THE STRENGTHENING COMFORT OF GOD

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word comfort? Sleeping on a fluffy mattress? Maybe spending a chilly evening on a cozy armchair by the fireplace with a steaming mug of hot cocoa? Some of you might be thinking yes. That’s because “comfort,” in a modern sense, means coziness or luxury. We all naturally desire comfort. A desire for comfort dictates where we live, what we do, and even what we buy. The pursuit of comfort even drives innovation. Someone somewhere in the world right now is inventing something to make our lives easier. The desire to simplify even the simplest aspects of life for the sake of comfort can sometimes become absurd. Someone invented an electric toothbrush because we all know how strenuous it is to brush our teeth every morning. Comfort could also mean alleviation of pain. We have hospice facilities or nursing homes to provide comfort care for people with terminal illnesses to help ease their pain. All that to say, our mind naturally associates comfort with ease, luxury, success, security, and prosperity.

Our text this morning is all about God’s comfort during afflictions. In a span of 5 verses, Paul uses the word “comfort” 10 times. But the question is, “Does the comfort of God refer to cozy feelings, luxury, freedom from hardship, or consolation? Is it finding a positive perspective in the midst of a negative situation? What does God’s word say about his comfort? Paul experienced severe afflictions as an apostle. In 2 Cor 1:8–9, he says he was burdened beyond his strength and felt as if he had received the sentence of death. To top it off, some false teachers accused Paul of being a false apostle, of being weak and walking in the flesh because of his sufferings. The Corinthians bought into that deception and embraced a worldly idea of success, strength, power, and comfort that was contrary to the gospel. They turned against Paul, and their betrayal deeply hurt the apostle. Indeed, he was their Father in the faith. But in the middle of such hardship, Paul also experienced the sweet comfort of God.

We all know that suffering is a common experience for all of us. Our struggles may not be as severe as Paul’s, but they are still difficult to bear. In January 2021, I planted a church in my hometown in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It was born out of a great desire to plant a healthy reformed church in my town, and it cost me a great deal to do that. Without delving into much detail, I can say that it put a lot of emotional and relational stress upon my family. I had to move to Minneapolis for seminary later, but within a year, I learned that some whom I deeply trusted to protect and serve the church had turned against me and wreaked havoc in the church. That was one of the most excruciating moments of my life. Although it was nowhere near the pain that Paul experienced with the Corinthian church, that period of distress became the conduit through which I experienced the sweet comfort of God, particularly through this letter of Paul.

We need the comfort of God to walk through our trials with glad-hearted joy. But what is this comfort that God gives to his people? How do we experience it in the midst of our afflictions? What purpose does God intend to fulfil by comforting us? We’ll answer these and some more from our text this morning.

The main point of our text is this: God comforts his people in the midst of afflictions. We will look at this passage in three sections. First, in vv. 3–4, we’ll look at God’s purpose in afflictions and comfort. Second, in v.5, we’ll look at God’s promise of comfort, the means and the extent of his comfort (v. 5). And finally, in vv. 6–7, we’ll look at our partnership in afflictions and comfort—how sharing patiently in the sufferings of Christ with the apostles energizes patient endurance of our faith until the end.

Paul begins this section by ascribing praise to God. He writes, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (1:3). “Blessed be God” could either be an expression of a wish that God be praised, or it could be a declaration or affirmation of the eternal blessedness of God, i.e., God is blessed. Either way, this is worship flowing out of Paul. He is extolling God for who he is. Who is this God? He is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. While God has many divine attributes, by drawing our attention to God’s mercies and comfort, Paul sets the theme and tone for the rest of the passage. This way of identifying God with his mercy and compassion is not exclusive to the New Testament. God was already known as the God of mercy and compassion in the Old Testament. God introduced himself to Moses as “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Exod 34:6–7). On many occasions, the saints of the Old Testament turned to God for his mercy, as he was known to them as a merciful God.

But look at the order in which Paul reveals God’s identity. He is first the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and then the God of all comfort. Why? Because you cannot know God as the God of all comfort without knowing him first as the God and Father of Jesus Christ. Paul is not wasting words just to give this letter a Christian identity. Notice how Paul establishes our connection with God. God the Father is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If Jesus is not our Lord, then we have no relationship with the Father. Jesus is the revelation of the eternal and invisible God in the flesh. God the Son is the means to be reconciled to God the Father. And while God was known for his mercy and compassion in OT, Jesus Christ is now the means through whom God dispenses the fullness of his mercy, grace, and comfort. Paul says in 1 Cor 8:6, “There is one God, the Father, from whom are all things … and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things.” There is no way to come to the Father or receive anything from the Father except through his Son, Jesus (John 14:6).

