Lesson 2 – 2 Corinthians Chapter 1:8-17
As we opened chapter 1 last week, Paul greeted us with grace and mercy. Where would any of us be without God’s grace and mercies? Without His grace, we’d be left trying to take on the weight of our own shortcomings. It would be like stumbling through the darkness without a light, but because of God’s mercies, we’re not just forgiven by Him, we’re invited into a state of renewal, purpose, and steadfast hope.
Lamentations 3:22–23:
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
That verse holds such depth for us, it’s about grace that renews daily, not just once and done, because God’s grace can never be exhausted.
Yet it’s not about us escaping from judgment, it’s about being empowered to live anchored in God’s truth, with vigilance and humility. In a world that pulls us every which way but loose, God’s mercy is what steadies our soul.
A key verse for us is in verse 5, “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.”
If we are serious about our service to God, we can expect some sufferings along the way, it just comes with the territory.
It’s kind of sobering when you think about it. The call for us to follow Christ isn’t cushioned, it’s a directive to carry a cross. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:8–10, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned…” That kind of perseverance comes not from our strength, but from knowing who we belong to, and that’s why we endure.
Suffering for the sake of the gospel is what refines us. It strips away any kind of self-importance, and builds a kind of spiritual grit. A tested faith that doesn’t flinch when the winds rise is something for which we should aspire. The beauty of it is, suffering doesn’t get the final word; in fact, it often sharpens our clarity and deepens our love for God.
2 Cor. 1:8:
“For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life;”
Paul says, we do not want you to be unaware… this shows that he wanted to make sure the Corinthian believers were
well informed. This applies to believers today. We live in what we could call the “information age.” We’re surrounded by floods of data, headlines, opinions, trends, and technologies all competing for our attention. In many ways, it’s an age where information is plentiful, but godly wisdom feels increasingly rare.
In this age, spiritual vigilance becomes all the more vital. Not just knowing things, but being able to filter them through the lens of God’s Word, and standing firm in what’s eternal.
Paul speaks of his affliction and those who were with him. In Acts 19, Demetrius, a silversmith, was angry with Paul. The reason was so many people were getting saved in Ephesus that his business was running dry, by the loss of revenue from the sale of his idols.
Wouldn’t it be nice if the porn industry dried up because of a Jesus revolution today?
Demetrius instigated a riot; maybe he paid people with free idols to take to the streets (sound familiar?). It wasn’t long before the entire city was in an uproar. Paul says, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength. This tells us how severe this trial was for them, this was an incredibly desperate situation that threatened any kind of safe escape.
So that we despaired even of life…
Apparently, the Corinthians had some knowledge of Paul’s hardship, possibly communicated to them by Titus, but they didn’t appreciate the severity of his situation. We see again the spiritual shortcomings of the Corinthian believers.
2 Cor. 1:9:
“Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead;”
We can just sense the desperation in Paul’s words here; it’s not something for us to just gloss over. All the trials that Paul was going through had purpose, just like anything in life. This caused Paul to rely solely on God, driving him to his knees.
How many times do you try to handle things under your own strength? You’ve heard the expression, “All we can do now is pray,” when praying is the first thing we should do.
This exposes how easily we treat prayer like a last resort when it should be our first line of clarity, strength, and surrender to God. There’s a quiet but profound shift that happens within when we stop trying to muscle through life on our own, and start leaning into God before we take the next step.
This is Proverbs 3:5–6 in action:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
That kind of spiritual posture isn’t passive, it’s active dependence on God. Proverbs says to us, “I know I’m not enough, but God is always enough.”
Sometimes it’s not just our strength we default to, it’s our strategies, and even our resources; but prayer brings us back to a living relationship with God, and not routine. It remolds the heart before our hands and minds get busy.
Like Paul, we are to trust in God who raises the dead; God has the power to deliver us from any ordeal or circumstance we might find ourselves in. From Daniel in the lions’ den to Paul in prison, God’s power isn’t limited by location, timing, or intensity of the struggle. Even when deliverance doesn’t come in the way we expect, His presence never leaves us in the fire alone.
2 Cor. 1:10:
“Who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us,”
There’s a quiet strength in this verse: (NLT) “And He did rescue us from mortal danger, and He will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in Him, and He will continue to rescue us.”
That’s not just past-tense faith, it’s a present confidence and future assurance that God is always there, and He listens to the prayers of His children.
