2 Corinthians 1:3b-4
Chapter 1
3
Comfort in Tribulation
Blessed be God, the Father of Christ Jesus, our Lord, the all-merciful Father and the God of all comfort!4
He encourages us during all our trials so that we can also comfort those facing any trial with the same reassurance we receive from God.
Commentaries
Comfort in Tribulation.
After the greetings, there is a hymn of praise or a solemn, almost liturgical prayer of blessing that fully introduces us to the context of the letter: Paul’s apostolic suffering and the comfort that comes from the “compassionate Father and God of all comfort” (3). To what tribulation and suffering is Paul referring? Undoubtedly, it is that caused by his difficult relationship with the Corinthian community, which affected him deeply. Besides suffering, the Apostle mentions another bond that unites him with the Corinthians: praying for those who suffer or are in danger, and giving thanks for their deliverance. Paul’s sufferings, both personal and those caused by the Corinthian community, seem to have subsided for now. It is a time for thanksgiving.