Today, there is a Celebration of Life in Alliston for Beryl's brother Geoff, who died after a long battle with brain cancer. Along with Beryl, other family members: Mary, Chris, and Chel, begin the difficult transition to life without him here. They expressed comfort knowing that his struggle is over, but their sadness remains. They said that there will always be a hole in our family gatherings.
In many ways death and suffering is an everyday, painful reality of Life. Trouble is an inescapable reality in this fallen, evil world. This Sunday we prayed for those who have died and continue to suffer with Ebola. Add to that Boko Haram; ISIS - and just the ongoing need for spreading the Gospel; there is much need for prayer and action. Life is filled with trouble, sorrow, pain, disappointment, disillusionment, and despair, which is the testimony of Scripture.
Adding to the pain of trouble is the disturbing reality that God sometimes seems distant and unconcerned. Because believers are redeemed sinners who live in a fallen world, bad things even happen to them. In fact, God allows those things to happen because it tests the validity of their faith (Dt. 8:2; 2 Chr. 32:31; Prov. 17:3;1 Pt. 1:6-7); to wean them from the world. (John 6:5-9); to call them to their heavenly hope (Rom. 5:3–5; 2 Cor. 4:17–18); to reveal to them what they really love (Acts 5:41; Rom. 5:3–4; 1 Peter 4:13), to teach them obedience (Ps. 119:67, 71; Heb. 12:5–11); so He can reveal His compassion to them (Isa. 49:13; cf. 51:12; 52:9; 66:13; Ps. 63:3); to His people to strengthen them for greater usefulness (James 1:2–4) and to enable them to comfort others in their trials. (Luke 22:31–32; 2 Cor. 1:4) (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2003). 2 Corinthians (pp. 25–28). Chicago: Moody Publishers.).
In 2 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul rejoiced because God has so recently delivered him from a grave peril in Asia. This recent trauma brought him to the edge of despair as he felt unbearably crushed with all hope for life draining away (1:8). A break in the clouds of this unrelenting suffering and the ray of hope afforded by the comforting news from Titus about the Corinthians’ response to his “severe letter” (7:5–11) evokes his praise for God’s unexpected grace Paul talks about his own suffering and the comfort that God provides that they may have hope. (Furnish: The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, 65–68).
What do you do when the difficulties arrive? Do you avoid them, secretly blame God, or try to hide? Although we may not completely understand the difficulties we find ourselves in, we can continue to trust God, receive His comfort and praise Him even in the midst of the difficulties.
Looking at 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 we can see how "The God of Hope" provides 1) The Power of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:8–10a); 2) The Perpetuity of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:10b) and calls us to 3) The Participation of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:11)
1) The Power of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:8–10a);
2 Corinthians 1:8-10a [8]For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [9]Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. [10]He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. (On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again).(ESV)
To show the Corinthians the power of God’s comfort, Paul reminded them of a serious, life-threatening situation from which God had delivered him. The apostle used the phrase we do not want you to be ignorant/unaware or its equivalent six times in his epistles (cf. Rom. 1:13; 11:25; 1 Cor. 10:1; 12:1; 1 Thess. 4:13). It expressed his great concern that his readers not have inadequate information.
• A basic obligation for believers on the experiencing of situations is to inform others. In a so-called polite society, we may be weary of sharing information thinking we are just burdening another, we think surely the other person has more significant difficulties, or we just expect the situation to pass. Yet living in community with others means that we need to share these situations. In sharing, we may gain helpful perspective or enable others to learn from situations. Through all of this, stronger bonds result.
Paul does not present theological speculation divorced from his own real life experience. He begins this section of the letter with a recent example of his experience of affliction and God’s comfort. He can quote the evidence when time and again God has been faithful to deliver him (2 Cor 4:7–15). For us, the situation that produced the affliction which came to Paul in the province of Asia is unknown. It may have involved Paul’s being beaten (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23–25), imprisoned (cf. 11:23), or both. Since he gave them no details, the incident must have been well-known to the Corinthians. But though they were aware of the situation, they did not know its severity or how God had worked in it. It had evidently happened recently, after Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, since he did not mention it in that letter. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2003). 2 Corinthians (pp. 25–28). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
• We must be careful in allowing too much time to pass from entering a situation and sharing the difficulty. When we share, someone may see a danger approaching and caution us, guiding our forward path. An early sharing calls others to be prayer warriors, to strengthen us in going through the battle. There is something regrettable and sad when we find out a situation after the fact that we could have prayer during or helped carry the load.
