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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia: |
An apostle – Showing the divine authority for Paul's teachings. R1419:2
All the saints – The word "saint" is used to designate the truly consecrated. R1139:1
This entire epistle is addressed to the Church, the saints. NS569:3
Those who can not properly apply the term "saint"--sanctified in Christ Jesus--to themselves, can not properly apply to themselves the exceeding great and precious promises. R2987:4
Prospective "saints," the "elect," a "Little Flock." This class alone that receives spirit-begetting is the only class addressed throughout the New Testament. SM628:1
The followers of Jesus, of no earthly sect or party, "The church of the first-borns, whose names are written in heaven," (Heb. 12:23) who have died to worldly it. SM391:2
This letter, together with the other epistles, was designed by the holy Spirit for the instruction of the whole Church, during the entire Gospel age. R1386:1
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| 2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
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| 3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; |
Father of our Lord – Our Lord Jesus is not THE God, he never was and never will be. R5748:3
Father of mercies – The God of the Bible is not a vengeful God, not unkind. R4982:3
"The God of all grace," whose name is love, and who is perfect in all his ways. SM443:1-445:2
All comfort – The Apostle used "comfort" ten times in vss. 3-7. He used it seven times in chapter 7, vss. 4-13. R3435:4
Paul was peculiarly fond of repetition. Our modern taste prefers a change in sound to monotonous repetition, but change sometimes loses the force and power of repetition. R52:5*
Only the Bible reveals a God that is working all things for the ultimate comfort of as many of his creatures as will accept his favors after being brought to a knowledge of the truth respecting them. NS836:4
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| 4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. |
Who comforteth us – With the holy Spirit--the channel of divine favor--called the Comforter. (John 14:26) R2665:1
How often the Lord has thus comforted us, and how such comfort offsets the adverse conditions incident to the present pilgrim way! R3384:4
Paul exemplified his own words on an ill-fated ship. (Acts 27) R4506:5
To comfort them – The children of God, who have learned the true source of comfort, are the only ones properly qualified to be comforters, in the Scriptural sense. R5537:4
Whether while still in the flesh, or after we have come into our inheritance beyond the veil, we are to be comforters. R5537:4
Ability to be a comforter depends upon growth in grace and knowledge, for none but those who themselves are comforted can dispense this grace to others. R3435:3
All of our lessons and experiences in life in connection with trials and difficulties should make us the more capable in communicating comfort to others. R2665:5
"Comfort all that mourn." (Isa. 61:2) R2665:4
The word comfort does not contain the thought of relief, but rather that of strengthen together, or added strength. R3734:4
By the comfort – "Patience and comfort of the scriptures." (Rom. 15:4) R2665:1
Comforted of God – "Comfort one another with these words." (1 Thes. 4:18) R2665:2
"Comfort yourselves together and edify one another." (1 Thes. 5:11) R2665:4
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| 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. |
Sufferings of Christ – We, the members of his Body, fill up the measure of the sufferings of Christ which are behind. And these sufferings require all of the Gospel age to complete. T50
Whosoever believeth in Christ is justified from all sin, and sickness is a mark of sin; yet God appoints this Gospel age as the time for the Church's trial and suffering, so we are not freed from sickness yet. R2000:3
The afflictions of the gospel can not be endured without the consolations of the gospel. R27:3*
Our consolation – How much the Church needed such consolation, how much the God of all comfort wished to have his faithful ones comforted, and even the strongest in the Church, the apostles, needed comfort. R3435:4
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| 6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. |
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| 7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. |
Ye are partakers – "Rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings." (1 Pet. 4:13) T50 When Jesus gave his ctakers of the sufferings of Christ. R4475:1
Of the sufferings – These sufferings require all of the Gospel age to complete them. T50
Blessed are all in Zion who mourn over and lament the mighty power of evil in high places, both of church and of state. Setting themselves in opposition to it, they incur reproach. R1493:6*
The consolation – "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." (John 16:20) R1493:6*
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| 8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: |
Our trouble – It may have been the intention to have the Apostle cast into the arena to be devoured by wild beasts (1 Cor. 15:32), or it is possible that hfe. R2207:5
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| 9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: |
