2 Corinthians 1:1-11

(2 Corinthians 1:1-11)

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:  Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  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. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 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. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.  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: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;  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.

 

 

The Corinthian church caused various worries for Paul. In his first letter, 1 Corinthians, Paul described how God's salvation was accomplished and sent a clear and convincing article about how the community was formed as a result. However, Paul's writings were uncomfortable and embarrassed for some of them, and rebelled against his leadership.


Therefore, Paul now had to send a second letter to them again. This is because some of the members of the Corinthian Church were fickle and questioned his motives and qualifications. So, Paul was forced to defend himself. But his defense was not for himself, but for the Corinthians and for the Lord. Therefore, his defense was not simply exercising the authority of his own leadership, but a defense and a letter of love with the heart of God who wants to establish God's will, providence, and order and have a balance between faith and action. At the beginning of the letter, Paul greets the Corinthians, clarifying where his apostolic qualification began.

 

『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: Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 』 Paul was a man sent by God as an apostle to convey the Lord's way to the Gentiles with a special assignment. The authority given from heaven cannot be damaged by anyone, and that authority can only be given by God, and only the Lord can reap. Thus, it is revealed that Paul's authority did not originate with man, but that it was only under the absolute sovereignty of God.

 

Subsequently, Paul praises God. God shows mercy and grace, comforts us through difficult times, and we begin by praising the Lord with us.『Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; 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. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.』

 

The Lord comes to us when it is difficult and difficult, and gives us strength and comfort. Paul and those with him received strength and comfort from the Lord. Not only that, but the Lord raises those who are comforted first, leads them to the side of others who are going through difficult times, and leads them to receive comfort. Although Paul himself was difficult and distressed by the Corinthians, he received comfort and strength from the Lord and comforted and empowered the Corinthians by the side of another person led by the Lord, that is, the Corinthians. And all this is the providence of the Lord, praising God for all mercy.

 

Paul knew well that following the Lord was not an easy path and it was not smooth. Paul probably knew better than anyone that walking in the path of the Lord would lead to many difficult times, because he was still going through such difficult times because of the Corinthians. At the pastoral level, Paul gave advice with love and wrote with all his heart, but the members of the Corinthian church did not recognize his authority and made him more difficult due to numerous schemes.

 

When we look at such a community, Paul's heart will surely be like the mourning of parents who have lost their beloved children. However, Paul was well aware that the Corinthians were going through difficult times, so he comforted them and encouraged them to overcome them. 『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. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 』


The Corinthians were having a difficult time in a relationship with their beliefs shaken, quarrels, and contradictory relationships. Paul comforts them, and Paul brings out the stories of his difficult times, encouraging them to go forward just like himself. Paul faced extreme difficulties that the Corinthians could not even think of. Paul confesses that the hard times he faced were so severe that he could not get through them.

 

Paul had once been on death row and was put in a situation where everything was over, and there would have been no hope in that situation. Yet, even in such difficult times, Paul knew well that in the end, the Lord was the one who leads to the best results. Being such a Paul, he had no choice but to trust God entirely, and consequently did not try to escape from it by relying on his own strength or knowledge in difficult circumstances. Paul entrusted everything to the Lord.

 

『 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: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us』

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