December 10, 2025
2 Corinthians 1 ESV
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, 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. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 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. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. For our boast is this, the testimony of our conscience, that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace of God, and supremely so toward you. For we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and understand and I hope you will fully understand— just as you did partially understand us—that on the day of our Lord Jesus you will boast of us as we will boast of you. Because I was sure of this, I wanted to come to you first, so that you might have a second experience of grace. I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and to come back to you from Macedonia and have you send me on my way to Judea. Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh, ready to say “Yes, yes” and “No, no” at the same time? As surely as God is faithful, our word to you has not been Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. But I call God to witness against me—it was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth. Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.
Discussion Questions:
1) Verses 1-14: Why was the Apostle Paul in need of the comfort of the Heavenly Father?
2) Verses 15-24: Why does Paul feel it was necessary to explain to the brethren in Corinth his change in travel plans?
Discussion Summary:
Verses 1-14: The word “comfort” in these verses is a translation of the Greek word “paraklesis.” It has the same root as the Comforter (the Holy Spirit) given to the disciples when Jesus ascended (John 14:26). This word signifies more than just sympathizing or consoling. It contains the thought of strengthening or fortifying.
Paul’s own experiences had been increasingly difficult in Ephesus (Asia Minor) as we read in verses 8,9. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27, he lists the sufferings he had endured as a result of his preaching. Suffering has a clarifying effect on the mind and Paul seems to have realized that if he was taken off the scene and no longer able to advise the brethren by letter or visit, the brethren would need to be strengthened to stand on their own. The tone of 2nd Corinthians reflects this. Paul speaks to the Corinthians in a deeper, more spiritual way than in his first letter.
Verses 15-24: We read in 1 Corinthians 16:5 that Paul had planned to visit the brethren in Corinth. But instead he seems to have sent a letter that upset the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 7:8; 10:9). This change made the brethren question his motives and his love for them.
Paul explains the change in his travel plans was not because he was “vacillating.” His intention was always to visit, but he did not feel that it would be in the Lord’s providence. As he said in his first letter (1 Corinthians 16:7), “I hope to spend more time with you, if the Lord permits.” By not visiting the Corinthians this time, he was hoping to help them. He did not want to come to them in a hard and authoritative manner which might affect their relationship (2 Corinthians 2:1). Instead he felt this letter would be more productive.
He then uses a theological argument to help the brethren to perceive his travel plans from God’s perspective. Instead of saying, “Trust me, I know what I’m doing,” he says that they should trust God. They should recognize that God’s faithfulness towards them was manifested by Paul founding the ecclesia, preaching, shepherding by letter and by sending other brethren as his representatives. Paul suggests that they can affirm by an “Amen” that God’s care over them was manifested through his faithful ministry.
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