God, The Source of All Comfort

Applying Paul’s story of suffering to our lives.

2 Corinthians 1:1-7 (NLT)
Greetings from Paul
¹ This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Timothy.
I am writing to God’s church in Corinth and to all of his holy people throughout Greece.
² May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

Praise to the God of All Comfort

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. ⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. ⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

Examine the scriptures: 

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 (NLT)

God Offers Comfort to All

³ All praise to God,

This is a great reminder to all of us.

Praise is due to the God of All Comfort.

• God is most worthy of our praise.

Psalm 34:1-4 (NLT)
A psalm of David
¹ I will praise the Lord at all times.
I will constantly speak his praises.
² I will boast only in the Lord;
let all who are helpless take heart.
³ Come, let us tell of the Lord’s greatness;
let us exalt his name together.
⁴ I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me.
He freed me from all my fears.

Psalm 145:1-3, 8 (NLT)
A psalm of praise of David.
¹ I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever.
² I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever.
³ Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness. 

⁸ The Lord is merciful and compassionate, (a tie into our lesson today) 

the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.         

A part of the triune God

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.

John 14:7 (NLT)
⁷ If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” 

• Paul is reminding his readers of the relationship between God the Father and God the Son.

God is our merciful

Compassionate,

treat with kindness, love, and tenderness

Father 

• Paul is reminding his readers of the relationship between God and those who have been adopted into his family. 

and the source of all comfort.  

Paul (scripture) tells us that God is the source of all comfort. 

• God is the source of all comfort. 

⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles

Paul mentions “troubles” (hardships, hard, pressures, distresses, hard-pressed, conflict, battles, and fears) repeatedly in this letter.

Troubles v.4
Troubled v.4
Troubles v.6 “weighed down with troubles”
Trouble v.8
Troubled 2:4
Troubles 4:8
Troubles 4:17
Troubles and hardships and calamities 6:4
Troubles 7:4
Conflict, battles, fears 7:5
Troubles 8:2
Life … hard 8:13

Troubles are certainly a significant part of Paul’s life,

and troubles are a part of a believer’s life. 

so that we can comfort others. 

Why does God comfort his children?  Why did God comfort Paul?

1. 1. 1. Obviously, we benefit from God’s comfort.

1. 1. 2. But when we are comforted by God, he is equipping us to be a comfort to others.

When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 

It is difficult to share something that you have not experienced.

A person who has experienced cancer is better equipped to comfort another cancer patient, than someone without this experience.

A person who has experienced God’s comfort is better equipped to comfort someone else than a person who has never experienced God’s comfort.

• God comforts us so that we can comfort others.

⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ,

Suffering for Christ is far different than suffering as a result of doing something stupid.

John 15:18-19 (NLT)
¹⁸ “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. ¹⁹ The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

1 Peter 2:20 (NLT)
²⁰ Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

Matthew 5:11 (NLT)
¹¹ “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers.

the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.  

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
⁹ Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.

• The more we suffer for Christ, the more of God’s grace we will experience.

⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation!

For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you.

• God uses our suffering to strengthen others.

Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer.  

⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings,

1 Corinthians 12:26 (NLT)
²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 

you will also share in the comfort God gives us. 

• Problems and trials can be good for us.

Romans 5:3-4 (NLT)
³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.