2 Corinthians 1

2 Corinthians

Overview

■ Authorship: Apostle Paul

■ Recipients: Christians in Corinth

■ Date: ~ A.D. 56

■ Background:

Paul wrote 1 Corinthians
Paul sent Timothy and apparently Timothy brought back report of opposition (1 Cor. 16:10-11)
Paul made a brief and painful visit to the Corinthians (2 Cor. 2:1; 12:14; 13:1-2)
Paul wrote a sorrowful letter (now lost) at Ephesus carried by Titus (2:1-11; 7:8)
Titus brought back good report of repentance
Paul wrote 2 Corinthians in Macedonia

■ Purpose:

To encourage the church to forgive and restore the repented member (2 Cor. 2:6-11).
To explain his change in plans (2 Cor. 1:15-22).
To enforce his authority as an apostle (2 Cor. 4:1-2; 10-12).
To encourage the church to support the needy saints in Judea (2 Cor. 8-9).

*Charts from Talk thru the Bible by Bruce Wilkinson & Kenneth Boa

Don’t waste your tears! God could use your past trials and sufferings to become a comfort and blessing to those who are going through similar experiences. Reach out to them!

Read 2 Corinthians 1. Which part of 2 Corinthians 1 inspired you the most?

God Comforts Us: “Comfort” (also translated as encouragement, urge, appeal, etc.) is a key word in 2 Corinthians, the verb has been used 18 times while the noun has been used 11 times in the letter. God is “the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles” (vv.3-4). In what way have you experienced God’s comfort in the past? Recall how He has comforted you through different means (i.e. people, circumstances, the Scripture, His inner peace, etc.). Thank God for His comforts.
God Comforts Through Us: “[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God” (v.4), for “through Christ our comfort overflows” (v.5). Have God used you to bring comfort to others? How have your experiences with hardship helped you understand the struggles of others?
God Delivers Us: “[God] has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us.” (v.10) “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ...” (v.20) Our experiences with God’s past deliverance and His promises in His words give us assurance of his present and future deliverance. List down your present struggles, as well as your future worries; commit them to the Lord and pray for His comfort and deliverance.
Your own insight: (fill in yourself)

Meditation and Application: Meditate on the above questions along with the necessary actions. Praise God for how He has comforted you and has used your difficult experiences to comfort others. Give God all your troubles and trust in His deliverance.

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