Affliction, comfort will not quite lie down. There is so
much in 2 Cor 1:3-7. I am barely scratching the surface.
Paul writes: "If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort
and salvation..." (verse 6)
What? In what way does Paul's affliction bring comfort
and salvation to the Corinthians? I spent the better part
of the weekend wrestling with this question though my
readers would probably get the drift right away!
In Paul the Corinthians had an example of Christ. They
were not unfamiliar with affliction. Many were slaves,
but never in their short lives had they experienced a god
who was merciful, good, strong, and, who loved them.
In Paul they saw Jesus.
Paul walked the talk. They watched his reaction to
persecution: peace and courage. His willingness to
suffer physically on their behalf, broke them and
brought them to Christ; gave them courage in the
face of their own afflictions. His life comforted
them in ways we cannot imagine.
Affliction is coming to all of us. Scripture is very
clear on this point. Are your roots deep into Christ?
Do you understand what it means to be IN Christ?
It is so important to soak in scripture. How did the
early saints do it? What was it like to be a Christian
in those early centuries? What holds the Christian
together in Iraq, Iran, Syria? The future looks grim
to many.We cannot say, "It won't happen here."
much in 2 Cor 1:3-7. I am barely scratching the surface.
Paul writes: "If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort
and salvation..." (verse 6)
What? In what way does Paul's affliction bring comfort
and salvation to the Corinthians? I spent the better part
of the weekend wrestling with this question though my
readers would probably get the drift right away!
In Paul the Corinthians had an example of Christ. They
were not unfamiliar with affliction. Many were slaves,
but never in their short lives had they experienced a god
who was merciful, good, strong, and, who loved them.
In Paul they saw Jesus.
Paul walked the talk. They watched his reaction to
persecution: peace and courage. His willingness to
suffer physically on their behalf, broke them and
brought them to Christ; gave them courage in the
face of their own afflictions. His life comforted
them in ways we cannot imagine.
Affliction is coming to all of us. Scripture is very
clear on this point. Are your roots deep into Christ?
Do you understand what it means to be IN Christ?
It is so important to soak in scripture. How did the
early saints do it? What was it like to be a Christian
in those early centuries? What holds the Christian
together in Iraq, Iran, Syria? The future looks grim
to many.We cannot say, "It won't happen here."
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