2 Corinthians 1:4, commentary and pictures

God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforts His people in all tribulation, in every trouble and affliction, so that distress never separates them from His love. That comfort comes through Christ, the Comforter the Holy Spirit, the promises of the Word, and prayer and trust, giving peace, courage, strength and submission to endure, and it does not always remove suffering but sustains in it. It is given for a purpose, that those comforted by God may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble with the same comfort they themselves received, sharing in Christ's ministry of healing to those who sorrow. What has been received is to be passed on at once and not kept, by hopeful words of faith and kindness, by visiting the troubled, by letters and testimony, by practical hospitality and care for the sick, grieving and needy, and by seeking out the most needy with helpful truth. In comforting others the giver is comforted again, the spirit is refreshed, and getting out of self to help those in greater need brings light that dispels the giver's own darkness.

God Who Comforts

God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He is consolation and refuge, so that distress does not separate from His love. Grace and peace come from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed under these names.

He comforts in all tribulation, in every trouble and every affliction. The comfort received equips those comforted to comfort others who are troubled. That consolation is found in Jesus and gives strength, while weakness and darkness show lack of close connection with Him. Paul knew this comfort in his own sorrow and passed its blessing on, so that both suffering and comfort serve the consolation and salvation of others and help them endure the same sufferings.

That comfort meets the grief and wound of losing a loved one who sleeps in Jesus, healing the wound with rich blessing to strengthen and encourage the bereaved. It meets sickness, weakness and continual battle with infirmities, giving peace, courage, joy, His Spirit and His life, and it meets long sickness as part of His plan for what is best, giving richer acquaintance with the Saviour through tokens of His presence and light and love and special tender care that make Jesus precious. In sleepless hours when contemplating the future, darkness is turned to brightness through earnest prayer, so suffering is borne without murmuring or repining, the heart is filled daily with joy and praise and thanksgiving, the head is kept clear and the memory correct and bright, and precious and important ideas are impressed on the mind to be written out. It sustains amid deprivation and loneliness in missionary work and preserves through night and trial, giving consolation together with suffering, increasing love and confidence and trust in God and taking away dread of suffering. It sustains those in responsible positions of trust in institutions, who need to be drawn up out of themselves to be near God, and it sustained Paul while burdened by the churches, harassed by outward dangers and inward fears, and discouraged by false teachers.

Comfort comes through Christ, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Word with its broad promises, and prayer and trust. The Comforter is with followers of Jesus as they draw knowledge, strength and grace from Him, and the Holy Spirit gives comfort by His daily presence in reading the Word, planting truth in the heart and stamping on the soul the truth He Himself placed on the sacred page, that it may be expressed in life and character. With the love of Jesus and the preciousness of divine truth comes peace like a river, freedom from depression, a glowing heart and ardor of soul, with light shining on every letter of Scripture with fresh and important meaning and a longing to express Christ to all within reach. Christ as Guide and Comforter fills the heart with submission and with joy and peace in believing, enabling submissive surrender to God's will, to say not my will but Thine be done, the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord, whereupon hope is resurrected and the hand of faith lays hold upon the hand of infinite power. He who is afflicted in all afflictions calls for perplexities, disappointments and sorrows, even when great and seemingly unjust, to be accepted as they come with patience, without complaining or reasoning over what cannot be helped, while doing one's very best and hanging the helpless soul upon Christ. Comfort does not always remove suffering but sustains in it, for when the cup of suffering is placed to the lips the cup of consolation is always given if the mind is stayed upon God, and when He gives a bitter draught to drink He also holds a cup of blessing to the lips. Drinking the cup of sorrow without complaint prepares for drinking the cup of everlasting joy, keeps fulness of joy in Christ, and conforms to His image, so that sorrow is felt only over inability to do more to bring souls into union with Him, resting on His love, help and promise of a prepared place in the Father's house.

Tribulation is to be expected and not counted strange, even when tempted by the enemy, as part of moral discipline and necessary to an all-round spiritual education. The faithful will be tried, and those who endure trial know better how to help others than if they had not been tried.

