Scriptures for Today
2 Corinthians 1:1-7
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. 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. 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.
Introduction — How We Arrived at 2 Corinthians
Before we open verse 1, we need to understand how we got here. 2 Corinthians is not just a continuation of the story — it is a response to pain, a healing of wounds, and a restoration of fellowship.
This letter shows Paul at his most emotional, his most open, and his most human. To understand this book, we need the big picture:
1. Paul had already planted the church at Corinth. We saw this in Acts 18 — Paul preached the gospel, won souls, baptized believers, and stayed 18 months teaching the Word of God. He was their spiritual father. Their pastor. Their shepherd. He loved them deeply.
2. After Paul left, the church struggled. The first letter, 1 Corinthians, addressed: division, arrogance, immorality, doctrinal confusion, disorder in worship, pride in spiritual gifts, and attacks against Paul himself. It was a letter of correction — blunt, bold, and necessary.
3. But between 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians things got worse. Someone in Corinth openly defied Paul. False teachers slipped in. The church began questioning Paul’s authority, sincerity, and integrity. Paul made what he calls a “painful visit.” It did not go well. He left heartbroken and misunderstood.
4. Paul then wrote to them with “many tears.” Paul wrote with a broken heart. Please hear me on this. It breaks my heart to see us lose someone here to the sin of this world. It causes tears. I cry at times. This was a letter written in tears, confronting sin and demanding repentance. Paul later says:
2 Corinthians 2:4
For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
He didn’t want to hurt them — but he loved them too much to remain silent. We cannot remain silent when someone is ruining their own life. We must speak.
5. The good news: The majority of the church repented. Titus returned to Paul with a report: The church was sorrowful, The church was humbled, The church desired reconciliation, The church wanted Paul back. Paul wrote 2 Corinthians to: restore fellowship, reaffirm his love, defend his ministry, comfort the church, and explain the purpose of suffering in the Christian life. You could say this is the most personal letter Paul ever wrote.
The heart of 2 Corinthians 1 is God uses our suffering to bring comfort to others. Paul begins not with frustration, not with accusation, not with bitterness over how he was treated. He begins with praise, with comfort, with the mercy of God. Let’s walk through these verses.
Verse 1 — Paul and Timothy Write to the Church They Love
2 Corinthians 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:
Paul again anchors his apostleship in the will of God — not in public approval. He includes Timothy, showing unity, humility, and teamwork. And notice: “the church of God which is at Corinth.”
Not the church of Paul. Not the church of Apollos. Not the church of Cephas. Not my church. Not your church. The church belongs to God.
With all the saints which in “All Achaia” means Corinth was the leading church of a wider region of believers. Achaia is southern Greece that included cities like Corinth and Cenchrea. So this speaks of the whole southern region of Greece and not just the church in Corinth.
Verse 2 — Grace and Peace Again
2 Corinthians 1:2
Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even after all the pain. All the attacks. All the misunderstandings. Paul still begins with grace and peace. Grace — God giving you what you don’t deserve. Peace — God calming what you can’t control. Paul wanted their hearts at ease before their minds were corrected. We should always start out the same with our fellow believers.
Verse 3 — God’s Title: The Father of Mercies and the God of All Comfort
2 Corinthians 1:3
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Paul begins with worship. Make sure you notice this. HE BEGINS WITH THE WORSHIP OF GOD. Not complaint. Not making excuses. Not fear. Not sorrow. Not anything else. But worship. We should follow that example in our life each day. He calls God:
1. The Father of Mercies. Every mercy you experience flows from Him.
2. The God of All Comfort. Not some comfort. Not occasional comfort. Not partial comfort. All comfort. Whatever comfort reaches your heart passed through His hands.
Jesus is the Son of God. He has a Father. “The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus is called the Son of God because He has an eternal relationship with the Father. He didn’t become the Son at Bethlehem — He has always been the Son from eternity. His birth revealed Him as the Son, but He was the Son long before He took on flesh.
Verse 4 — Why God Comforts Us: To Make Us Comforters
2 Corinthians 1:4
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.
God does not comfort you to make you comfortable. He comforts you to make you a comforter. Paul says: “God comforts us so we can comfort others.”
Your pain is not wasted. Your tears prepare you for ministry. Your suffering becomes someone else’s survival. This is how Christian compassion is formed. Hey, I’ve been through that before. Let me help you with that. I know your pain. Let me show you how to fix that.
Verse 5 — Suffering Abounds, But So Does Consolation
2 Corinthians 1:5
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Ministry is not easy. Serving Christ is not soft. Paul suffered more than any apostle. The sufferings of Christ ABOUND in us. We will suffer in this life as we follow Jesus Christ.
