Bethesda Chapel 2001
SG Bible Study #5

Comfort in the midst of affliction (2 Cor 1:1-11)
(BS leaders – please go through SGBS #5 notes,
the Discussion Questions are to be taken back for independent homework for the next SG meeting)

Warm up song
Select a song that is appropriate to the above theme

Quiet Contemplation (3 minutes)
Have the members reflect on the previous Bible Studies (whichever guide was used).
For those who are using the notes and working on Personal Goals:
Renew your commitment
– to commune with God (SGBS #1 and 2 Rom 12:1,2; Jn 15:5)
– to love your family and the community of believers (SGBS #3 Eph 5:21-6:4; Rom 12:3-8)
- to serve and witness in the community (SGBS #4 Rom 12:14-21; 1 Pet 2:12; Jn 13:34,35; Rom 12:10)

Allow a short time of quiet contemplation and private confession of known sins, willingness to learn and listen to the Word of God.

Warm up exercise
Is there any difference between these two statements?
        a)  "I swallowed a bitter pill"
        b)  "I was made to eat humble pie."

Sharing
Share briefly a personal experience of distress or grief or disappointment or failure (two or three to share).

Read the selected passage
Text: 2 Cor 1:1-11

Structure
A.    Apostolic greetings (vv1,2)

Paul introduced himself as an apostle in all of his epistles except for 1, 2 Thessalonians, Philippians and Philemon. Significance: He is equal to the Twelve (11:5; 12:11; Gal 2:6), he has received special revelation from Christ (1 Cor 9:1; Gal 1:15,16), commissioned and chosen by the risen Lord (Acts 9:15).
Paul is therefore not inferior to the "super-apostles" (the Twelve apostles) that the false apostles magnified.

Grace - a common Greek greeting. God’s unsought and unmerited favour (Acts 15:23; 23:16; Jas 1:1).
Peace – a common Hebrew greeting. Peace that comes to men from God and peace with God (Phil 4:7; Rom 5:1).

The church of God at Corinth was made up of predominantly Greek with some Jewish believers. Greeks who are Gentiles are not God’s chosen people. Though they deserve no mercy, they have been granted mercy – That is the grace of God. The Jews rejected God and His wrath was on them. He brought peace to them by offering His son, the Prince of Peace to be their mediator between them and God. The peace of God which passes all understanding is a gift of God to both Jews and Greeks..

B.        Comfort in the midst of Affliction (vv 3-7 cf 7:4,7,13)

comfort (10x); affliction (root, 3x) and suffering (root, 4x)
God, the Father of compassion - the source of comfort for men

The comfort of God is mediated by His people to men. This is how God reaches the unreachable – through you who have experienced the comfort of God through suffering in Christ and other forms of afflictions.

C.        Deliverance from Deadly Peril (vv 8-11)

Paul’s personal experience of hardships 1) Fighting with wild beasts in Ephesus (1 Cor 15:32); 2) thirty nine stripes (11:24); 3) riot at Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41); 4) persecution (Acts 20:19; 1 Cor 16:9); 5) a prostrating attack of a recurring malady (1:10).

Rare word "despaired" (NIV) - total unavailability of escape.

Boast (v12) occurs 10x in complimentary sense in ch. 1-9. but 19x in an apologetic or vindicative sense in ch. 10-13. Paul "boasts" of his sufferings – for Christian testimony (see v12b).

The believers’ prayer is important for all forms of missions.

Discussion questions (for next lesson)
Text: 2 Cor 1:1-2

Q1        Is the double greeting "grace" and "peace" important for Christians today?   Discuss.

Q2      "The church of God at Corinth." The Church of God is a universal church. Corinth is a local church. Is Bethesda Chapel, as an autonomously-run brethren church, a part of the universal Church of God? What are vital doctrines of the Church of God?

Text: 2 Cor 1:3-7
Q3         What is the significance of the expression "the Father of mercies and God of all comfort?"

Q5         How do these words interact with each other in vv3-7?
              Using the literal translation below highlight or mark each significant word differently and see the flow of ideas:

A literal translation and flow of ideas:
3 Blessed {is}/praised {be to} God,
                even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
                the Father of the mercies and God of all comfort,
4 the one {who is} comforting us in all our affliction,
                in order to enable us to comfort those in any/every affliction (s.)
                through the comfort with which we ourselves have been comforted by God;
5                             for inasmuch as the sufferings of Christ abound/overflow to us,
                             in the same way through Christ our comfort also abounds/overflows;
6                 now if we are being crushed/in tribulation, {it is} for your (pl) comfort and salvation,
                 {and} if we are being comforted, (it is) for your (pl) comfort
                        by the operating in the patient endurance/steadfastness/perseverance of the same sufferings that we also suffer;
7 and our hope {is} firm for you,
                {we} knowing that even as you (pl) are partakers (n. koinonoi) of the sufferings
                                        -- so also {you are partakers} of the comfort.

        a)    Praise God …why?

        b)    Turn to God for comfort …how?

        c)    Comfort someone …who?

Break into twos or threes and share one possible application and pray for one another. Dismiss quietly.

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Next lesson: 2 Cor 1:8-11

Read Acts once through and find out what dangers and perils that Paul experienced.