Additionally, it is worth noting that God is the God of all comfort. The word “all” emphasizes that God is the source from whom all mercy and comfort flow to his children. No one can find true comfort anywhere else apart from God. If there is any sense of comfort that we experience as the children of God, it is all from God (James 1:17). That is why God is to be praised.

Paul then gives us the reason why he’s praising God. In v. 4, he says, “who comforts us in all our affliction.” Here is a man who not only knows in theory about the God of all comfort but who has also personally experienced the comfort of God. The word that Paul uses for affliction refers to both external distress and internal pain and anguish. Paul has been afflicted in every way and has received God’s comfort in the midst of those trials. But how does God comfort us in our affliction? God comforts us primarily through his word and his presence. The Psalmist says in Psalm 119:50, “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” And then v. 52, “When I think of your rules from of old, I take comfort, O Lord.” The psalmist took great comfort in God’s promises during his distress. Similarly, Paul, who wrote about half of the books in the NT, was never in short supply of God’s promises. He says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” He says in Romans 8, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? … Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Paul found comfort in the promises of God. God’s word was written for our endurance and encouragement so that we might have hope (Rom15:4).

Second, God comforts us with his presence. David says in Psalm 23, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” God’s presence comforts us. The Holy Spirit, the Paraklētos, who dwells inside us, comforts us.

John Bunyan, a Puritan preacher, was thrown in prison for preaching the gospel without a license. He suffered greatly in prison for 12 years. He had to endure harsh treatment and unhygienic conditions. Once, he was overwhelmed with the fear of death, but God brought to his mind the great promises in his word, through which he found great comfort. He says, “[God’s promises] did sweetly revive my spirit, and help me to hope in God.”

Paul now goes on to give us the purpose for why God afflicts us. First, God afflicts us so that he can comfort us (1:4a). We can only experience the comfort of God when we are afflicted. If there is no affliction, then there is no comfort. This is a straightforward principle to understand. You need to experience hunger to appreciate fully the satisfaction of a good meal. Unless you know what loss is, you won’t express gratitude for what you possess. Order doesn’t mean anything unless there is chaos. And God’s mercy toward us cannot be cherished unless it is seen against the backdrop of God’s wrath and judgment (Rom 9:22). In a similar way, we wouldn’t know and experience the sweet comfort of God unless we experience afflictions in our lives.

But is it really worth it? Is the comfort of God we experience worth the afflictions we walk through? I always think about it this way: what would the apostle Paul say? We all have had our share of troubles, but none of us has suffered the way Paul has. I am not trying to minimize anyone’s pain, but if we are honest, we all will unanimously agree that Paul’s sufferings were on a totally different level. In 12:24–28, he says:

“Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Now, Paul was a strong-willed man. Remember when Agabus prophesied how Paul would be bound and handed over to the Gentiles by the Jews? If we were in Paul’s place, we would have thanked God for the prophecy and stayed home. But not Paul! He said he was not only willing to be imprisoned but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 21:10–13). But it is that very same Paul who says here, “We despaired of life itself. We felt that we had received the sentence of death.” We can only imagine how intense his afflictions were.

Would Paul say that it was all worth it to experience the comfort of God? I believe absolutely yes. What Paul means by comfort isn’t that fluffy or cozy feeling we’re used to in our culture. Nor is it the easing of pain. It is not merely some sympathy extended to us in times of pain. The English word “comfort” comes from the Latin word “fortis,” which means to strengthen greatly. God’s comfort is grace that encourages and strengthens our inner being, infusing us with joy in the face of adversity. It emboldens us to endure suffering while rejoicing in the God of all comfort. That is why Paul confidently says, “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” In 7:4, he says, “I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.” Paul would never trade this comforting power of God that emboldens, strengthens, and fills him with joy for anything else in the world. It is a kind of strengthening that fortifies you enough to trust in God’s ability to raise you from the dead. In fact, he says, in 1:9, “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” I may go so far as to say that God’s comfort is power — power that instills courage and strength. Paul says, in Phil 3:10, “that I may know him (Christ) and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings.” Paul knew that without suffering, he would never know and experience the power of Christ’s resurrection—the power that strengthens him. Paul was not a masochist. But I’ll tell you what Paul was. He was a Christian hedonist. He wanted to know Christ. He wanted to know the power of his resurrection. He wanted to know the fullness of joy found in Christ. But he also knew that the path to all of that glory was through the sufferings of Christ.

