Scofield writes of II Corinthians, "Paul's spiritual burden was great; for, in addition to the problems with which the apostle had to deal in his first letter, a wave of distrust in relation to Paul himself had now swept through the church. Some said he was not sincere; others even questioned whether he had apostolic authority. Consequently, Paul here defends his authority by placing before the church the overwhelming evidence of his sincerity in serving God. Thus this Epistle is very personal and autobiographical. Here, then, is an unusual accumulation of words expressing suffering of mind, heart, and body: 'affliction,' 'anguish,' 'beating,' 'distresses,' 'fastings,' 'fightings,' 'labors,' 'perils,' 'persecutions,' 'sorrow', 'stripes', 'sufferings,' 'tears,' 'tumult,' 'weak,' and 'weakness'" (Scofield Reference Bible, p. 1252).
3 - 7 The underlying theme of this portion of Scripture is comfort in the midst of terrible trouble. Jehovah God is a God of mercies and comfort; He is to be praised. Both mercies and comfort have God as their source. Paul has much to say about comfort (parakleseos) or consolation in this epistle. If a Christian ever experienced the mercies and comfort of God, Paul was that individual. God had brought him safely through great trials; God's comfort truly caused Paul to praise God. The word translated comfort comes from the words para meaning "from" and kaleo which means "to call;" hence, to call along side of. So the Holy Spirit comes alongside of every believer to give mercy and comfort in times of trial; He is our Parakletos (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7) - our Comforter and Consolation. God the Father is characterized by His mercies (oiktirmon), emotions or acts of pity.
The Holy Spirit, Who was promised by Christ Jesus, to every disciple is always present to comfort "us in all our tribulation (thipsei), trouble or affliction, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." When comfort comes to the child of God, then as we receive God's mercies and comfort, we may in turn show comfort and consolation to others. "Thus we have the privilege of passing on to others who are in distress the same comfort which we received from God when we were in distress" (Yeager, Volume XIII, p. 253). The child of God is not only able to sympathize but to empathize with others since he has experienced the same trial, trouble or affliction; he may say to an afflicted brother or sister, "I know how you feel for I have been there." Morgan states that these words "comfort" or "consolation" mean the underpinning; it is the great thought of underpinning, strengthened comradeship, called to the side of, and being by the side of, upholding" (p. 227). This is what the Holy Spirit does for the believer.
If anyone ever knew and had experimental proof of the great assurance that God could give, it was the Apostle Paul. He compares himself with others who may not have suffered as Paul had. "...In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often" (11:23). He experienced the comfort that only God can give, enabling him to endure and even to rejoice, and then, "...in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake" (12:10) (Hughes, p. 12).
"Because just as the sufferings of Christ have been multiplied (perisseuei) or abounded in us again and again, in the same way through (dia), by or through the agency of Christ our comfort will also multiply" (Yeager's translation). Except for the Cross experience, Paul must have suffered the same afflictions and trials that our Savior did. As Paul endured sufferings for Christ's sake, so he could pass on the same comfort he received from the Holy Spirit. Since Christ gives mercy and compassion to us, we can pass it on to others as we see them suffer.
Paul continues his line of thought from the preceding verse. When the world puts the Christian under pressure, he can come to the aid of others who are experiencing pressure. When we patiently endure (hupomone) or remain under the burden, we can help others when they encounter troubles. The apostle endured trials and tribulations so he was experienced enough to assist the Corinthians; he certainly could comfort them. Paul's "sufferings were endured in the course of bringing (the Corinthians) the Gospel, the Good News which to every believing heart conveys the supreme comfort of sins forgiven and eternal salvation" (Hughes, pp. 14, 15).
Paul had a great deal of confident expectation (elpis) or hope in the Corinthians. How were they partakers of Paul's suffering? Paul had labored in Corinth several months, and they no doubt saw his sufferings and joined in prayer for him and his success as a missionary. Since they were involved in his suffering, they would also receive consolation or comfort in their times of persecution which were ahead for them. Paul had confidence in them that they would endure as did Job; they were genuine. God always purifies His own. "If it is God's work it cannot fail; it will be brought to completion (cf. Philippians 1:6). In the service of Christ, therefore, there may be disappointments, but there cannot be despair; there may be conflicts, but never doubt; there may be afflictions, but never without comfort" (Hughes, p. 15).
8 - 11 The Corinthians were cognizant of Paul's suffering in Asia Minor; he was pressed out of measure (huperbolen) or exceedingly; he was so burdened and filled with despair (exaporethenai) or hopeless above strength or beyond endurance (like a beast of burden crushed beneath too heavy a load). In fact, Paul even feared that he might not survive at the hands of his persecutors. He probably had reference to the mob action of the silversmiths in Acts 19:21 - 41. Because the Corinthians understood and knew about his troubles, that helped Paul to persevere.
As Paul labored under adverse circumstances, he was always aware that he might give his life for his Lord. He labored under a death sentence (apokrima) or answer to the death problem (in Ephesus). "The inward answer that the apostle gave to the question of his probable fate was, that he would die" (Gould, p. 153). For that reason he never trusted (pepoithotes) or waxed confident in himself or his own ability to preach the Word. He took consolation that if he did die for the cause, God has the power to resurrect him. Did Paul experience this same resurrection in Lystra as the opposition stoned him and left him for dead?
God has saved Paul's life in Lystra, and He did the same for him at Ephesus. Jehovah God is the Raiser of the dead. God makes a practice of delivering His servants from the death sentence; He does deliver and will deliver (rhusai) or rescue. Paul uses this word for "deliver" three times in this verse; God has delivered (past), He does deliver (present), and He will deliver (future). This word "deliver" or "rescue" was used in Matthew 6:13 where Jesus prayed in the Model Prayer, "...lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil..." Because of Paul's faith in God he could write to Timothy, "For I am ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (II Timothy 4:6 - 8). Hughes quotes Chrysostom who said, "Notwithstanding that the resurrection is a future event, (Paul) shows that it happens every day; for when God raises up again a man whose life is despaired of, and who has been brought to the very gates of hell, He shows nothing other than a resurrection, snatching from the very jaws of death the one who had fallen into them" (p. 21).
The Corinthians were helping together (sunupourgounton) or assisting Paul in his missionary work as they prayed for his safety and success. Further results of their prayers of intercession would be the salvation of many more converts. Heaven only will reveal how much our prayers have aided missionary and evangelistic workers. Although prayer is a mystery, "...It is stressed over and over again in the New Testament as a vital prerequisite for the release and experience of God's power. It is true that it is God who delivers, and that God stands in no need of human prayers before He can act on behalf of His afflicted servants. Yet there is a manward as well as the Godward aspect of such deliverance, and the manward side is summed up in the duty of Christians to intercede in prayer for their fellow-believers who are enduring affliction...In prayer, human impotence casts itself at the feet of divine omnipotence. Thus the duty of prayer is not a modification of God's power, but a glorification of it" (Hughes, pp. 22, 23).
| 2 Cor. Intro. | 2 Cor 1:12- | 2 Cor 2 | 2 Cor 3 | 2 Cor 4 | 2 Cor 5 |
| 2 Cor 6 | 2 Cor 7 | 2 Cor 8 | 2 Cor 9 | 2 Cor 10 | 2 Cor 11 |
| 2 Cor 12 | 2 Cor 13 | 2 Cor Bib |