Scripture#

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all

comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation,

that we may be able to comfort those who are in

any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves

are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ

abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through

Christ."

1 Corinthians 1:3-7

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes,

and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and

has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us

and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee"

1 Conrinthians 1:20-22

Observation#

• Paul gives the reason God comforts us: so that we can comfort others.

  • God’s comfort is never meant to end with us; it’s meant to flow through us.
  • Our pain and deliverance equip us to minister compassionately to those walking through similar trials.
  • In other words:

  God doesn’t waste pain - He transforms it into purpose.

• Paul reminds believers that following Jesus involves suffering, but we never face it alone.

  • The more we share in Christ’s sufferings, the more deeply we experience His comfort.
  • Suffering increases dependence - and dependence deepens intimacy.
  • Key idea:

  You can’t know the God of all comfort unless you’ve needed comfort yourself.

• Paul interprets his own hardships as redemptive.

• His suffering wasn’t meaningless - it produced encouragement and hope in others.

• When believers endure faithfully, others see proof that God sustains His people.

• Whether Paul was afflicted or comforted, both outcomes served others’ growth in faith.

• Paul expresses confidence that the Corinthians will experience the same pattern:

  • Suffering for Christ, yes - but also
  • Comfort from Christ.

• He reminds them that Christian life is communal - we share both the pain and the comfort that come from following Jesus.

Theological Summary#

God of all comfort = God is the source and sustainer of encouragement in every trial.

Purpose in pain = Our suffering equips us to comfort others.

Shared experience = The Christian community walks together through both hardship and healing.

Christ’s pattern = We share in both His sufferings and His consolations.

Takeaway#

This passage reframes suffering. Instead of asking “Why is this happening to me?” we can ask “Who might I comfort through this?”

God allows trials not to break us, but to build compassion and draw us nearer to Christ.

Comfort received -> becomes -> comfort given.

Application#

1. When You Suffer
   • Remember: You’re not abandoned - you’re being drawn into the same comfort Christ Himself received from the Father.
2. When You Heal
   • Don’t hoard that comfort. Ask: “Who around me needs the same encouragement God gave me?”
3. When You See Others Suffer
   • Be the hands of Christ’s comfort - sometimes through prayer, presence, or empathy, not just words.

Prayer#

Dear Heavenly Father,

Father of mercies and God of all comfort, thank You for meeting me in my pain with Your presence. Teach me to see suffering not as punishment, but as an opportunity to know You deeper and to comfort others as You have comforted me. May my hardships become instruments of hope for someone else.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.