How do you see that kind of deliverance shaping the way you lead, serve, or stand firm whenever challenges press in on you? Because God is faithful, He is always ready to comfort and deliver His children.
Once again Lamentations 3:21-26 (NLT):
“Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in Him!” The Lord is good to those who depend on Him, to those who search for Him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.”
This gave Paul confidence as it should for us as well, Paul describes God’s faithfulness. Paul says, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us. Paul knew that God would bring him safely through every circumstance until it was time for him to go home to be with the Lord… we share in that same promise.
2 Tim. 4:16-18 (NLT):
The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And He rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into His heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.”
Like Paul, every believer is bullet-proof until the Lord calls us at our appointed time. Paul’s life was marked by danger, rejection, shipwrecks, beatings, and imprisonment, yet until the moment his race was finished, nothing could stop the gospel from flowing through him. He was sustained, protected, and purposeful, not because of his toughness but because of God’s sovereign will and timing.
Being “bullet-proof” doesn’t mean we won’t face suffering, which we’ve been talking about. It means we can walk forward with a holy boldness, knowing that God is in control of our total being… every step, every struggle, every season. When our appointed time does come, it’s not the end, it’s the homecoming of a glorious existence with God.
2 Cor. 1:11:
“You also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.”
You also joining in helping us through your prayers…
Your prayers matter! It’s humbling to think that the Creator of the universe bends His ear to listen when we cry out to Him, not because our words are eloquent, but because we belong to Him. Paul says in Romans 8:26 that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” Even when we’re not sure what to say, our prayers carry weight because they’re rooted in our relationship with God, and not in our performance.
I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s always exciting when God answers prayer in the positive. When the clouds seem to part just enough to let the sun through and you realize… God does hear our prayers… it seems to strengthen my faith.
It’s not just the joy of getting what we hoped for, it’s the intimacy of knowing that the Lord responded, personally and faithfully. Like a Father delighting in blessing His child.
Even Paul, who knew suffering better than most, spoke of the comfort that came from answered prayer. Isn’t it remarkable that Paul, who endured beatings, shipwrecks, and rejection, still saw answered prayer as a source of comfort.
James 5:16b:
“The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
When you’re out doing ministry, it’s a comfort to know that your brothers and sisters in Christ are backing you up with their prayers. That being said, it’s important to take prayer seriously, and if you tell someone you’re going to pray for them, you need to follow through on it.
When someone entrusts us with a prayer request, it’s not just a casual exchange, it’s a sacred invitation for us to stand in the gap, to join them in faith before the throne of grace. Promising someone prayer but forgetting it can feel like spiritual negligence, even if it’s unintended on our part.
It’s so easy to casually say to someone that you will be praying for them, whatever the situation might be. An easy solution to that is to pray with them right on the spot. That moment of closeness transforms a well-intentioned promise into an act of living faith. It affirms to us that prayer isn’t just something reserved for private, quiet spaces; it’s a real-time invitation, for God’s presence to enter into a situation right then and there.
Romans 15:30:
“Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,”
That kind of request comes from a deep need and trust. When we enter into prayer for someone, we’re entering into that struggle with them, thus it shows that we care.
Maybe that’s part of what makes intercession prayer so important… it’s not just words, but a partnership in both suffering and hope.
Do you have ways that help you remember and follow through when someone asks for prayer? Some keep a list, others pray immediately so the promise doesn’t slip away. Do whatever works best for you.
When God answered the Corinthian’s prayers for Paul, thanks would be given by many persons our verse says, on the apostle’s behalf for the favor bestowed on him through the prayers of many. Prayer, like everything else in a Christian’s life, is to glorify God! Prayer becomes less about our performance or spiritual routine, and more about worshipful surrender to God.
1 Thess. 5:17-18:
“Pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
That kind of life… marked by continual, God-glorifying communion… is the essence of our Christian maturity. Not because we’re trying to check off any boxes, but because we’ve learned that abiding in Him is our joy and strength.
John 15:5:
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
Abiding in Jesus means we’ve invited Him into the depths of our heart. Abiding isn’t a one-time gesture, it’s the posture of a life that says to God, “Stay… Rule… Be my everything.” It’s intimacy, but also lordship. We’re not just saying, “Jesus, be near,” but we’re saying, “Jesus, be the center in my life.”
2 Cor. 1:12:
“For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that it is in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.”
Conscience… the conscience is the soul reflecting on itself.