Paul narrowed down the location of his affliction to Asia. “Asia” refers to the Roman senatorial province that included most of the western part of Asia Minor and its coastal islands in the Aegean Sea. As a senatorial province it was ruled by a governor appointed by the Senate, and Ephesus had become the provincial capital. Since it happened in Asia, before he came to Macedonia (2:13), it likely took place in Ephesus, the chief city of Asia. In 1 Corinthians 16:9, Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he planned to remain in Ephesus, “for a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Possibly, one or more of those adversaries had come close to taking the apostle’s life.
So severe was the trial, Paul wrote, that we were burdened beyond our strength/excessively. He was unbearably crushed to the point of depression by something beyond even his formidable strength to endure. The situation was so serious that Paul despaired of life. The Greek word translated despaired literally means “no passage,” “no way out,” or “no exit.” (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6). Paul saw no escape from the desperate situation that threatened his life. When Paul says that he despaired of life itself, Paul faced something that was beyond human survival and was extremely discouraging because he believed it threatened to end his ministry prematurely. The Corinthians were aware of what had happened to Paul, but did not realize the utter severity of it, or what God was doing through those circumstances (MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 2 Co 1:8).
• Some are under the mistaken belief that Christians should not become discouraged or depressed. We think we have to put on a plastic simile and say everything is fine. A basic reading of scripture from the Psalms, lamentations, the prophets or the epistles, shows real people struggling in real situations. The message is the God hears, understands and will provide a way of escape when there seems to be none. Be diligent to use the resources He has provided, but He also calls for trust, faith and patience.
In 2 Cor. 1:9 Paul continues his description of the affliction in Asia by saying that “we [emphatic with autoi] felt that we had received the sentence of death” The verb eschēkamen (translated “felt” in the NIV) is in the perfect tense, and it may convey the traditional idea of completed action with continuing results or consequences. Paul received “the sentence of death” “in order that” (hina) he might rely solely upon God, who raises the dead. (P. Barnett, The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997) 86, n. 32.).
Quote: The roots of human pride grow deep, like those of the Acacia trees in the Serengeti desert, and they are not easily dislodged. And Calvin reflects that “we are not brought to real submission until we have been laid low by the crushing hand of God.” (Calvin, The Second Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians, 12.)
• We frequently need a good dose of helplessness when we are reduced to extremities and stripped of all false self-confidence before we learn humility and open ourselves up to God’s power. Deep certainty of death for Paul led to a deeper trust in God. (Barnett, The Message of 2 Corinthians, 34.)
This brush with death and God’s deliverance taught him again that all we have comes from God and we cannot rely on our own puny strength but on the God who raises the dead (1:9). Those who rely on themselves for their strength, their righteousness (Rom 10:3; Phil 3), and their wisdom (1 Cor 1:30) cannot rely entirely on God and thus doom themselves to failure. Those who rely on God may appear to be weak and even to be failures, but God does not fail to deliver them. This statement undermines the self-confident rivals who boast of their virtuosity and seem sufficient unto themselves. Paul is the first to acknowledge his own insufficiency (3:5); what sufficiency he has comes entirely from God. What power he has comes from God, not from himself (4:7).
The affliction was so great that it required the direct intervention of God to overrule it in favor of life, and this divine intervention led him to recognize God’s great power even more.
• When things are at their worst and all human resources are exhausted, then one is most receptive to learning about the power of God.
God had a purpose for allowing Paul’s suffering: to teach him not to rely/trust in himself. God took him to the extremity from which no human resources could deliver him because, as He said to Paul later in this epistle, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). Only the God who raises the dead had the power to deliver Paul from his ordeal; man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. Thus, God’s power alone comforted Paul and delivered him from his great peril of death.
