2 Corinthians, Day 1
Chapters 1 – 2:11
The central theme of 2 Corinthians is the relationship between suffering and the power of the Spirit in Paul’s apostolic life, ministry, and message. Paul made a decision that it was best to suffer humiliation and leave, without retaliating, in order to extend mercy to the Corinthians.
Paul wrote this letter from Macedonia, a year or so after writing 1 Corinthians, and a year before he wrote his letter to the Romans from Corinth. He extends a familiar greeting: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” Not a greeting one would expect to people who weren’t all that friendly to Paul. Nonetheless, grace supersedes all.
Knowing what we know about all the persecution Paul dealt with, I can’t imagine why anyone would follow in his steps. His message now illustrates how Christians can deal with life when faced with affliction and persecution.
As Christians, we’re not immune from Satan’s attacks, and we’re not, as Paul writes, “ignorant of his designs” (2 Corinthians 2:11). In Luke 6:22 (ESV), we read, “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man.”
Yet, Paul was so utterly burdened for the Corinthians that he despaired for life itself, and thought he had received the sentence of death. Paul was scared! “Affliction can refer to both outward circumstances and inward states of mind” (ESV Study Bible note).
Some of Paul’s opponents had argued that Paul suffered too much to be a Spirit-filled apostle of the risen Christ. Paul argues that his weakness as an apostle is the very means by which believers are comforted (2 Corinthians 1:3 – 11) and God in Christ is made known in the world (ESV Study Bible note).
When we “suffer” for the gospel, God uses it as a means to reveal his glory. I don’t believe the church in America knows what it is to suffer to reveal God’s glory. Sure, we may lose friends for standing up for our biblical beliefs — however, none of that compares to being tortured, imprisoned, or killed for the sake of the Gospel. Gospel — that means “good news.” Why is that so offensive? It’s a message of hope, peace, and freedom. According to For the Martyrs, “260 million Christians in the world experience high levels of persecution for their choice to follow Christ.”
What is our takeaway from our afflictions and sufferings? Paul answers it in Verses 4 – 7: God comforts us so we can comfort others facing the same troubles. Verse 7: “Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. James writes, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). According to Paul in Verse 11, it is our prayers that matter the most, and are a blessing granted to him. If we have a heart for the lost, expect to be afflicted.
Grace to all,
Tom Dye