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| 10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; |
He will yet deliver us – Saved from death as yet only by hope. (Rom. 8:24) Believers cannot experienresurrection. F697
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| 11 Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. |
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| 12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. |
Godly sincerity – Delighting in the beauty of holiness, adorned with a meek and quiet spirit, submissive to discipline, patient in tribulation, abounding in the work of the Lord and delighting only in his manifest favor. R2123:3*
It requires constant watching and purging, humility, sobriety, godliness, to enable us to put this in practice. R2038:2
A warning to guard against every approach to a spirit of pride and vain glory. R1972:2
Fleshly wisdom – The wisdom of this world which depends on self and takes credit to self. R1988:1
By the grace of God – We are men of passions like Peter's: a very little exaltation often engenders pride, against which we must guard with the grace of God. R1988:1
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| 13 For we write none other things unto you, than what ye read or acknowledge; and I trust ye shall acknowledge even to the end; |
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| 14 As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. |
We are your rejoicing – Those who were noting Paul's trials and how he walked in them, were stimulated to do likewise. R4449:3*
As ye also are ours – Paul's hope is that in the day of the Lord Jesus the believers would be a cause of rejoicing, like epistles sent to the "ends of the earth," and "known and read of all men." (Acts 13:47; 2 Cor. 3:2) R1323:5
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| 15 And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before, that ye might have a second benefit; |
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| 16 And to pass by you into Macedonia, and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my way toward Judaea. |
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| 17 When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? |
Did I use lightness? – False brethren urged that Paul erred in teaching that circumcision was unnecessary to the Gentiles; that his teachings were not fixed and consistent. R4517:6
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| 18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay. |
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| 19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea. |
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| 20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. |
The promises of God – The world does not see the overshadowing wings of divine protection, but the faithful have a blessed secret realization of it and may sweetly rest in the precious promises. R4925:6, 3331:5
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| 21 Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; |
Stablisheth us – Sets us, establishes us. R5498:3
Hath anointed us – Of the holy Spirit. R5498:3
The saints of this Gospel age are an anointed company--The Christ. A81
The Spirit in the sense of enlightening and anointing is given only to the Body of Christ (anointed). R218:5, 5498:3; F132; Q23:T
When we come into Christ, we come into the anointing. If you and I maintain our membership in his Body, we are members of the Anointed One, we are under that anointing. Q23:T
Is God – God does the calling of those who come to him. R5498:3
"No man taketh this honor to himself." (Heb. 5:4) R5498:3
It is not the province of even our Redeemer to set us and anoint us. R5498:6
We are anointed in him by God. We cannot deal directly with God apart from Christ; we are not independent of Jesus. R1768:3*
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| 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. |
Hath also sealed us – Sealing goes beyond the anointing; you were not only anointed with the holy Spirit--you were also sealed. Our sealing, the imprint of the Lord's character upon us, is continuing unto the day of redemption. Q23:1
Marked or indicated by the giving of the holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13) F132
Not an outward sign upon our foreheads, but in the heart. The Spirit of adoption or sealing as sons--the very cream of Christian experiences in the present life. E247
Impressed by the holy Spirit into the image of our dear Master through the promises of God. Those who are sealed have a considerable measure of appreciation of the truth. R5498:6
God only seals those hearts that are submitted willingly, joyfully, gladly, and fully, to him. CR349:4
Once entered into, the covenant or agreement is unalterable, the matter is fixed and sealed. R131:5
The earnest of the Spirit – There is a change of nature for the Church, which begins here and is completed in the resurrection. R626:4
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| 23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. |
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| 24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. |
But are helpers – The Lord does not raise up rulers from among our brethren in the Body of Christ; but he does raise up faithful leaders, to whom earnest heed should be given. R1559:4
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