Lesson 1 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 1:1-7
Before we put the book of 1st Corinthians in our rear-view mirror, I would just like to hit some highlights of the book to keep it fresh in our minds as we dive into Paul’s second letter to the them.
Major themes within 1 Corinthians:
• Unity in Christ
Paul confronts the factions within the church. There were followers of Paul, Apollos, Peter, and Christ, and Paul urges the Corinthian believers to be united through the cross of Christ, not being divided by any personalities or worldly wisdom. There should never be any factions within the church, we are one… one body of Christ.
• Moral Purity and Accountability
Paul rebukes the Corinthians for tolerating the sexual immorality that was taking place within the church and calls for discipline and repentance on their part. Believers are reminded that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.
• Christian Liberty and Responsibility
Paul teaches that while believers have freedom in Christ (for example, worshipping or eating food offered to idols), they were to act in love and avoid causing others to stumble. Whether we realize it or not, there’s always someone watching. I don’t say this to make you paranoid, but to make you aware and responsible in all your actions.
• Spiritual Gifts and Worship
Chapters 12 to 14 explore the diversity of spiritual gifts, emphasizing to us that all gifts must be exercised in love and that the gifts are for the edification of the church. We learned that besides love accompanying spiritual gifts, that love should be in the mix in whatever we’re involved in. Paul also corrects disorderly worship practices, which had to do with speaking in tongues.
• The Resurrection
Chapter 15 is a powerful defense of the resurrection of Christ and the future resurrection of all believers. Paul declares that without the resurrection, faith is futile, but because Christ has risen, death has been completely defeated. The only sting we feel from death is when someone we love or care about passes on, and we know as believers it’s never good-bye… it’s until we meet again!
A key verse for us: “Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (1 Cor. 13:13)
The main tone we see from Paul in 1 Corinthians is that he was firm with them, as well as corrective and pastoral, but in 2 Corinthians Paul’s tone will be seen as emotional, vulnerable, and deeply personal.
Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to the Corinthian church, sadly they neglected to heed his teachings and warnings. This required what is referred to as a “painful visit” from Paul, we see this in 2 Corinthians 2:1. Though they were personally confronted by him, the Corinthians ignored Paul’s instruction, so Paul wrote what is called a “severe letter” (2 Corinthians 2:4; 7:8-9), which we do not have today. This severe letter definitely had an affect on the Corinthian church in a positive way. Many of them turned from their sin and back to Jesus. In response to their repentance, Paul wrote another letter, which we call 2 Corinthians, to remind the church of his love and care for them, and of God’s grace toward them. According to some ancient manuscripts Paul wrote this letter from Macedonia or in Philippi.
Second Corinthians is all about Christian ministry, or how Christians interact with the world and with each other. False teachers had come into the church offering a different vision of Christian ministry, one that was categorized as arrogant and self-seeking. As we do a deep dive into 2 Corinthians, let’s see what God’s living Word will present to our hearts, and the things we need to apply to our lives.
2 Cor. 1:1:
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia:” (Ah-kah-yah).
Paul, as he also did in eight of his other epistles, comes out and declares himself to be an apostle of Christ Jesus.
Paul had a fight on his hands, and part of that fight was to take on the false teachers who had infiltrated the Corinthian church. These false teachers were claiming to be apostles from Jerusalem, so Paul made it clear the he is a true apostle of Christ Jesus.
By the will of God…
This wasn’t something Paul dreamed up, he’s stating that he was not self-appointed, but a bonified apostle by the will of God.
What we have here is a proclamation of Paul’s authority. It’s not too different from when we hear, “Ladies and gentlemen, here is the President of the United States.” With this type of proclamation comes the dignity and authority of that office.
As we know, Paul wasn’t part of the “Big Twelve,” but he was hand-picked by Jesus on the road to Damascus to be an apostle. As we talked about in 1 Corinthians, all the truths Paul wrote to the Corinthians are the inspired words of the living God. In 1 Corinthians 2:13, Paul says that the truths he and the other apostles speak are “not in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit,” expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
Now, Paul wasn’t writing in isolation, he was surrounded by trusted companions, and one of those companions was Timothy. Paul refers to him here as our brother, and we could even say that Timothy was a faithful reproduction of Paul. The Corinthians knew Timothy because he was there when the Corinthian church was first founded.
Paul greets the church… To the church of God which is at Corinth with all the saints who are throughout Achaia. Then in verse 2 he says…
2 Cor. 1:2:
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Although there were quite a few in the Corinthian church who attacked Paul rather mercilessly, he still greets them with grace and peace. As we have grown to know Paul better throughout our studies, would you expect anything less from him? He sets the example for us as being a great “peacemaker,” even when Paul found himself in the deepest of valleys.