Both the Greek and English word conscience have the idea of “knowing oneself.” Conscience as self-reflection reveals something uniquely human and spiritually effective: it’s the inner witness; the echo of moral law etched into our soul.
Romans 2:14-15 (NLT):
“Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.”
The conscience is not to be equated with the voice of God. It’s a crucial distinction to take in, and one that protects us from confusing inner influences with God’s divine authority.
The conscience is indeed a remarkable capacity, being part of our created design, and it can act as a moral compass for us, but it’s not infallible.
Bible commentator Colin G. Kruse writes, “For this reason conscience can never be accorded the position of ultimate judge of one’s behavior. It is possible that the conscience may excuse one for that which God will not excuse, and conversely it is equally possible that conscience may condemn a person for that which God allows.”
On the flip-side, people without a conscience… or those who consistently show no regret, empathy, or moral awareness… are often described in psychological terms as having traits associated with ASPD or antisocial personality disorder, a sociopath, or psychopath. These aren’t just dramatic labels, they reflect deep-rooted patterns in how someone relates to others and to their moral boundaries.
At salvation, God cleanses the conscience from its lifelong accumulation of guilt, shame, and self-contempt. Like a deep washing that reaches into places we didn’t even know were stained. Hebrews 9:14 speaks to this when it says, “How much more will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”
It’s not just forgiveness, it’s restoration of inner integrity, a reawakening of moral clarity that enables service to God. It’s like cleaning a dusty window so the light can shine through clearly. When your inner sense of right and wrong gets reawakened by the Holy Spirit, you start to live with honesty, purpose, and peace.
In Paul’s defense, he didn’t call on his friends to verify his spiritual integrity; rather, he appealed to the highest human court… his own conscience.
Having a proud confidence in this context has nothing to do with pride, but it was in the testimony of Paul’s own conscience.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NLT):
“This is what the Lord says: “Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
That in holiness and godly sincerity…
It helps if we understand that the reason Paul is writing this letter is to answer insinuations brought against him in Corinth. They were questioning his position as an apostle, and the character of his conduct, along with the sincerity of his commitment.
Paul isn’t just offering theology in perception, he’s defending the very credibility of his apostolic witness. He does so not with flashy rhetoric or worldly credentials, but by pointing to his suffering, his integrity, and his clear conscience before God.
In holiness… is a phrase that describes moral purity or having pure motives. “Holiness” is deeply relational and sacrificial. When Paul speaks of his conduct toward the Corinthians being “in holiness and godly sincerity,” he’s not just defending his moral resume, he’s affirming that his motives were pure, his actions are transparent, and his position before them shaped by reverence for God.
The phrase Godly sincerity… turning to the Greek meaning, it pictures something held up to the light of the sun for inspection. Back in the day, unscrupulous potters would fill cracks in their pots with wax before selling them. Careful buyers would hold up the pots to the sun to look for wax-filled cracks, which could be easily seen. There were no cracks in Paul’s testimony.
Not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you…
Paul’s sincerity flowed from his holiness and purity of life. He characterized it as godly because God was its object and source. Paul’s sincerity wasn’t performative or self-centered; it was the outflow of a life consecrated to God. His conscience was clear not because he lived without error, but because he lived in alignment with God’s calling, and God’s grace… something to which we should all aspire.
To be sure, fleshly wisdom cannot in any way produce holiness and godly sincerity. Fleshly wisdom may impress, maneuver, and even masquerade as virtue, but it cannot birth holiness or godly sincerity because those are not achievements of intellect or performance. They are fruits of the Spirit, shaped by submission to God, not the following of worldly systems.
2 Cor. 1:13:
“For we write nothing else to you than what you read and understand, and I hope you will understand until the end;”
(NLT) “Our letters have been straightforward, and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand. I hope someday you will fully understand us,”
What the Corinthians read in Paul’s letters and what they know of Paul through personal contact are one in the same… what you see is what you get with Paul, whether in word or up close and personal. No deception, no façade… just one life, lived consistently before God and man.
2 Cor. 1:14:
“Just as you also partially did understand us, that we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours, in the day of our Lord Jesus.”
In today’s terms, the Corinthian believers were all tuned in to the “main stream media.” Their minds had been poisoned by the false teachers who had infiltrated into the ranks of the church.
Just like today’s saturation of voices from news, influencers, and ideologies, the Corinthians were blasted by persuasive false teachers who leveraged spiritual-sounding language to twist the truth. Paul wasn’t just dealing with disagreement; he was up against a distorted narrative coming from the false teachers.