• From our own imagination to general human ingenuity, we can get out of a lot of tricky situations. But God deliberately allows certain circumstances to occur that we are not able to resolve. These call for divine intervention. When we and everyone else can see God accomplish the humanly impossible, He is shown to be humanities only hope and ultimately glorified.
Paul characterizes God in this verse as the one who raises the dead. The use of the present participle means that he understands this to be a permanent attribute of God God is the one who raised the crucified Jesus from the dead (Rom 8:1; 10:9; Gal 1:1; Col 2:12; 1 Thess 1:10). Paul does not take the abundant suffering that comes his way with a gloomy stoicism but with a sense of triumph because of the power of Christ’s resurrection. That resurrection insures his own, and he now interprets all that happens to him in life from that perspective. In the midst of suffering he experienced God’s empowering presence and became convinced that it created an even more intimate bond with Christ, who had suffered and died for him. That is why he boasts in his afflictions (11:30; 12:5) and continues to expose himself to unrelenting danger and incessant hardships.
In 2 Cor 1:10a, Paul was confident that God not only had delivered him in the past but also would deliver him in the future. Because God is faithful, He is always ready to comfort and deliver His children. In Lamentations 3:21–23 Jeremiah wrote, “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
Please turn to 2 Timothy 4 (p.997)
Paul is no less ambiguous about the nature of his deliverance than he is about the nature of the affliction. He has received a temporary reprieve from such a menacing peril. This is not the first time he has been in trouble, nor will it be the last if he continues his ministry. As Paul’s life drew to a close, he confidently described God’s faithful comforting of him:
2 Timothy 4:16-18 [16]At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! [17]But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. [18]The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (ESV)
• When God has rescued you once from great danger, you are confident that God can and will rescue you again. Paul is not simply expressing wishful thinking as one would if one says, “I hope that God will deliver me.” He voices his fundamental confidence that God will deliver him.
Illustration: 5342 Rescue Of The “Squalas”
When the submarine Squalas and its crew lay helpless at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, two hundred and forty feet below the surface, the crew sent up smoke flares, hoping that their location would become known. Upon discovery, a ten-ton diving bell was lowered several times, bringing to safety the thirty-three surviving members of the crew of the ill-fated Squalas.
Not one of the thirty-three men said to their rescuers, “I will think it over,” or “I will wait for a more convenient season,” or “I am in good condition as I am,” or “There is too much to give up.” All instantly and gratefully accepted the means of escape from death (Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1212). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.).
• It is only when one realizes their terminal state are they willing to accept the means of deliverance. Showing the state of one apart from Christ is the only means whereby one will accept the deliverance that only Christ provides.
2) The Perpetuity of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:10b)
2 Corinthians 1:10b (He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us). On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.(ESV)
Paul knew that God would bring him safely through every circumstance until it was time for him to enter the Lord’s presence. Peter wrote of the same reality in 2 Peter 2:9: “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment.” For Paul, his hope is set on God’s final deliverance from death.
Please turn to Romans 5 (p.942)
The constancy of God’s comfort led Paul to describe Him as the one to whom we have set our hope (cf. Ps. 71:5; Rom. 15:13; 1 Tim. 1:1). The perfect tense of εἰς ὃν ἠλπίκαμεν, “on Him we have set our hope,” places the emphasis on the continuing effects of his confidence in God. The more believers suffer and experience God’s comfort, the stronger their hope in Him grows:
Romans 5:1-5 [5:1]Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [2]Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3]More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4]and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5]and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (ESV)
Quote: Barnett comments: “We should remember … that God’s ‘deliverances’ in this life are always partial. We may recover from an illness, but there is no way to sidestep our last enemy, death. We are inextricably tangled in the sorrow and suffering of the world, whose form is passing away. Only in the resurrection of the dead is there perfect deliverance” (Barnett: The Message of 2 Corinthians, 34).