This speaks to Paul’s character as it should our own, exemplifying the fruits of the Spirit. We know that David was far from perfect, but he also had the trait of being a peacemaker like Paul. So many times King Saul threw the javelin at David.
1 Sam. 18:11:
“Saul hurled the spear for he thought, ‘I will pin David to the wall.’ But David escaped from his presence twice.”
David kept the peace by never firing back at Saul, which is something that those who walk close to the Lord and are used consistently by Him, are the ones who resist firing back at others.
True grace and peace only come from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, Paul’s not offering a casual greeting here, he’s declaring to us the deepest needs of the human soul… the unmerited favor and lasting wholeness that we desire, which can only be found in our Triune God.
2 Cor. 1:3:
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,”
As Paul starts out his letter, he affirms that God is to be blessed. The Greek word for blessed be is yoo-log-aye-tos’. It’s where we get the word “eulogy” and it literally means “to speak well of.” So to bless the name of the Lord is to speak well of God, and that shouldn’t be too hard for any Christian to do.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…
In the Old Testament when speaking of God, we would often read, “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” but under the New Covenant God is identified as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 1:1-2:
“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ…
Hebrews 1:3 (NLT) amplifies this:
“The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and He sustains everything by the mighty power of His command. When He had cleansed us from our sins, He sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven.”
Jesus is the very essence of the Father; Jesus said “if you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father. (Jn. 14:9)
Col. 2:9-10:
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;”
Some might ask, how is it that the Father is referred to as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? Jesus is indeed equal to the Father in His deity, but in His humanity, Jesus submitted to the Father… exemplifying perfect submission.
Phil. 2:6-7:
“Who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”
Some fun facts…
The title Lord Jesus Christ summarizes all of His redemptive work. Lord describes His sovereign deity; and Jesus (the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew name Yeshua; meaning “God saves”) describes Jesus’ saving death and resurrection; Christ, meaning “anointed One” describes Jesus as the King who will defeat God’s enemies and rule over the redeemed earth and the eternal state.
The Father of mercies and God of all comfort…
Psalm 86:15:
“But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.”
Psalm 103:13,17a:
“Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”
“But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,”
Whenever we hear or read these Scriptures, it should give us a sense of real comfort and peace… I know it does for me.
Mic. 7:18-19:
“Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in unchanging love. He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
God is so merciful to us… just try to count His blessings if you can. Mercy isn’t just something He does, it’s part of His nature.
Romans 5:8:
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
What Jesus did for us even though we sinned against Him is His mercy in action. Mercy is God’s answer to our helplessness; it’s the bridge between justice and grace.
God of all comfort…
To be comforted means more than just feeling better… it’s about us being strengthened, and reassured in the midst of sorrow, fear, or distress. When we enter into the pit-falls of life, believers need only to seek God and receive His comfort, He is always there for us.
Psalm 34:18:
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
We have a common saying for people when things get tough, we are told to “just lift ourselves up by the boot straps.” Scripture doesn’t teach us that, because God is our strength.
Paslm 46:1:
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Isaiah 41:10:
“I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”|
Having the “bootstrap” mindset can breed pride or despair… we either say, “I did it myself” or “I failed again.” When we lean into God’s strength, we find freedom from performance, and obtain peace in our dependence on Him.
Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matt. 5:4) This isn’t about weeping for the death of a loved one, it’s for those who are tired of their sinful condition and just want to live lives that are pleasing to the Lord. This is where God’s grace steps in and we are restored… that’s true comfort.
2 Cor. 1:4:
“Who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
(NLT) “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.”
Paul found genuine comfort in God, and so can we. As we go through challenging times, when we hit the real storms of life, we will find just as Paul did that our God is truly a God of comfort.
We will also discover that He is the Father of mercy, who will comfort you in order that we can comfort others… this is a promise from God.
We can call this a divine ripple effect. The comfort we receive isn’t meant to end with us, it’s meant to flow through us. What’s striking is that Paul doesn’t speak of comfort as some vague feeling, but as something deeply rooted in God’s character: which is mercy, compassion, and His presence in suffering. That’s not just theology, it’s a lifeline for us.
Hebrews 13:5b (NKJV):
“For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”
It’s important that we understand that comfort isn’t just extending sympathy to someone, because just showing sympathy can have a tendency to weaken us instead of strengthening us. As with many things, we need to strike a balance.
Warren Wiersbe writes, “God does not pat us on the head and give us a piece of candy or a toy to distract our attention from our troubles. No, He puts strength into our hearts so we can face our trials and triumph over them.”
The Greek word for comfort means “to come alongside and help.”
John 14:26 (American Standard Version):
“But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you.”
