2 Corinthians 1:3-5
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
“Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that were always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for him. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles.” (Life Application Study Bible 1940)
“The ‘sufferings of Christ’ are those afflictions we experience as we do Christ’s ministry. At the same time, Christ suffers with his people, since they are united with him. In Acts 9:4, 5, Christ asked Paul why he was persecuting him. This implies that Christ suffered with the early Christians when they were persecuted.” (Life Application Study Bible 1940)
Work Cited
Life Application Study Bible. Zondervan, 2011. p. 1940.
New Wine Fellowship 