Paul begins this letter with a standard form of greeting in verses 1-7. He affirms his status as an official representative of Christ. (Some in Corinth had been casting doubt on Paul’s Apostleship.) He also states that this position was assigned to him by the will of God, to remind them that it is not a role he sought out for himself. (See Acts 9 for Paul’s “Origin Story”)
The letter is addressed to the church of Corinth and other churches in Achaia (Greece). Paul uses two elements in his greeting common to Greeks (grace: undeserved favor) and Hebrews (peace: well-being and security) and identifies God the Father and Jesus Christ as the source of both.
The word “praise” or “blessed” at the beginning of verse 3 indicates in the Greek that God deserves being spoken well of. Praise is a particular type of worship expression that is outwardly detectable by others in some way. So Paul is telling his readers to outwardly express who God is and what he has done.
Paul then specifically highlights God’s compassion and ability to provide comfort. (v.3) And when God gives us comfort, he also equips us to give comfort to others. (v.4) “The sufferings of Christ” (v. 5) is a phrase used in the New Testament to refer to suffering endured by believers in service to Christ. Christ also served as the ultimate example of a suffering servant and so we can expect to experience various degrees of suffering as we aim to follow his pattern of living. (See Philippians 3:10)
Paul recognized God’s purpose in every state of his existence. When he was distressed, he knew it was because he was serving others and serving God. When he was comforted, he recognized the hope that it would bring others to see him comforted even in times of suffering. (v.6-7)
Paul was not superhuman. He knew what it was like to be in so much agony that he didn’t want to take another breath. He knew what it was to reach his personal limit and be pushed far beyond it. He knew the fear of death and torture. But he also saw his suffering as a calling to trust in God, knowing that God can even reverse the power of death. Paul knew that God is ultimately in control and worthy of trust. (v.8-10)
Although prayer can sometimes feel futile or like talking to the air, Paul emphasizes the importance of prayer here. Although God does not need our prayers in order to act, he often acts in response to our prayers! (v.11)
Next Week- Paul repairs his reputation
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