But he says: “Where suffering grew comfort grew more.” You cannot out-suffer God’s ability to comfort you. Consolation means the strength, encouragement, and comfort God gives you in the middle of suffering for Him. God is lifting your heart when pain is trying to crush it.
If the valley you’re in is deep, the Shepherd is deeper. He’s got this. ALWAYS.
Verse 6 — Paul’s Affliction Was for Their Benefit
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.
Everything Paul went through helped them somehow. If he suffered — it strengthened them. If he was comforted — it encouraged them. A true Christian’s mindset: “If my pain helps you, it’s worth it. If I have to go through pain to help you, I will do that.”
Paul hurt so the church could heal. He suffered so they could stand.
Verse 7 — Shared Suffering Means Shared Comfort
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 says: “You’re not alone. You share the suffering. You will share the comfort.”
Christianity is not isolation — it is participation. We participate together. We suffer together to help others. Many of you work hard here on Sundays and it wears you down. But we work hard here together on Sundays and serve others to help others. We share those things.
And then we will also share the comfort of God together. Again, consolation means the strength, encouragement, and comfort God gives you in the middle of suffering for Him. You suffer. God comforts you.
Physical pain, sickness, injury, chronic weakness. Emotional burdens, anxiety, fear, loneliness, discouragement. Financial hardship, losing a job, struggling to provide, unexpected bills. Family conflict, tension in the home, rebellious children, strained marriages. Grief and loss, death of loved ones, heartbreaking setbacks. Spiritual battles, temptation, doubt, depression, internal warfare. Betrayal or abandonment, people you trusted walked away.
These are sufferings that come because we live in this fallen word.
You might be mocked or ridiculed for your faith. People calling you stupid, extreme, old-fashioned, hateful. Losing friends and relationships because you stand for truth. Following Jesus may cost you people you care about. Being excluded, passed over, ignored. Maybe you receive pressure from the government because you’re a believer.
Religious opposition, false teachers attacking you, other churches criticizing you. Social pressure to compromise, accept sin, stay quiet, or stop preaching boldly. Physical persecution, beatings, imprisonment, threats, or even killed for the cause of Jesus Christ. These are the sufferings and persecutions because you belong to Jesus Christ.
Paul is telling this church that he believes in them through all of that. He trusts that God is working in them. He is confident that they will endure. And I’m saying to each one of you today. We partake together in suffering. You will feel the same persecution that Jesus received. It’s a sign you belong to Christ.
But Paul is simply saying here: “I know you’re going to make it because the same Christ you suffer for is the same Christ who comforts you. If you share His pain, you will share His comfort. And God guarantees this to you.”
Application — What This Passage Teaches Us
1. We worship a God who comforts, not condemns. He is the Father of mercies. The God of all comfort. We have believed. We are His children. He gave us “The Comforter” who is the Holy Ghost.
2. God uses broken people to heal broken people. Your story, your scars, your struggles
become someone else’s lifeline. You can help others in a similar situation.
3. Suffering is not random — it is redemptive. If Christ’s sufferings abound in you,
Christ’s consolation will abound in you. Christ redeems. Christ comforts you. And listen, it’s actually a great thing to suffer in doing God’s work. Why? Because He comforts you without end.
4. Ministry requires both wounds and warmth. Paul suffered and Paul comforted. For example, imagine you’re freezing. And then someone brings you a nice warm heater. It’s so comforting. It’s so warm and cozy. We get wounded. We get comfort from God.
5. We suffer together — and we are comforted together. Shared trials produce shared triumph. We lose together. We win together.
Closing — The Comfort God Gives Always Flows Outward
You cannot bottle comfort. You cannot hoard mercy. You cannot keep healing to yourself. God comforts you so comfort can travel THROUGH you.
This is the ministry of mercy. This is the opening theme of 2 Corinthians. God gave mercy to you and I so we have mercy on others.
“Well he did this. She did that.” Well, guess what? Now they’re trying to do right. So we give them another chance. We give them mercy. We move forward forgetting the things of the past. Together, we’re going to reach forth unto those things which are right here before us.
Together, we PRESS toward the mark for the PRIZE of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Listen, my friends and family right there today, we are going to PRESS and PRESS and go and go toward that PRIZE that Jesus Christ has waiting for you and I.
And as we suffer together, we will be comforted together. All glory and thanks be to our Almighty God in heaven above. We love you, and we thank you.
Let’s pray.
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