2 Corinthians 1:4 - The God of All Comfort
who comforts us in all our troubles
This phrase highlights God's role as the ultimate source of comfort. In the context of 2 Corinthians, Paul is writing to a church that has experienced various trials and persecutions. The Greek word for "comfort" here is "paraklēsis," which implies encouragement and consolation. This reflects the nature of God as described in Isaiah 51:12, where God declares Himself as the one who comforts His people. Historically, the early church faced significant persecution, and this assurance of divine comfort would have been crucial for their endurance. The comfort God provides is not limited to specific situations but encompasses all troubles, indicating His omnipresence and omnipotence.
so that we can comfort those in any trouble
This phrase suggests a purpose behind the comfort received from God: to enable believers to extend that same comfort to others. This reflects the communal and interdependent nature of the Christian faith, where believers are called to support one another. The early church, as seen in Acts 2:44-45, was characterized by a strong sense of community and mutual aid. This principle of comforting others is also seen in the life of Jesus, who often reached out to those in distress, such as in Matthew 11:28-30, where He invites the weary to find rest in Him. The phrase underscores the idea that personal experiences of God's comfort equip believers to minister to others effectively.
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God
This final phrase emphasizes the source and authenticity of the comfort believers are to share. It is not a human-derived consolation but one that originates from God Himself. This divine comfort is transformative and empowering, as seen in the lives of biblical figures like David, who found solace in God during his trials (Psalm 23:4). The cyclical nature of receiving and giving comfort mirrors the concept of grace, where believers are conduits of God's love and mercy. This aligns with the broader biblical narrative of God using His people to fulfill His purposes, as seen in the lives of the prophets and apostles. The comfort received is a testament to God's faithfulness and serves as a powerful witness to His character and promises.
Persons / Places / Events
1. Paul the Apostle
The author of 2 Corinthians, Paul is writing to the church in Corinth. He is known for his missionary journeys and his letters to early Christian communities.
2. Corinth
A major city in ancient Greece, known for its wealth and immorality. The church in Corinth faced many challenges, including divisions and moral issues.
3. God
The source of all comfort, as emphasized in this passage. God’s comfort is a central theme in Paul’s message to the Corinthians.
4. The Corinthian Church
The recipients of this letter, they were a diverse group of believers dealing with various internal and external struggles.
5. Troubles/Afflictions
Refers to the various trials and sufferings faced by believers, which are opportunities for experiencing God's comfort.
Teaching Points
God as the Source of Comfort
Recognize that true comfort comes from God, who is always present in our times of trouble.
Purpose of Comfort
Understand that the comfort we receive is not just for ourselves but is meant to be shared with others who are in distress.
Empathy and Ministry
Use your experiences of receiving God’s comfort to empathize with and minister to others in their afflictions.
Community Support
Encourage a culture of mutual support within the church, where members actively seek to comfort one another.
Trust in God’s Sovereignty
Trust that God allows trials for a purpose, including the opportunity to experience and share His comfort.
(4) Who comforteth us.--For the writer, the name "God of all comfort" was the outcome of a living personal experience. He had felt that ever-continuing comfort flowing into his soul, and he knew that it had not been given to him for his own profit only, but that it might flow forth to others. Heathen poets had asserted one side of the truth. Sophocles had said--
"They comfort others who themselves have mourned;"
--Fragm.
and Virgil--
"Not ignorant of ill, I, too, have learnt
To succour those that suffer."--'n. i. 630.
There was a yet deeper truth in the thought that the power to comfort varies with the measure in which we have been comforted ourselves. Sorrow alone may lead to sympathy, but it falls short of that power to speak a word in season to them that are weary (Isaiah 1:4), which is of the very essence of the work of comforting. The words imply that he had passed through a time of tribulation himself. They imply also that he knew of their troubles. (Comp. 2Corinthians 7:7-11.)
Verse 4. - Who comforteth us. The "us" implies here, not only St. Paul and Timothy, but also the Corinthians, who are one with them in a bond of Christian unity which was hitherto undreamed of, and was a new phenomenon in the world. St. Paul always uses the first person in passages where he is speaking directly of individual feelings and experiences. In other passages he likes to lose himself, as it were, in the Christian community. The delicate play of emotion is often shown by the rapid interchanges of singular and plural (see vers. 13, 15, 17; 2 Corinthians 2:1, 11, 14, etc.). The present, "comforteth," expresses a continuous experience, with which the Christians of the first age were most happily familiar (John 14:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:16, 17). In all our affliction. The collective experience of affliction is sustained by the collective experience of comfort. That we may be able to comfort. Thus St. Paul takes "a teleological view of sorrow." It is partly designed as a school of sympathy. It is a part of the training of an apostle, just as suffering is essential to one who is to be a sympathetic high priest (Hebrews 5:1, 2). In any trouble. The original more forcibly repeats the words, "in all affliction." Wherewith we ourselves are comforted. By means of the comfort which God gives us, we can, by the aid of blessed experience, communicate comfort to others. Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
who
ὁ (ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
comforts
παρακαλῶν (parakalōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.
us
ἡμᾶς (hēmas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
in
ἐπὶ (epi)
Preposition
Strong's 1909: On, to, against, on the basis of, at.
all
πάσῃ (pasē)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
troubles,
θλίψει (thlipsei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2347: Persecution, affliction, distress, tribulation. From thlibo; pressure.
so that
εἰς (eis)
Preposition
Strong's 1519: A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.
we
ἡμᾶς (hēmas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
can
δύνασθαι (dynasthai)
Verb - Present Infinitive Middle or Passive
Strong's 1410: (a) I am powerful, have (the) power, (b) I am able, I can. Of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible.
comfort
παρακαλεῖν (parakalein)
Verb - Present Infinitive Active
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.
those
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.
any
πάσῃ (pasē)
Adjective - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3956: All, the whole, every kind of. Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole.
trouble
θλίψει (thlipsei)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2347: Persecution, affliction, distress, tribulation. From thlibo; pressure.
with
διὰ (dia)
Preposition
Strong's 1223: A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.
the
τῆς (tēs)
Article - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.
comfort
παρακλήσεως (paraklēseōs)
Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Strong's 3874: From parakaleo; imploration, hortation, solace.
we ourselves
αὐτοὶ (autoi)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.
[have received]
παρακαλούμεθα (parakaloumetha)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 3870: From para and kaleo; to call near, i.e. Invite, invoke.
from
ὑπὸ (hypo)
Preposition
Strong's 5259: A primary preposition; under, i.e. of place, or with verbs; of place (underneath) or where (below) or time (when).
God.
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.
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2 Corinthians 1:4 Catholic BibleNT Letters: 2 Corinthians 1:4 Who comforts us in all our affliction (2 Cor. 2C iiC 2Cor ii cor iicor)