Paul starts off 2 Corinthians by introducing himself. As he normally does, he reminds his readers of his credentials. He is an apostle. Therefore they should listen. This is always true, but especially important for the Corinthian church. On a previous visit, there were some in the church who openly challenged his authority and argued with him. False teachers tried to lead them astray. Paul cared for them deeply. He knew that when they rebelled against him, they went into the danger zone. They risked falling away from the true faith.
Then Paul launches into speaking about the God of all Comfort.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ“
Paul often starts and ends his epistles with praise for God. These bookends enclose more comments of praise for God in the middle. Praising God is central to Paul’s books and his theology. This is an important reminder that Christ should be at the center of our thoughts. When He is at the center this will show in our conversations.
God of all comfort – Paul describes God as the “God of all comfort.”
God’s Word tells us He is our comforter.
4 Even when I go through the darkest valley,
I fear no danger,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.Psalms 23:4
76 May your faithful love comfort me
as you promised your servant.Psalms 119:76
50 This is my comfort in my affliction:
Your promise has given me life.Psalms 119:50
Paul expounds on this thought for the rest of this passage. It is not a character quality that people often think about in relation to God. Paul had been thinking about it. He had recently experienced God’s comfort in the midst of an affliction that he faced. (8-11)
When you think about this statement it is clearly true that God is God of all comfort. There is no real comfort apart from God. The Bible tells us that every person is a sinner and will face judgment for that sin. Apart from Christ, each person will face an eternity in hell. What comfort can be shared with a person who is on their way to hell? Or what comfort can be shared with a person who lost a relative who went to hell?
There is none. If a person is dying with cancer and doesn’t know the Lord, there is no real comfort for that person. If a person has lost a parent who doesn’t know the Lord, there is no real comfort for that person.
Now certainly in this world people would try to offer comfort to others. A person loses his job. “Don’t worry, you will find another one.” Someone gets a bad case of the flu, “It will pass.” But this is only temporal comfort. It doesn’t address a person’s real issues.
Think of it in this way. If a mother with cancer stubs her toe, is it comforting to say her toe will feel better soon? This isn’t her real problem.
So some also try to hide the facts. In Asian countries, when elderly people get cancer or other terminal illnesses, their family will often keep it a secret. They lie to them, saying that “everything will be OK.” Again, it is temporal comfort. But it isn’t real. It’s a lie. It’s a facade. That illusion of comfort will at some point be taken away.
In a similar way, many live in “ignorant bliss” about their spiritual destiny. They try to comfort themselves by ignoring the spiritual reality. They repeat to themselves over and over, “everything will be OK.” But it won’t be OK.
There is no comfort for a person who is still living in sin. Often times when people die others will say “RIP.” Rest in Peace. And they will say, “at least he is not in pain anymore.” But you can’t say this about an unbeliever. They are not resting in peace. There is no comfort for them. And there is no comfort for their family.
Apart from God, nothing will be OK. There is no real and lasting comfort apart from what God can give. And it is given only to those who experience salvation and have a relationship with Him.
If a person comes to God for comfort, he will receive it.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.Matthew 5:4
If you mourn over sin, you will receive comfort.
God promises forgiveness of sins. There will be a final comfort for believers. Every tear will be washed away. Every pain will be gone. Every sadness will turn to joy. Every sin will be confirmed to be paid for. We will be made perfect forever in God’s presence. But there is also a comfort now to those who mourn for sin.
God does not hold your sin against you. When you confess, He removes it as far as the East is from the West. There is comfort in the promise of forgiveness.
If a loved one passes away who is saved, we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. Knowing that person is in heaven with Christ is a comfort (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
God gives real comfort to those who repent of their sin. And though they may face temporary afflictions, these pale in comparison to the eternal blessings in store for them.
If you are facing trials or pain today and you are in God’s kingdom already, be comforted by this verse. And use it to comfort others.
God comforts us in our affliction. How does He bring comfort?
- He promises that our pain and tears will be wiped away.
- He promises that our sins are forgiven if we confess.
- He promises that He will cause everything to work together for good if we love Him.
- He promises that He will never leave us or forsake it.
- He promises that He will strengthen us to be overwhelming conquerors.
“So that we comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort we have received“
Paul says explicitly that one reason God comforts us is so that we can comfort others. It is difficult to pass on something you don’t have and have never experienced. A single person can teach on marriage by expounding on God’s Word. However, it is more difficult for a single person. It is easier for someone who has been married and applied firsthand the lessons in the Bible on marriage.
It is easier for someone with experience in applying biblical principles to raising children. They can more effectively teach others how to do the same.
One common sentence people use to comfort others is, “I know how you feel.” And the normal response is , “You don’t know how I feel!” But when you have received comfort in God’s promises and answered prayer, you gain something valuable. Through intimate friendship and Spirit giving power to overcome, you have something real and vibrant to share. You can share it with others who have faced similar afflictions to you. You can honestly tell them, “When I faced the biggest trial of my life, this is how God comforted me.”
