part of the purpose of God for Christians is to fulfill in their lives the afflictions of Christ (Colossians 1:24-26). Paul also learned that messengers of the gospel are perfected (reach the goal God has for them) through affliction (2 Corinthians 12:7 ff).

One of the primary gains of affliction is the capacity to minister to others. And it is not so much that we could never be of any help until we have suffered, as it is that the sufferer is made aware there is someone who understands, who sympathizes, and knows what it feels like to suffer. God had no need to become incarnate in Jesus and experience affliction in order to make him capable of helping us. But we needed to know he had experienced the same afflictions we experience in order that we would trust and turn to him as one who understands and as one who conquered.

The Creator (incarnate) experienced affliction for our sake. We creatures experience it, secondly, because we could not really understand and sympathize without it. We are not omnipotent and omniscientwe are not divinewe must learn by doing. Furthermore, it is our affliction that motivates us to comfort the afflicted. What made David the shepherd-king of Israel? His afflictions at the hand of Saul and others. What made Moses the great deliverer of Israel? The abuse he suffered as an Israelite (Hebrews 11:24-28).

To aspire to the spiritual perfection or maturity of Jesus Christ without aspiring to the suffering and affliction of Christ is to misunderstand the Scriptures. Paul plainly says in 2 Corinthians 1:5, For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort (strength) too. It is the Christian's calling to suffer for doing right (see I Peter Chapter s, 2 and 4). Affliction is Christian education. The first thing the Christian learns in affliction is that he is to be a comfort (strength) to others. The suffering Christian is trained by his affliction so that he may lead others to the strength that comes from their afflictions. Christian comfort extended to those being afflicted is not merely sympathyit is leading the afflicted to find the strength that should be coming from what they are experiencing. Strengthening is the aim of affliction. Looked at from God's perspective, affliction is not an adversity but an advantage! Affliction is not a weakness, but a strength. Paul found that when he was driven to God's grace by his weaknesses, he actually became strong (cf. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). And that especially applies to ministers of the Gospel.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11 After-effect: Paul illustrates his point by referring to one of his own experiences. He uses the expression, ... we do not want you to be ignorant. to emphasize the importance of what he is about to say (see 1 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1; Romans 1:13; Romans 11:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:13). He is discussing a very important Christian doctrinethe purpose of affliction. This question about the reason for suffering is a question which all mankind longs to have answered. So Paul wants the Corinthian church to pay particular attention to what he has to say.

When Paul suffered this affliction is not certain. It is most likely a reference to the trouble that resulted from the riot in Ephesus (see Acts 19:23 to Acts 20:1). The lives of Paul and his co-workers were in danger there. Paul did not tell the Corinthians what the affliction was, but he did describe its seriousness.

He said they were utterly (Gr. huperbolen, literally, thrown over or excessively), unbearably (Gr. huper dunamin, literally, beyond power) crushed (Gr. ebarethemen, literally, burdened down). Paul and his co-workers, on this occasion, suffered deep depression. The Greek word exaporethenai is translated despair and literally means, to be utterly without a way through. Death stared them in the face and they saw no way out of it. Within themselves (Gr. alla autoi en heautois, lit. and ourselves, in ourselves.) they

were possessed (Gr. eschekamen, had, possessed, seized) with the sentence of death (Gr. apokrima tou thanatou).

Do Christians get depressed? Do ministers of the gospel suffer depression? Yes! Apostles suffered depression. Even the Lord Jesus himself experienced it! Jesus once said, I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how I am constrained until it is accomplished! (Luke 12:50). The Greek word sunechomai is translated constrained in the RSV, and distressed in the NIV. The word literally means to be pressed together, to be pressured. The depressing shadow of the cross was constantly across the path of Jesus. His soul was troubled often by the unjust death he was to die (see John 12:27 ff; John 13:21). In Gethsemane he grieved and was distressed and his soul was deeply grieved even unto death (Matthew 26:37-38). David, king of Israel, suffered depression (see Psalms 3:1-8; Psalms 5:1-12; Psalms 6:1-10; Psalms 10:1-18; Psalms 12:1-8; Psalms 13:1-6; etc.).

Does such despair serve any purpose? Yes! Paul said his despair in Asia came in order that (Gr. hina) they should not rely on themselves but on God who raises the dead. God knocks the props out from under us occasionally in order to show us that he is the only way through. God desires that we trust completely in him. Our Father has a divine inheritance to give us which we cannot receive unless we trust him completely. Abraham was despairing of ever having a child; Moses despaired of his ability to lead Israel; David despaired of ever being king of Israelbut God pulled them through. Not only did God fulfill in them what he promised in this life, but out of their surrender to his grace, he saved them for eternal life with him.

If Paul's extremity was the riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:1-41), God delivered him, and his co-workers, through secondary means. God did not work any miracles to stop the riot. He simply made it possible for the town clerk to persuade the rioters against violence. This being the case, how did Paul know it was God who had delivered him? He knew there was no way out of the deadly peril surrounding him, and when the impossible became possible, he believed it was from God. Besides, Paul had hoped in God in times past and had been delivered. The Greek word elpikamen is perfect tense and means Paul had set his hope on God in the past and was continuing to do so. The temptations to pride, independence, self-reliance and human capability are so strong and so constant, God must continually allow some people to endure a hard struggle with sufferings. (see Hebrews 10:32). All men have need of endurance so that they may do the will of God and receive what is promised (Hebrews 10:36). Suffering produces endurance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-5). God subjected all of this present creation (humanness included) to futility for the purpose that it might turn to him in hope (see Romans 8:18-25). Now when suffering, despair, loss and human frailty sweeps over the soul of man, there are only two alternatives. One is to allow a root of bitterness to spring up, increase the trouble, and thereby become defiled (see Hebrews 12:12-17). The other is to throw oneself completely upon the mercy and grace of God, learning that when we admit and live in a spirit of human weakness we may become strong through trust in God (2 Corinthians 12:1-10). It sounds paradoxical that strength will come from an attitude of weakness. And without God in the equation, it would be a contradiction. Friedrich Nietzsche scoffed at such a doctrine. His trust was in the autonomy of man and the death of God. He believed the only good in the world came from man's will to power. And his contribution to the world was a disciple named Adolph Hitler!

Dependence on God is easy to say but difficult to really do. Many trust him and depend on him as long as circumstances are prosperous and health is good. But true faith should be able to overcome our feelings when things are not going well.
Christians must help one another in such times. Paul called upon the Corinthians in this letter to cooperate (Gr. sunupourgounton, helping together with) by intercessory prayer in securing his deliverance through the hand of God for the work he still had to do. Paul believed the prayers of the Corinthians would contribute in some way to receiving an answer from God. While God could act whether we pray or not, he is a divine Father and knows that our relationship to him is deepened and made secure only when we are constant in our dependence upon him. Praying and receiving answers produces thanksgiving throughout the church.