The first chapter where the verse stands is a lesson for all believers. It calls ministers who open the Word of God to stand in a high and holy position through self-denial, through simple food that the stomach can digest without beclouding the brain, and through keeping the body in the best condition of health, so they can recommend the truth to those for whom they labor, judge righteously, voice the words of God, and advance the work by practical godliness more than by word-preaching.

Suffering and Consolation Together

As sufferings of Christ abound in the believer, so consolation also abounds by Christ. This is an experience all may enjoy, in which God establishes in Christ, anoints, seals, and gives the earnest of the Spirit in the heart, giving rest and strength to one tempted and tried who keeps the eye fixed on Jesus and walks in companionship with Him. Both being afflicted and being comforted work for the consolation and salvation of others, by producing endurance of the same sufferings. What is suffered and what is received in comfort becomes effectual in helping others endure similar trials.

All who are partakers of the sufferings shall also be partakers of the consolation. Accepting Christ does not remove briers and thorns from the pathway, but partaking with Him in suffering answers His infinite tenderness, forbearance and love that bears long with weak, defective and tempted people instead of casting them off. Paul felt this in his own sorrow and shared it with believers, finding consolation in Christ and passing its blessing on to others. While burdened by the care of the churches, harassed by outward dangers and inward fears, and discouraged by false teachers who turned believers against him, he found consolation in Christ that sustained him amid tribulation.

Christ Himself is afflicted in all afflictions, and as a divine missionary on earth He knew hunger, thirst, weariness, sorrow and grief. Because He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, He takes in every want, trial, suffering and loneliness of those who suffer in doing His work. Perplexities, disappointments and sorrows, even when great and seemingly unjust, are therefore to be accepted as they come with patience, without complaining or reasoning over what cannot be helped, while doing one's very best and hanging the helpless soul upon Christ. Drinking the cup of sorrow without complaint prepares for drinking the cup of everlasting joy, keeps fulness of joy in Christ, and conforms to His image, so that sorrow is felt only over inability to do more to bring souls into union with Him, resting on His love, help and promise of a prepared place in the Father's house.

Comfort to Share with Others

God gives comfort for a purpose, that those comforted by Him may be able to comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort they themselves received, and this prepares them to share in Christ's ministry of healing to those who sorrow. Affliction and consolation alike work for the consolation and salvation of others by producing endurance of the same sufferings, for as the sufferings of Christ abound so consolation also abounds by Christ. All who partake of the sufferings shall also partake of the consolation, and accepting Christ does not remove briers and thorns from the pathway but answers His tenderness that bears long with weak and tempted people. This comfort includes sharing hope, courage, and Christlike love, not merely feeling relieved oneself.

What is received is to be passed on at once and not kept, for only what has been received can be given. No one is to fold the hands feeling there is nothing to do, for to everyone is given work to confess Christ, to lift up those cast down, to reach out a helping hand to everyone in need, and to speak a word in season that brings comfort. Coming into right relation to God means receiving grace to believe, to do His work, and to become a co-worker with Him in inviting and comforting others, partaking of the divine nature and realizing daily what a helper Jesus is. Whenever consolation of His Spirit is given in tribulation there should be an earnest desire to give that same consolation to others, reflecting the light of Jesus while building up on the most holy faith. As soon as comfort is received someone is to be found to comfort and bless, and those who have found comfort in the Word share it as the way they continue to receive comfort.

Knowing personal weakness and having received comfort should lead to sympathy and help rather than passing by any suffering soul. No one distressed by affliction or sin is to be passed by without sharing God-given comfort, but having known weakness and needed a brother's love, the comforted are to sympathize with the suffering, the discouraged, and those suffering in spirit, and seek to help them.

Sharing is done by hopeful, cheering words of faith, courage and kindness that strengthen and encourage, by visiting the troubled, and by lifting up the cast down with a word in season. It is done also by letters and written testimony, when tokens of His presence in long sickness give richer acquaintance with the Saviour, keep the head clear and memory bright, and impress precious ideas to be written out for others in any trouble. It is done by bridling the tongue from faultfinding, murmuring and complaining, coming up from the lowlands where complaining lives, and using speech with sobriety to glorify God with thanksgiving, openly telling what He has done and telling of His mercies. What is received as holy joy, hope and consolation, with peace like a river, freedom from depression, glowing heart and light shining on every letter of Scripture, is then to be imparted and expressed in life and character, bearing a clear-cut testimony in church and before unbelievers and a comforting message mingled with warning that turns from sin.