What are specific ways He has comforted you in the midst of affliction or difficulty.
“As we share in Christ’s sufferings“
Paul refers to persecution. Believers who desire to live a godly life in Christ will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12). Believers in different places will experience persecution at different times and to different levels. However, all will experience it in at least some form.
Through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too
Throughout the Bible, we learn that God expects us to pass on what we have received. The man who was possessed by a legion of demons was saved and the demons were cast out. He was commanded to go and tell others what God had done for Him (Mark 5).
As believers, we should speak in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19). We are to actively seek to encourage each other by sharing testimonies and passing on what we learn from Scripture. And to unbelievers, we share the gospel.
In this verse, we are reminded to comfort other believers. We have to be sensitive and observant. When we see those hurting, we should take initiative to reach out. It could start as simply as making a friend and listening. When someone shares a difficult thing in their life, you can stop right there. Say, “Let me pray for you.” Do it right away.
How can you comfort other believers? Is there a specific person who is in the middle of a trial whom you can reach out to?
If we are afflicted it is for your comfort and salvation
The afflictions Paul and his team faced were because of his efforts in sharing the gospel. If he did not make these efforts he would not be afflicted. He made these efforts, so they received the gospel. They experienced ultimate comfort and salvation.
As you share in our sufferings, you will share in our comfort
When people suffer for Christ and stand firm in the faith, it shows that their faith is real. This means they are true believers. So by faithfully sharing in the sufferings of Paul, the Corinthians proved their faith. Paul knew that when they persevered in their walk with the Lord, they would share in God’s comfort. They would experience the comfort given to believers.
Reflective Questions:
- What does this passage show us about Paul’s focus and foundation?
- What character quality of God does he emphasize?
- Why might he have emphasized this?
- Why is it important for us to know that God is a God of comfort?
- What specific ways does He comfort people in affliction?
- Can you share any examples of ways God has comforted you during trials?
- What is one reason God may allow you to go through suffering based on this passage?
- How exactly do believers “share abundantly in comfort?”
- How could Paul’s affliction help the Corinthians?
- What kind of sufferings might the Corinthians have had to share in?
8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again 11 while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 1:8-11
Paul then goes into testifying that God sustains us through suffering.
God’s Word concerning Suffering:
10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.
1 Peter 5:10
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
Romans 8:18
3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:3-5
Of the affliction we experienced in Asia
Paul was not talking in the hypothetical. He himself had received this comfort. He had experienced it in the midst of grave troubles. This experience helped him to pass it on to them. Paul and his team experienced a serious affliction. The exact nature of this affliction is unclear. It was almost certainly persecution due to their preaching of the gospel. He experienced all kinds of trials including shipwrecks, beatings, whippings, and stoning.
And this specific affliction appears to be one of the most difficult. He says they were “utterly burdened beyond our strength.” They “despaired of life itself.” They felt that “we had received the sentence of death.”
Have you ever felt like this?
In moments like this, you should turn to God. Pour out your heart to Him. Seek the comfort that only He can give.
That was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God
Paul realized that the trial itself was beneficial for them. The severity of it forced them to rely on God. It made them humble. It made them seek God’s help. We are commanded not to “lean on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). We should not trust ourselves in any way. This includes our intelligence, our strength, our logic, our skill, or our connections. But this can be harder said than done! So sometimes God helps us to reach the point of total dependency on Him. He may do this by allowing us to experience a trial so difficult. We come face to face with the knowledge that we are completely inadequate to handle it. This turns us to God out of complete desperation.
On Him we have set our hope
Paul’s team rightly decided to set their hope on God alone.
What about you? Do you set your hope on God? What are some other things that you may be tempted to rely on or hope in?
You must help us by prayer
One of the most important lessons we get in this passage is that we should help each other! In Jesus we are one family. And a family is supposed to be there for each other. We can help to carry one another’s burdens. Weep with those who weep.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:15
Compassion may not naturally be your strong suit. If that is true, God wants you to grow in that area! Brothers and sisters are struggling. Do not let them face it alone. Reach out. Show your care. Make a friend. Listen. Pray. Practice simple acts of love and kindness. And finally, use the truth of God’s Word to comfort believers with the promises of God. Remind them of the ultimate comfort He gives to His children.
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
Reflective Questions:
- What had Paul and his team recently gone through?
- How did they feel during that time?
- What did Paul realize the purpose for this affliction was in his life?
- Can you share a testimony of a similar experience and how a trial helped you depend on God?
- How did this experience change their outlook?
- What could the Corinthians do on their behalf as they faced affliction?
- What are some specific ways you can support other believers who are going through suffering?
© Kimberlee Smith 2025 http://www.itstartssmall.com All rights reserved.
Need help?
Get in touch
it0starts0small@gmail.com
It Starts Small 
Leave a comment