2 Corinthians 1:1-11: Our Comforting God
"LIFE IS DIFFICULT!" With these three words Scott Peck begins his bestselling book, The Road Less Travelled. But in 2 Corinthians Paul says this and more. Just where life is difficult, where our relationships are strained, where our competence is questioned, where our health and security are threatened, God makes himself known in powerful comfort. We discover that one of the supreme greatnesses of Christianity is that it does not seek a supernatural escape from the difficulties of life. Instead it offers a supernatural use for them. Troubles become triumphs as God makes himself known in our weakness.
Warming Up to God
What comfort do you need from God today? Sit and wait for him to visit you with his peace and reassurance.
Read 2 Corinthians 1:1-11. »
Discovering the Word
- After his customary greeting and "signature," Paul breaks into praise. What evokes this spontaneous worship (vv. 3-7)?
- What is the connection between the sufferings of Christ and the comfort of Christ (vv. 5-6)?
- Paul's hardships in the province of Asia (modern-day Turkey) were evidently life-threatening. What did he discover about the meaning of such sufferings in the Christian life (vv. 8-11)?
- How do you think Paul's openness in sharing the realities of his Christian experience affected his relationship with the Corinthians?
Applying the Word
- In what ways have you experienced God's comfort in a difficult situation?
- How does your experience of God's comfort enable you to comfort others who are suffering?
- Based on what you have learned in these first eleven verses, how can hardships draw you closer to God instead of driving you away from him?
Responding in Prayer
Think of someone you know who needs to experience God's comfort. Ask God to comfort that person and to use you in offering comfort.
For Further Study
2 Corinthians: Finding Strength in Weakness by Paul Stevens