Commentaries:
No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for 2 Corinthians 1:5.
II Corinthians 1:3-6
Excerpted from: EncouragementYou see, our heavenly Father is the Father of encouragement. And I think back in verse 4, it says here that we are also to be encouragers as well. This is a tremendous gift that Barnabas was given, and it is a tremendous gift that we are given as well. We all need help sometimes, as I said. And so, we need to go to that Source of encouragement first. We might be encouraged by others, but when we are down and suffering, we need to go to the core. We need to go to God in prayer and ask Him for His encouragement.
We have the same opportunity to partake of comfort and encouragement that God gives to us, and we need to give that on to others. Again, back in verse 4, it says, "That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble." Paul is saying he expects us directly to be partakers of God's gift of encouragement. We are supposed to share that with others. It is not a suggestion, it is a command. It is not an optional. It is a fundamental expectation of our faith. When we receive comfort and help from God, we are to share it.
So the Father is the giver of encouragement. Jesus Christ is the giver of encouragement. And because of God's interaction in the life of Barnabas, he became the son of encouragement.
II Corinthians 1:5-7
Excerpted from: It's Enough! Now, Lord, Take My Life!Please turn over to II Corinthians 1, verse 5. Because we share in Christ's sufferings, we also share in the comfort God provides that helps us endure such suffering.
So Paul knew that to share Christ's sufferings always involved God's consolation through that suffering, and he hoped that this would give the Corinthians the boost they needed to triumph in their time of trial. And what he is also explaining there is by the apostles' consolation and sufferings, the laymen - the people, God's people - saw those, and it encouraged them to be the same, to have consolation and salvation through Christ. So by our example of being positive and encouraging, it spreads to the rest of the congregation, the rest of our fellow brethren.
Please turn to II Thessalonians 2, verse 13. Whenever Jesus Christ's sufferings are multiplied, so is His comfort multiplied in us. The greater we suffer for Christ, the greater the comfort we receive from Christ and the greater our ability to share suffering and consolation with others in God's church.
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