THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT

THE GOD OF ALL COMFORT

2 Corinthians 1:3-11 (KJV)

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.

This is perhaps one of my favorite passages in the New Testament. 

It is surely one of my favorite titles for God, The God of All Comfort.

And I think it sets the mood for this brand new epistle to the church at Corinth.

What a change.

He had scolded them again and again in the first epistle.

His goal now is to be more comforting.

I want to break this lesson down into three headings:

*I. THE COMFORT OF PAUL

2 Corinthians 1:4-6 (KJV)

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.

Consider first of all who are the: 

•            Us

•            Our and

•            We

In the passage. It goes back to,

2 Corinthians 1:1 (KJV)

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:

He is speaking of himself and Timothy.

It was his tribulation, his trouble his sufferings, his affliction to which he refers.

And he gives more details in, 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (KJV)

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;

It is important that they of Corinth understood the price the Apostle had paid to get the gospel, the truth of God’s Word to them.

He said that there had been times he thought he was going to die for the cause of Christ.

Which events the Apostle was referring we can’t be sure but we know there were many.

He will write to the, 2 Corinthians 11:24-25 (KJV)

Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

The Roman law demanded that prisoners be whipped no more than 39 times because they had discovered, by experience, that 40 stripes led almost always to the death of the victim.

I promise plenty of them died with 39 stripes.

Paul was beaten that way 5 times.

Besides there were:

•            Stonings

•            Jailings

•            Beatings

•            Shipwrecks

And various other perils we will get into later in the series.

He wanted them to be aware of these troubles.

And he wanted them to understand that, through them all, God had comforted both he and Timothy.

He had paid a price.

They owed him a hearing.

Notice secondly,

*II. THE HELPERS WITH PAUL

2 Corinthians 1:11 (KJV)

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.

I doubt that most of us realize just how important your prayer life really is.

•            Paul was willing to go so the gospel would get to the lost

•            Paul was willing to be beaten so the gospel would get to the lost

•            Paul was willing to suffer loss, shame, pain, poverty, even death, so the gospel could get to the lost

But the thing Paul had to have in order for his tribulation, trouble, afflictions and suffering to have any value is prayer.

*Prayer is the most powerful weapon in the Christian soldier’s arsenal.

The Bible says

James 4:1-2 (KJV)

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?

Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.

We almost always think about that as disunity among brothers in the church, and I think it is there.

But look at this

1 Timothy 2:1-3 (KJV)

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;

•            It might be that we don’t pray that leads to conflicts between the nations.

•            It might be that we don’t pray that leads to soldiers falling on the field of battle

•            It might be that we don’t pray that leads to the rise of dictators and despots.

Ephesians 6:12-19 (KJV)

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

*There is so much here but let me summarize that we wrestle

•            By faith

•            By the Word of God and

•            By prayer

Paul said to pray always

•            And pray for him.

You need to change up your prayer life.

You need to make it much more urgent, much more meaningful. 

*You need to make it more of a priority - spend more time in prayer, trust God more that prayer is a powerful weapon.

•            You need to pray for those in authority

•            You need to pray for missionaries 

•            You need to pray for one another and

•            You need to pray fervently for your preacher

III. THE APPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (KJV)

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 primary interpretation of the passage is the sufferings of Paul and his company to get the gospel to others.

The primary response is to see the need to pray for those engaged in this work.

But the Bible says, 2 Timothy 3:12 (KJV)

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

If you are in any way engaged in the work of the gospel and if you are in any trouble because of it.

You can expect that God will comfort you.

If you have paid a price so that someone else may be ministered to - you can rest assuredthat the God of all comfort will give you the comfort, the grace, the strength, to carry on and continue on in the work.

And what better way to be a comfort to others who are in any way troubled, than to keep on keeping on in the Christian faith and ministry?