Sharing is done by practical hospitality and care for the sick, grieving and needy. It is done by medical missionary work, drawing knowledge, strength and grace from Jesus while the Comforter is with the workers as they care for those who suffer. It is done by seeking out those who most need help and are seeking light, especially someone more needy than oneself, speaking words of comfort and encouragement, repeating helpful passages from the books being sold, and letting Christ stay close beside teaching what to say and do while the Holy Spirit suggests plans and methods.

The verse calls assembled believers who think a great work is being done to humble themselves before God, confess sins, let truth for this time be impressed on the heart, and take heed to repeated warnings sent by the Lord. It calls sufferers to be driven to God as strength and burden-bearer rather than to human aid which cannot avail. Troubles are to be borne with a devotional, godly, humble, persevering and calm Christian spirit instead of a fretted, irritated, gloomy and reproachful spirit, and such bearing exerts a correct religious influence and saving, encouraging help upon others in trouble, such as children in care and a discouraged companion staggering and ready to fall through weakness and lack of self-confidence.

Blessing Returns to Giver

God comforts the distressed so that they may comfort the troubled with the same comfort, and when sorrowful people turn to help those in greater need their own darkness is dispelled and blessing comes back upon the giver. Light breaks forth as the morning when believers get out of self to look for good they can do for those around them, even when the task feels too great. Doing good to others reacts back upon the doer, so that in comforting others comfort is received again.

In seeking to comfort others with the consolation and hope received from God the spirit is refreshed. Discouraged workers who help others are themselves strengthened and comforted. In this work the giver draws into the same line with Jehovah as a laborer together with God, with all the heavenly intelligences interested in the work on earth for the saving of souls. Comfort and blessing received from Christ are to be passed on at once and not kept, for only what has been received can be given, and as soon as comfort is received someone is to be found to comfort and bless.

Sad, discouraged, desponding believers who are weak in faith and cannot claim the rich promises grow strong in God's strength by doing something to help someone more needy than themselves. As they plead with the Lord for help He guides them to seeking souls who most need help and are seeking light. Christ stays close beside them teaching what to say and do, and the Holy Spirit suggests plans and methods to help and bless those they meet, giving them an experience and the assurance that they are God's helping hand. This includes engaging in selling books to help others, speaking words of comfort and encouragement, and repeating helpful passages from the books they carry.

Those who endure trial know better how to help others than if they had not been tried, for the faithful will be tried and enduring gives greater ability to give help and courage to others in trouble. Receiving in order to impart brings comfort and encouragement to teachers, keeps the missionary spirit alive, and is done with hearts vivified by the Spirit of God in sympathy and love, helping one another advance in the upward path and laboring for the unconverted. Those who have found comfort in God's Word are to share that comfort with others, and that sharing is the way they continue to receive comfort.

Strong consolation, comfort, peace and hope from God are received when the tongue is bridled from faultfinding, murmuring and complaining and the talent of speech is used to glorify God and give thanks, coming up from the lowlands where complaining lives. It comes to those who speak with sobriety before those who do not acknowledge God, without trifling, laughing or giggling, acting as men and women who have a soul to save or a soul to lose, bearing clear-cut testimony in the church and before unbelievers, letting Him come into the heart and purify the mind, so they grow in grace and in knowledge of the truth and then tell what He has done for them. This consolation, not sophistry, sustains every soul in the time of trouble and anguish that must come upon the world to try all that dwell on the face of the whole earth. In the near future there will be great need for special help from the Lord in seasons of trial and conflict, and the consolation needed is found only in God as the Source of all strength, grasped by trust in God alone with unhesitating obedience and simplicity of faith as the only Power that can prevail in conflict with the powers of darkness, bringing realized need with increase of faith and holy endeavor and power to overcome by clinging in faith to the unfailing One.