The second purpose behind afflictions is this: “so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (v. 4b). When God comforts us in our afflictions, it is not an end in itself. God comforts us so that we can comfort others who are in any affliction with the same comfort with which God comforts us. Paul speaks of comfort as a gift that is meant to be shared. John Donne, an English poet, famously said, “No man is an island, entire of itself.” And this is ultimately true of believers in the body of Christ. We are a people called to share life together in Christ. And God’s comfort that we experience in our own suffering is an overflowing comfort meant to reach and touch other sufferers around us. That is why we gather corporately as a church—to mutually encourage, edify, and comfort one another. We can clearly see God’s wisdom in this. We can only comfort others when we ourselves have experienced suffering and received comfort. When we suffer, it gives us an innate capacity to sympathize with others who suffer. And when we are comforted, we can pass on the same, divine comfort to others who suffer.

But how does this practically play out in the life of the church? Paul doesn’t leave us without an example. While Paul is uniquely called to suffer as an apostle, receives divine comfort (1:4), and shares that comfort with those afflicted in the Corinthian church, we see in 7:5–7, that Paul also receives comfort from others. He says, “For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.” Paul faces intense affliction in Macedonia. He is feeling pain externally—his body has had no rest, and he’s feeling it internally—fear within. He is troubled in his soul. But God comforts this downcast Paul through the Corinthian church. He is first comforted by the coming of Titus. Titus’s presence brought a great deal of comfort and strength to a much-weary Paul. But it doesn’t stop there. Titus further comforts Paul with the same comfort with which he was comforted by the Corinthian church. The Corinthians received and treated Titus well, expressing their longing to see Paul, their grief over their ill-treatment of him earlier, and their zeal now for him. This news brought more comfort to Paul on top of Titus’s presence. Do you see how it all comes full circle? Paul comforts the Corinthians, the Corinthians comfort Titus, and Titus comforts Paul with the comfort with which he was comforted. This is a beautiful picture of how God’s comfort flows and expands within the body of Christ. Did this comfort take away all of Paul’s afflictions? I don’t think so! Did it alleviate the tiredness and pain his body was experiencing? Of course not! But I believe it did take away his fear. God used Titus and the Corinthian church to strengthen Paul spiritually and encourage him to endure his hardships with joy.

About a week ago, I attended the funeral service of Perpetua Broten. I cannot even imagine the pain the family must be going through. Hundreds of people had gathered to grieve with the family and to comfort them. We all, together as the body of Christ, worshipped God. We sang, “It is well with my Soul.” We heard the Word of God preached. Did it ultimately ease the overwhelming pain that the Brotens were experiencing? Probably not. But I’m sure it did bring them divine comfort—a comfort that will strengthen them to persevere in their faith and keep serving our great God with joy.

The Promise of God’s Comfort
Paul now further explains how he’s comforted and enabled to comfort others in their afflictions. He says in v. 5, “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” I like how the NASB translates it: “For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” What does Paul mean by “[sharing] abundantly in Christ’s sufferings?” I’ll first tell you what it does not mean. These sufferings do not refer to the sufferings that Christ endured in order to redeem us from our sins and accomplish our redemption. “Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). It is done, and it is finished. The debt is paid. No other sacrifice is needed. In what way, then, does Paul share in the sufferings of Christ? I think the best explanation is this. When we believe in Christ, we are united to him. We become one with him. And so we are united with Jesus in his life and death. That’s why Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:20).” We are in Christ, and Christ is in us. We don’t suffer in the same salvific way that Jesus did, but we associate ourselves with the sufferings of the messiah—with the kind of life that Jesus lived. Jesus himself said that “a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). Moreover, Peter says, in 1 Pet 2:21, “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” It is in this sense that we share in the sufferings of Christ. And these sufferings encompass all the pain you’ll ever experience as a human being. Paul otherwise would not have said, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” ( Cor 4:16). These sufferings include sickness, disease, death, and every other pain that we experience as a result of the fall.

Paul’s logic is this: If your sufferings are abundant, so will your comfort be. In other words, the amount of strengthening comfort you will receive from God is proportionate to the amount of suffering you endure, which means you will not lack divine comfort ever. The more the sufferings, the more the comfort. Paul knew this truth. That is why he says, “I will boast all the more gladly of weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (12:9). That is why he is content with weaknesses, with insults, with hardships, with persecutions, with calamities, because he knows that when he is weak, then he is strong (12:10). God’s power is perfected in our weakness, trials, and suffering. If God refuses to remove the thorn in your flesh, know that he will, to the extent of your suffering, comfort and strengthen you.