3) The Participation of Comfort (2 Corinthians 1:11)
2 Corinthians 1:11 [11]You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (ESV)
In 2 Cor. 1:11 Paul believes that deliverance comes through intercessory prayer. The apostle was confident that God would continue to comfort him in the future. But he urged the Corinthians to participate in that gracious work of God by joining to help by/through their prayers. Paul does not hide behind the facade of a superman who pretends that he can survive quite well on his own without help from anyone else. He has no qualms about expressing his desperate need for their prayers. Paul is firmly convinced of prayer’s power because he knows that God listens, responds, and delivers. Paul’s personal deliverance is not the sole goal of the prayer but the giving of thanks to God for his joyous deliverance (Wolff, Der zweite Brief des Paulus an die Korinther, 27.).
Please turn to Ephesians 6 (p.979)
Paul understood, as did James, that “the effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much” (James 5:16). Therefore he viewed the prayers of the saints as crucial to his ministry. He implored the believers at Rome, “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Rom. 15:30). He wrote confidently to the Philippians, “I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:19; cf. Philem. 22). In 1 Thessalonians 5:25 he said simply, “Brethren, pray for us.” Paul understood the balance between God’s sovereign purpose and believers’ responsibility. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2003). 2 Corinthians (pp. 25–28). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
To the Ephesians he wrote:
Ephesians 6:18-19 [18]praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, [19]and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, (ESV) (cf. Col. 4:3; 2 Thess. 3:1).
• The weapons for warfare are spiritual because they are rooted in prayer, which is the Christian’s most powerful resource. Prayer is to permeate believers’ lives as a universal practice. Prayer in the Spirit is a form of worship (John 4:23–24) enabled by the Spirit of God, who intercedes on behalf of the person who prays (Rom. 8:26–27) (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2274). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
When God answered the Corinthians’ prayers for Paul, thanks would be given. The thanks would be given by many persons on the apostle’s behalf for the blessings granted/favor bestowed through the prayers of many. Prayer, like everything else in a Christian’s life, is to glorify God When God’s people intercede for each other, His power and sovereign purposes are realized. Thus, the purpose of prayer is not to manipulate God but to exalt His power and submit to His will. United thanksgiving to God is one of his great aims. After listing the hardships he has suffered in 4:7–12, he declares in 4:15, “All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching ever more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God” (see 9:11–12). Paul is not soliciting their prayers for his benefit alone. The surplus of suffering brings a greater surplus of comfort that overflows into the lives of others. This enrichment leads to prayers of thanksgiving that redound to the glory of God. Paul’s ultimate concern is not his rescue from danger but that God will be honored more and more. The pattern of suffering and deliverance drives him further into the arms of God, who alone has the power to raise the dead, and increases the volume of prayer. (cf. 1 Cor. 10:31). (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2003). 2 Corinthians (pp. 25–28). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
Our difficulties are God-given opportunities to prove His compassion (v.3), comfort (vs. 3-5, 7), power (v.9), deliverance (v.10) gracious favor (v.11) and willingness to hear the prayers of His people (v.11). Answered prayers prompt thanksgiving to God, and thanksgiving honors and glorified Him (Ps. 50:23). Looking back, Paul saw how the deliverance God afforded him and his companions through answered prayer brought praise to God. In this he glimpsed another of God’s purposes in our troubles and sufferings: He uses them to bring praise to His name. God can have no higher end than His own praise. We can have no greater goal than God’s glory (Derek Prime. Let’s Study 2 Corinthians. Banner of Truth Trust. 2000. p. 10).
Katharina von Schlegel’s magnificent hymn “Be Still, My Soul” expresses the confident hope of every believer in God’s comfort: Be still my soul: the Lord is on thy side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; In ev’ry change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend Thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end. Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake To guide the future as He has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; All now mysterious shall be bright at last. Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below. Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on When we shall be forever with the Lord, When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone, Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
(Format Note: Some Base Commentary from Garland, David E.: 2 Corinthians. electronic ed. Nashville : Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1999 (Logos Library System; The New American Commentary 29), S. 52)
