2 Corinthians 1

Like the love of Christ and His church which was such an important topic in First Corinthians, the ministry of the servants of the Word, an important concern of Paul in Second Corinthians, is something that must be learned by the work of the Spirit of God. True Christian love is not a matter of the first birth, but the second. The same can be said about true gospel ministry.

This ministry of the Word which is so important to the definition of an apostle or messenger of Christ, may not seem impressive to the world, just as the love of Christ expressed through the church may also be unimpressive. Even when people may say, “See how they love one another,” this does not mean that we can bring about the new birth through the agency of charitable living. Only God by His Spirit can raise up His resurrection church, only God can produce real cross-love, and only God can make a man to be a crucified expositor of our glorious Lord.

Paul is such a man, but apparently not everyone who visits the Corinthian church claiming the name of apostle is actually the genuine article. Paul is a true messenger of Christ Jesus by the will of God. He speaks a word of gospel comfort which is ours only through the affliction of one Servant of the Lord for us, Jesus the Christ. This is a message of divine grace, and not of our merit. It is a word of a settled peace, and not another chapter in our assault against God which has been going on since the Fall of Adam. It is word delivered by messengers who have felt the comfort of true grace and peace, and who desire to comfort others with this same comfort.

The reality of gospel comfort is especially tried and proven in the furnace of sovereign affliction. Gospel comfort is not merely a matter of talk, but of healing for those touched by the miseries of life in this world of death. When someone has received this comfort, they have something to share. This is one powerful way that faith will yield love. In our afflictions we lay hold of the truth of Christ by faith, we believe the promises of the resurrection age by hope, and we express the joy of Christ to others who face trials as we serve them in sacrificial love. All of this is a glorious privilege for us, and it is delightful to be used by the Lord for the furthering of gospel comfort, but only the Lord by His Spirit can make a Christian, and only the Lord by His Spirit can call a man to be a true shepherd and expositor of the Jesus of the Scriptures.

As we move forward with the message of Christ, we speak a message not only of comfort but of suffering. Christ’s sufferings have brought us comfort. The church is called now to suffer, that others might hear and experience this word of comfort. In this we have fellowship with each other, and with Christ, who suffered for our salvation. Paul does not hide the fact of his affliction or their affliction from those who would read this letter. This is part of the eternal plan of God for us. Affliction can be very significant, and Paul says that for him and his gospel companions, it was like a sentence of death. But God raises the dead, and knows how to distribute affliction and comfort even now as we wait for the fullness of eternal comfort that is reserved for us in heaven through Christ Jesus.

As Paul experiences God’s deliverance from peril, he urges upon the church the duty of prayer. This is not an option for the church. Paul says, “You also must help us by prayer.” When you bring the cross love of Christ to the world, you bring something that is not earthly wisdom. The wisdom of heaven can only be received and embraced through heaven’s gift. Thus we pray. We also hold back on certain methods. This word is best presented without too many earthly props designed to make heavenly food palatable for those who only have an appetite for an earthly banquet. Present the gospel with only the dressing of simplicity and the godly sincerity of a messenger with a good conscience. Then the grace of God will be the only reason for the message to be embraced.

Paul wanted this grace of God to be known in the church in Corinth, not only as a matter of their first reception of the truth of Christ, but also as a gift of Christian growth that comes to those who would yield themselves to the Lord. This sanctification is God’s will for His people, and He and His ministers need to be “Yes and Amen” for this kind of growth, as Christ is consistently “Yes” for the fullness of the resurrected and sanctified church.

But not all can consistently receive this word, and some are led astray by false messages and wandering messengers. Therefore, it is always a question of some spiritual discernment as to how and when to move a congregation from their current attainments in Christ to more godliness and love by the power of the gospel. In the case of Corinth, at some point Paul decided not even to visit, because he determined that this would not serve the Lord’s holy goals for the church. Yet he did not give up on the church, but continued to seek God’s best for His beloved.

Despite all the profound disappointments in the path of any one church or individual, the Lord will not abandon those for whom He shed His blood. They will be sanctified. God will establish His entire church in Christ. His Spirit is a guarantee to us even in the most desperate times, that God will finish His work, and will greatly bless His church. Thus we pray. Thus we preach. Thus we live.