The Amplified Bible describes the Helper as Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor, Counselor, and Strengthener.
The comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God…
This is such a key passage because it clearly points out to us that the degree we can comfort others is the degree we have been comforted by God… speaking of our life experiences.
So when you find yourself in the midst of a painful trial, don’t be so quick to relieve yourself from it, know that God might use it to help someone else down the road. I know, it’s easier said than done, and nobody likes to go through pain.
Paul knew about affliction; he experienced it in ways that we never will. Because God constantly comforted and protected him, Paul was indestructible until the time came in God’s sovereign plan for him to die. That’s how it is for all of us as well… in our service to God, we will keep going until He takes us home.
Romans 8:31-39 (NLT):
“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one… for God Himself has given us right standing with Himself. Who then will condemn us? No one… for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow… not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below… indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
2 Cor. 1:5:
“For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”
When we read this, shouldn’t our first question be, “How did Christ suffer?”
Christ’s suffering was profound… it was physically brutal, emotionally wrenching, and spiritually overwhelming.
It wasn’t just the pain of crucifixion; it was the weight of bearing the sins of the world. It was also the suffering of being separated from the Father… an event that never happened before, nor will it ever happen again.
As one of the lead apostles, Paul suffered for Christ:
In physical persecution Paul was…
– Beaten with rods three times.
– Whipped five times by the Jews… each time receiving 39 lashes.
– Stoned and left for dead in Lystra (Acts 14:19).
– Shipwrecked three times; once adrift at sea for a day and a night.
– Imprisoned frequently, including two years under house arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30–31).
Paul was in constant danger…
– Faced threats from robbers, rivers, Gentiles, his own people, and false brethren.
– Endured peril in cities, wilderness, and at sea.
– Lived through hunger, thirst, cold, and exposure.
Paul went through emotional and spiritual burdens…
– Carried a daily concern for all the churches he planted and shepherded.
– Felt the sting of betrayal and abandonment by fellow believers (2 Timothy 4:10, 14).
– Bore a mysterious “thorn in the flesh” …he had a chronic affliction that kept him humble (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
Paul’s life was a living sermon: suffering not as punishment, but as participation in the Gospel, and his devotion to Christ. All this being said, Paul also suffered due to all the troubles that came as result of ministering to the Corinthian church.
1 Peter 4:12-16:
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”
God does not promise comfort for those who suffer because of some wrong they’ve done or for any unrepentant sin in their life… consequences are sure to come.
So also our comfort is abundant through Christ…
But to suffer for Christ’s sake is to belong to an exclusive club, where membership can come at a great cost.
It’s not a club people are lining up to join, but for those who do, it’s not defined by status or any applause, but by a sacred allegiance to the cross. Suffering for Christ isn’t accidental or meaningless, it’s a mark of intimacy with Him, a fellowship that is forged in fire.
Matthew 16:24-26:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’”
As God comforts us through the peaks and valleys, there are also great rewards waiting for in heaven when you join the “Jesus Club.”
2 Cor. 1:6:
“But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer;”
But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation…
Not to sound harsh, but it kind of comes with the territory for those who are willing to live a life of self-sacrifice to God and to others. The goal in mind is to be a true servant of Christ, prepared to do whatever it takes to spread the “good news” of Jesus Christ.
Which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer…
There is great satisfaction in knowing that your efforts played a part in someone’s salvation. I think that was part of the driving force that kept Paul running the race… that there is great joy seeing someone give their life to Christ.
The Corinthians were certainly a challenge for Paul, but God comforted him in his affliction, enabling Paul to better comfort the very people who had caused him such grief in his ministry.
2 Cor. 1:7:
“And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort.”
Paul is addressing the Corinthian believers who broke through to the other side, the ones who heeded Paul’s counsel and repented from their sinful behavior.
Knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings…
These Corinthians could relate to Paul, they now knew what he was saying… and with that they were… sharers of our sufferings as Paul says. I guess we could say they joined the “Jesus Club.” This took faithful endurance on their part, by demonstrating the reality of their faith they were unafraid to suffer as Paul did. The sum total of their actions… Paul says, so also you are sharers of our comfort.
We’ll close with this…
Serving God is an adventure and any suffering that happens along the way is worth it. When we step into service for God, we’re not signing up for a life of ease, we’re embracing a mission that stretches us, sanctifies us, and sometimes wounds us, but every trial becomes holy ground when it’s walked through with Christ.
It’s the kind of adventure Paul lived, shipwrecks and stoning included, and yet he counted it all joy because he knew who he served. Christ Himself, the perfect suffering servant, turned pain into the greatest purpose, and death into victory. It’s time to join the “Jesus Club.”