The day of our Lord Jesus, is not the same as “the Day of the Lord,” when God’s wrath will come upon our sinful world. Instead, the day referred to here is the time when glorified believers will appear before our Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve talked about this many times, it is the Judgment Seat of Christ or the Bema Seat.
That we are your reason to be proud as you also are ours…
This tells us that Paul was confident of the genuineness of their conversions. When we get to heaven there will only be truth. It will be interesting to have conversations with those we had disagreements with here on earth.
In heaven, where truth reigns and sin no longer clouds our vision, I imagine those conversations will carry an entirely different tone, where we will find humble clarity, mutual understanding, and perhaps even joyful reconciliation. Maybe we’ll marvel together, saying, “Ah, so that’s what Jesus meant…” or “Now I see… how beautiful and precise His ways were, even when I couldn’t grasp them in my flesh.”
2 Cor. 1:15:
“In this confidence I intended at first to come to you, so that you might twice receive a blessing;”
Although it was in Paul’s heart and plans to return to Corinth to minster to them again, he was delayed in his journey, a delay that his enemies pointed to as proof that his word couldn’t be trusted… more “fake news.”
Paul’s delayed visit became ammunition for the false teachers seeking to undermine his integrity and apostleship. It’s striking how even in ancient times, spiritual leadership was vulnerable to distortion and spin.
The accusation that Paul was fickle or insincere cut deep, not just because it challenged his credibility and reliability, but because it challenged the trust between a shepherd and his flock.
That you might twice receive a blessing…
Blessing here means, “grace, favor, or benefit.”
Put yourself back in Pauls’ time, where the only means of getting around would be by camel, donkey, or horse. Needless to say, it doesn’t come close to us jumping in our car and doing a road trip.
The logistics of ministry in Paul’s day were no small feat. What we might dismiss today as a “simple visit” was, for him, a grueling journey… weeks or months on foot or beast, navigating unpredictable terrain, facing bandits, illness, and weather… all for the sake of shepherding souls. Yet, despite those hardships, Paul pressed on with urgency and love.
To see and be with Paul once would have been a great blessing, but to be with him twice would be wonderful. It’s like the difference between hearing a lighthouse bell once in the fog, and then seeing it up close and knowing it’s real. Just imagine: to sit with Paul after his first visit, already changed by his courage and clarity… and then, to receive him again, a man worn by trials yet still moving strong with the gospel. What stories he would tell, not for spectacle, but for strengthening.
2 Cor. 1:16-17:
“That is, to pass your way into Macedonia, and again from Macedonia to come to you, and by you to be helped on my journey to Judea. Therefore, I was not vacillating when I intended to do this, was I? Or what I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?”
(NLT) “You may be asking why I changed my plan. Do you think I make my plans carelessly? Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”?”
Perhaps the false teachers were accusing Paul of vacillating on what he intended to do… spreading false lies against him. Just because Paul had to change his plans, it was in no way evidence of a dishonest character.
Paul’s integrity wasn’t in his schedule, it was in his heart. The accusations of indecisiveness or duplicity show how easily some twisted circumstances can turn into character attacks. Again, Paul’s response isn’t defensive, it’s deeply theological. He ties his own reliability to the faithfulness of God.
Do I purpose according to the flesh, so that with me there will be yes, yes and no, no at the same time?
Paul didn’t make his plans by his fleshly humanness, and he wasn’t looking to please himself, nor did he make plans to satisfy any selfish interests. His words were not yes, yes and no, no at the same time.
We’ll close with this…
You can feel the tension mounting as he’s being challenged; Paul didn’t want to cause sorrow upon his arrival, but neither did he want to seem evasive to the Corinthians, so he chose what many leaders fear: being misunderstood for the sake of someone else’s healing. Paul anchors his credibility in something far deeper than human reasoning… his conscience wasn’t regulated by convenience or comfort, but by Christ Himself.
When we’re confronted with difficult situations, are we going to shrink back in our faith, or are we willing to stand strong for the truth of God’s Word? When difficulties confront us, our flesh whispers to us… compromise, look for comfort, retreat, but then faithfully the Spirit calls us forward… for us to stand firm, just as Paul did, and we can say to ourselves, “By the grace of God and not fleshly wisdom,” we will take a stand for God. That strength isn’t arrogant, it’s often quiet, maybe bruised a little, but always unyielding.