“Paul’s purpose in this eulogy is not merely to praise God for personal comfort received or to discuss the nature of the gospel ministry. His primary concern is to show the Corinthians that their lives are inescapably intertwined, so that what impacts Paul impacts the Corinthians and what impacts the Corinthians impacts Paul. It is for their benefit, he says, that he encounters trouble.”
IPV New Testament Commentary
Many times, pride prevents us from opening up our lives to other people. When we do this, we do not receive the comfort that God desires for our lives. I have told this story many times, however, it is fitting for this chapter. I remember a time when a group of people at church asked me if they could pray for me. Hank’s mom, Mona Jean, asked me to describe my needs. After I told her, she asked me if I’d ever shared this with anyone from chuch before. Ashamedly, I said no. The look she gave me said it all. It was pride.
The comforts that Paul described were not just for him. He knew suffering was universal. He understood that the Corinthians were struggling as well. He writes of the comfort God has given to him in order to encourage the Corinthian believers. As Adam Clarke writes, “What a miserable preacher must he be who has all his divinity by study and learning, and nothing by experience!”
But again, consider the key to this truth. It is not possible if we are not in deep, authentic relationships with other believers. How can we provide comfort and encouragement to another if we ourselves never share our burdens? How can we expect to receive comfort from others when we never ask?
I can’t tell you how many times I have been both encouraged and convicted by watching someone else endure a trial and face it with joy.