My wife and I have long yearned to have children. But God has refused to grant us our desire for the last 9 years. That is a grief we carry in our hearts every single day. Well, our longing has only grown exponentially since we started attending the North Church. We see big families with many children, and it’s beautiful. We love that! We desire that God would give us that gift too. We feel the pain every day, but God has not left us without help. We experience God’s comfort in many different ways—through his word, through his church, through his divine presence, and we experience it in proportion to the extent of our grief. Now, our suffering is nothing compared to what many of you are experiencing in your own lives. Some of you are battling severe illness, the loss of a child, the loss of a spouse, singleness, maybe a son or a daughter who’s walking away from the faith, and it’s tearing you down inside. It may seem like the pain will never go away, and the truth is, it may never. But God promises that to the extent of your suffering, he will give you his strengthening comfort and make known to you the power of his resurrection.

Paul further clarifies how his God-ordained afflictions and comfort are serving the Corinthian church. He writes in v. 6, “If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort.” How does Paul’s affliction bring salvation to the Corinthians? We know that God is the author of our salvation, and that salvation comes to us through the redeeming work of his Son, Jesus. But God chose Paul to carry this message of the cross to the Corinthians. Paul suffered immensely to bring the gospel to them. In this sense, his afflictions brought the Corinthians salvation. But Paul isn’t merely talking about their initial experience of salvation. The second half of v. 6 clarifies the first half, explaining how his afflictions bring them strengthening comfort that energizes their faith. When Paul is afflicted, God comforts him, and when he is comforted, he is able to comfort the Corinthians. This comfort is a strengthening and fortifying comfort that energizes the believers to persevere in their faith until the end. That’s the final salvation of believers.

This, however, does not happen automatically. There is a condition that Paul emphasizes the Corinthians must meet in order to experience this strengthening comfort that energizes endurance. He says, “[You will experience this comfort] when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. So Paul shares in the sufferings of Christ, and the Corinthians must share and endure the same sufferings as Paul. Only then will they experience the comfort from God that Paul finds in his own suffering. This would have been a very hard pill to swallow for the Corinthians. The so-called super apostles in Corinth had deceived the Corinthians into rejecting Paul because of his sufferings and weaknesses. But Paul now flips the script and says, ‘If you don’t participate in the sufferings that I suffer for Christ, then you have no part in Christ or his comfort. The very sufferings the Corinthians despise are what brought them salvation. And the very same sufferings will also help them to progress in their salvation and bring them to final salvation.

Having himself experienced God’s comfort, Paul is confident that the Corinthians will too. He says, “Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.” It is a hope not based on sentiment and feelings. It is a hope based on the promise of God.

I would like to conclude with a few practical pointers on how to apply the truths in this passage to our own lives.

First, if you are not trusting in Jesus, come to him. Embrace the free gift of the gospel. Embrace the free gift of the gospel. Why would you not come to the living bread, the living water, the one who has the words of eternal life? He came so that we may have life and have it abundantly. You will not only find eternal life in Jesus, but you will also find divine comfort in your suffering. We all live in a fallen world. Whether you are a believer or not, whether you like it or not, you will suffer because God has subjected all creation to corruption. If you are not in Christ, your suffering will be absolutely meaningless. But in Christ, you will find not only meaning in your suffering but also comfort in the arms of your savior.

Second, if you are a believer, then lean into your sufferings like the apostle Paul. Do not despise them. They are the vehicle that God uses to pour out his divine comfort that energizes your faithful endurance until the end. Do not be like Job’s wife. Be like Job who said, “Thou he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” Worship and bless God in your sufferings. There is a reason why Job’s wife remains nameless. But Job’s life is presented to us as an example of steadfastness.

Third, as you lean into your sufferings, turn to God for comfort. Don’t let suffering drive you away from God. Many turn to worldly comforts to ease their pain. They turn to things like drugs, sex, pornography, or entertainment to escape the reality of pain. Not only will that comfort not last, but it will also lead you down the path of destruction. Turn to God and his word—the source of true comfort and hope.

Finallly, be on the lookout for opportunities to comfort others. One theologian said, “God does not comfort us to make us comfortable but to make us comforters.” You may not help minimize their pain, but you surely will aid them in persevering in their faith. Just your physical presence can bring tremendous comfort to those suffering. Also, be open to being comforted by others. Many believe they can cope with all the pain in their life alone. They are too self-reliant to seek any help. But the reason God afflicts us is to break us out of our self-reliance. The reason why we come together as a church is to minister to others and to be ministered by others. This is one of the reasons our elders encourage you to become a member of the church. If you’ve been visiting us but haven’t yet taken the first step to become a committed member of this church, I urge you to meet with one of our elders and consider how you can become part of this family and start serving others and be served by others. Remember that your participation in the suffering and comfort of others serves their eternal salvation and joy.