2Corinthians

The God of All Comfort

We live in a world filled with suffering, trials and hardship that results in a worldwide cry for comfort from the pain. Natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis cause pain. Terror attacks, wars, torture, persecution, slavery, crime and violence leave victims cringing, crumpled, and dead in their wake. These shattered, scarred, heartbroken victim survivors need comfort. There are millions suffering from famine. Worldwide fuel shortages have trickle down affects that complicate and create stress and strain. We live in a world that has lost its relational way with an influx of immorality, manipulation, extortion, and betrayal. Traditional marriage is under attack. The family unit is in chaos. There is so much deception in the world that people are groping in every nook and cranny, every far fetched far out fallacy for truth (e.g. The DaVinci Code). On top of all this, our bodies are breaking down moment by moment as we age and succumb to disease. We may try to stem the tide of aging, but the battle of the bulge and wrinkle is often one that leads to embarrassing exploits in pill popping and plastic surgery (even amongst the young). People die every day and their loved ones are left behind to grieve. In all of this the cry is for comfort.  Where can comfort be found? “Where can I find the comfort I need?” The comfort you need can be found with God.

While the circumstances of the letter to a great extent are a defense by Paul of his apostolic authority, the timeless truth of Second Corinthians is that The God of All Comfort is sufficient to sustain us in the face of trials like opposition and suffering. This epistle describes the comfort God provides as well as what we need to do to experience it. This God inspired letter from Paul has a deep message of the comforting nature of God. In the opening lines we read:

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - 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.

There is good reason to praise and bless God for His comfort as we will see. If you are hurting in some way or know someone who is, there is comfort available to you, God has it, and He wants to share that comfort with you. Come study with us as we learn about and experience The God of All Comfort.