Comfort Amid Trials & Suffering

Summary: Paul explains that just as Christ’s sufferings overflow to believers, so also God’s comfort overflows to them. Their suffering is for the Corinthians’ encouragement and salvation, because when the Corinthians endure the same sufferings, they experience the same comfort God provides. Paul describes a severe affliction they faced in Asia—so overwhelming that they felt they had received a sentence of death. This happened so they would not rely on themselves but on God, who raises the dead. God delivered them from this deadly peril and will continue to deliver them. Paul adds that the Corinthians help through their prayers, so that many people will give thanks when God answers those prayers and grants deliverance.   Teaching: In trials and suffering, “trials” refer to persecution and the hardships that come from the world, while “suffering” refers to the difficulties we endure. When we believe in Jesus, we may experience hardships specifically because of our faith — financial strain, demands on our time, physical weariness, and other burdens. We may also face unexpected difficulties in society because we follow Jesus. When society dislikes the church or people show hostility toward it, we may face unfair treatment we did not anticipate. These are the sufferings and trials of Christ. Even when we serve God, we sometimes rely on our own thoughts, will, methods, or on other people. But when no one else is there to depend on, we learn to rely entirely on God. This is what Paul experienced in the passage: when he had lost even the hope of life, he learned that he must depend on God alone. Through trials and suffering, we gain a faith that relies solely on God. Knowing God’s purpose—to save our souls and our lives—whenever we face difficulties, we should look only to Him and call upon Him. Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, Dec 9, 2025 2 Corinthian 1:5-11