Why We Suffer.
Part 1
2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (NKJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
2 CORINTHIANS,
The second letter followed some 12-15 months later from Macedonia, where Paul met Titus and received news of the church’s repentance (2 Cor 2:12-17).
Why Do we Suffer?
There may be dozens of reasons why we suffer, but Paul highlights three.
With your Bible open to 2 Corinthians 1: 1-11, take a pencil and circle the little four-letter word “that” in verses 4, 9, and 11. Each of the three reasons is introduced with “that.”
Let’s begin by looking at verses 1 through 4.
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
If you were to read down through verse 7, your attention would be called to a term that appears no less than ten times-“comfort.”
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. 6 Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7 And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
This is from the Greek terms PARA, meaning “beside, alongside,” and KALEO, “to call,” Called alongside,
This is no shallow sympathy card with rhyming words and gold-glitter greeting, it is eternally more than a “slap on the back” or a quick “cheer up” bit of advice, Our mighty God is called alongside as we suffer!
As He comes alongside, He brings genuine comfort, personal assistance, deep involvement, and infinite understanding,
Notice that God admits He is the God of all comfort. Regardless of the need, God comforts, no matter the cause, God gets personally involved in your life, suffering friend, He is the God of all comfort! That’s His specialty.
Then observe that He comforts those who are in any affliction. That draws the circle around your situation, regardless of the particulars, any affliction is His concern,
“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15).
“Casting all your anxiety (cares) upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
He genuinely cares-deeply cares. But why are we afflicted?
Who is our comforter?
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Why do we suffer?
1 That we Might Be Prepared to Comfort Others
4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Who can understand what it is like to sit alongside a friend or loved one dying with a terminal illness?
Who knows the heartache of having a home split apart?
What about someone to understand the loss of a child. . . or the misery of a teen-ager on drugs. . . or the anguish of living with an alcoholic mate. . .
or a failure in school. . . or the loss of a business?
Who on earth understands?
I will tell you who-the person who has been through it wrapped in the blanket of God’s comfort. Better than anybody else. You who have endured the stinging experiences are the choicest counselors God can use.
This is one of the reasons we suffer-to be prepared to bring encouragement and comfort to others who come across our path enduring a similar situation. Remember that!
Consider the chain reaction. We suffer. . . God comes alongside to comfort. . . others suffer. . . we step alongside to comfort them. With God’s arm firmly around my shoulders, I have the strength and stability to place my arm around the shoulder of another. Isn’t this true? Similar experiences create mutual understanding.
Because of this we can confidently say that our troubling circum-stances are never in vain. The bruises may hurt, but they are not without reason. God is uniquely preparing us for the comfort others will need. In one sense, we are all “preparing for the ministry.” Our Father is preparing us to meet the deep inner needs of others by bringing us through the dark places first.
Notice verses 8-10.
8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.
- What they did in their distress: They trusted in God. And they were brought to this limit in order that they should not trust in themselves but in God, v. 9.
9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead,
(Note, God often brings his people into great straits, that they may apprehend their own insufficiency to help themselves, and may be induced to place their trust and hope in his all-sufficiency.) Our limit is God’s opportunity.
In the mount will the Lord be seen; and we may safely trust in God, who raised the dead, v. 9. God’s raising the dead is a proof of his almighty power. He that can do this can do anything, can do all things, and is worthy to be trusted in at all times.
Abraham’s faith fastened upon this instance of the divine power: He believed God who quickened the dead, Rom 4:17.
Rom 4:17(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickened the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
If we should be brought so low as to despair even of life, yet we may then trust in God, who can bring back not only from the gates, but from the jaws, of death.
- What the deliverance was that they had obtained; and this was seasonable and continued. Their hope and trust were not in vain, nor shall any who trust in him be ashamed. God had delivered them, and did still deliver them, v. 10.
10 who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.
Having obtained help of God, they continued to that day, Acts 26:22.
Acts 26:22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
- What use they made of this deliverance: We trust that he will yet deliver us (v. 10), that God will deliver to the end, and preserve to his heavenly kingdom. Note, Past experiences are great encouragements to faith and hope, and they lay great obligations to trust in God for time to come. We reproach our experiences if we distrust God in future straits, who hath delivered as in former troubles. David, even when a young man, and when he had but a small stock of experiences, argued after the manner of the apostle here,
1 Sam 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
We wish we knew more about Paul’s experience in Asia. All we know is that the battered apostle was pushed to the very edge of his endurance. And then a little bit farther. No walls left to lean on, no water left in the well, no fine phrases left to repeat in the face of crisis-the face of death. Paul said, “This is it. End of the rope, end of the line.”
Perhaps these words are your words. Maybe you are standing with Paul at the desperate point beyond your own strength. Hope has quietly slipped out the back door. The despair is beyond repair. Burdens push heavily on bruised inner tissue. The end has come!
Unbelievable as it may seem, God has a reason even in this. All this so, we can help others. How else would you be able to tell others that God can bring you through something if He has never done it for you. It builds FAITH
