Walking through Corinth: Suffering and Comfort

What is suffering?   How do we know when we suffer?  Does God cause us to suffer?  At some point in our lives, we all suffer.  As Christians we often come to God with many questions.  We ask the questions "Why?" or "What now?" or "Don't You love me?". But although we ask these questions, is this the Christian response?

After his initial greeting to the church at Corinth (2 Cor. 1:1-2), Paul does something different than he does in his other letters.   Instead of offering up a prayer of thanksgiving for the recipients, Paul writes a benediction ascribing praise to God (1:3-7).

Paul has just gone through a period of great suffering is Asia.  He writes to a group of believers in Corinth and tells them that "we despaired of life itself".  The "itself" gives emphasis to the very "utterly, unbearable" crushing (1:8) that caused Paul to call into question "life." 

First of all, we should remember Paul's suffering was for Christ.  That is, Paul is not here talking about suffering brought on by his own poor decisions or choices.  Although his suffering included physical aspects, he is not talking about a disease. Too many Christians complain of their "trials" which could have been avoided by living in God's will.  This is an offense to God, who should not be an excuse for our own action.  When Paul refers to suffering, it is suffering brought on by being a faithful apostle of Jesus.

Secondly, we should remember that Jesus foreknew Paul's suffering. In verse 1, Paul tells us that he was "called" to be an apostle.  At the time of Paul's calling, Jesus tells Ananias  that Paul will be shown how much he will suffer on behalf of Christ (Acts 9:13-16).  The suffering that Paul endured, and that made him despair of his life is therefore part of what Jesus had him into.  

Thirdly, we should be reminded that it is hard to label an even in our lives as "true suffering."  In order to label some event as a time of suffering, we must know what God is producing through that event right now. Secondly, we must know what God will eventually produce through that event in the future.  Both of these things are beyond our knowledge.

I often think of Joni Earekson Tada, the Christian quadriplegic.

Although after her accident that left her paralyzed Joni was suicidal, she is now one of the greatest lights for the message of the gospel in the kingdom of God.  And her "suffering" also produced in her greater Christian character.

Finally, we should find solace in the cross. Paul views his suffering not in light his own pain, but through the lens of the cross (1:5).  Jesus suffered not only the physical pain of the cross, but the weight of all sin.  Yet through His suffering, the greatest comfort the world has ever known has been given. 

Believers should approach suffering not in despair or defeat.  For how do you or I know that our suffering will not produce a greater good in ourselves or others for the glory of Christ?  Rather we should remember the resurrection of Christ (1:5) and the hope that we have of new life with him both now and in the future. 

Through the lens of the cross we can see comfort in all things.  And this comfort is from our Father who comforts us (1:4-5).   Let us share that comfort with others.  Let us return that comfort back to God as a true offering of worship.

Walking through Corinth

2 Corinthians 1:1-2

    The letters of Paul most always follow the normal greeting found in the letters of his day.  This greeting consisted of 1) the name of the sender 2) the name of the recipient or recipients, and 3) a greeting or blessing. 
    This example can be found in many Greco-Roman letters such as the one composed in Acts 15 by the apostles.
   
    Paul does modify the greetings to his letter by adding his title (apostle), by mentioning Timothy and by substituting the word “grace” for greetings.  He keeps the Hebrew greeting shalom which is in Greek irene and translates as “peace.  This peace is that which is from God.

    Some scholars encourage readers not to be too caught up in the greeting of a letter, or to read to much into its details.  But there are many things here which the believer should notice.  The first is that Paul is not apostle by “choice” but apostle by “calling.”

    Apostles were those who had seen the risen Christ.  We are not apostles, or at least I am not, for I have not seen my risen Lord.  Whenever Paul thought of himself being called he was always no doubt brought to that startling moment when all that he had believed about himself, the world, and about God was proven to be false.
   
    The calling of Christ was none of Paul’s doing.  And as believers today, it is not to our own merit that we follow Christ, but rather to His glory.  The Christian should never think to his or herself, “I am saved, how wonderful am I!” but instead, “He saved me, he gave me even the faith to believe, how wonderful is He.”
   
    It is only by daily reminding of one's salvation that one can truly be humbled.  And it is only by humility, that one can be magnified through Christ.  We see our model of humbling and magnification in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. And this humble promotion through the blood of Christ by “grace” grants the believer true “peace.” Who can take away the peace which God gives, or can give peace that abides in the “One who was, and is, and is to come.” (Rev. 1:4)?


 
God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. - C. S. Lewis

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