Introduction: Have you experienced times when your problems seemed overwhelming? What if the problems were not your fault? What if they arose because you were trying to do God’s will? If the problems had nothing to do with your poor decisions, you may have asked, “Where is God in this? Why is He allowing this?” In addition to your personal challenges, were there times when church friends faced hardships and you did not know what to say to comfort them? This week Paul explains the problems he and the Corinthian believers faced. His discussion will give us a deeper understanding of how to deal with problems. Let’s jump into our study of the Bible and learn more!
I. The Good Thing about Problems
A. Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. What is the good thing about suffering? (If we have suffered affliction and God has comforted us, we have learned something about how to comfort others.)
1. What are the two characteristics of God that can help us when we face problems? (He is the Father of “mercies.” He is the “God of all comfort.”)
B. Look again at 2 Corinthians 1:4. Have you had someone do a poor job of attempting to comfort you? (If so, that taught you that not all efforts to comfort are successful.)
1. I recall that at a funeral someone attempted to offer comfort by saying, “Do not worry; this was part of God’s plan.” What do you think about that attempt to bring comfort? (It makes it sound like God was directly responsible for the person’s death. And it makes it appear that God had more important things in mind than keeping your loved one alive.)
2. A questionable attempt at comfort related to the one just mentioned is explaining what you see as God’s reason for the death. “God wanted to use your loved one to teach others not to smoke.” Does that provide comfort?
a. Note that the title of this lesson is “Love-driven Ministry.” How important is it to consider whether your comfort is an attempt to be loving?
C. Read 2 Corinthians 1:5-7. Paul repeats the idea that experiencing suffering and comfort helps us to bless those who are also suffering. Why do you think he repeats this lesson? (Because our suffering and God’s comfort are not merely personal experiences; God can use them to equip us to help others.)
D. As people live longer, more of us encounter dementia, either personally or in those we love. Let’s examine some practical lessons that I learned from the suffering that my mother and I experienced in her final illness.
1. My mother died of Alzheimer’s, which is a particular type of dementia. One thing I observed is that Alzheimer’s can affect the filters that a person formerly used in getting along with others. For example, my mother, who never seemed to get angry, began having regular fits of anger. As another example, I never heard my mother swear. But now she would regularly swear. How could that knowledge be a comfort to others? (It can help family members understand that hurtful behavior may result from the disease and should not necessarily be taken personally.)
2. Another result of Alzheimer’s is that you forget where you put things. Sometimes you put them in ridiculous places. My mother thought someone was breaking into her home and stealing the things she misplaced. How could that knowledge be a comfort? (It helps us understand that accusations of stealing may arise from memory loss and confusion rather than genuine distrust.)
3. Finally, it was very distressing to me that more distant relatives would insist that I put my mother in an institution where she would be closely watched. My mother begged me not to take her out of her home. My mother’s life was at much greater risk while she remained in her own home. If you have seen a friend or relative die of Alzheimer’s, what would you have advised me to do? What comforting and loving counsel would you give? (Had I known then what I know now, I would have left my mother in her home until she could no longer care for herself. Her freedom was much more valuable than marginally extending the increasingly difficult life that lay ahead.)
II. Paul’s Advantage in Giving Comfort
A. Read 2 Corinthians 1:8-10. What are Paul’s qualifications to give comfort to those in Corinth? (His afflictions were so severe that he thought he would die.)
1. What did this terrible affliction teach Paul? (To rely completely on God. If God will raise the dead, then He can rescue those who fear that they are dying.)
B. Read 2 Corinthians 1:11. I listened to a presentation about studies examining the benefits of prayer for those who are sick. One recent study found that in-person intercessory prayer reduced reported pain and anxiety, while a large study of remote intercessory prayer found no improvement in complications following heart surgery. What does Paul say about intercessory prayer? (He says that “the prayers of many” contributed to the blessing they received. Scientific studies may have difficulty measuring the work of God, but Paul plainly believed that the prayers of others mattered.)
III. Paul on the Defensive
A. Read 2 Corinthians 1:12-14. When Paul says that the Corinthians only “partially understand us,” what does that suggest is a problem? (Distrust has arisen because of the failure of the Corinthians to fully understand Paul’s letter.)
1. What should that teach us when we are unhappy with another person? (We should be sure we are acting on complete information. We should not assume the worst.)
B. Read 2 Corinthians 2:17. What does the fact that Paul has to make this defense suggest about the charges brought against him? (The charges are that Paul is not sincere. He is in ministry for the money.)
C. Look again at 2 Corinthians 1:12-13. What does Paul argue shows that he is sincere, and not a “peddler” of God’s word? (His behavior was simple – he was not engaged in some complex scheme the people would have a hard time understanding.)
1. Step back just a moment and consider all that we have read. Why do you think Paul discussed his suffering before he entered into a defense of his actions? (Paul’s suffering sets the foundation for arguing that he is sincere in his dealings with the Corinthians.)
D. Read 1 Corinthians 4:19 and 1 Corinthians 16:5-7 to discover another attack on Paul. Did Paul have set travel plans? (Paul planned to go to Corinth and he had a tentative travel schedule. But, his travel depended on God’s will.)
E. Read 2 Corinthians 1:15-17. What does this suggest about what the Corinthians are saying about Paul’s travel plans to see them? (It sounds like they are critical. They seem to say he was “vacillating.”)
1. Have you experienced this when it comes to family visiting you or you visiting them? (My parents were jealous about us spending an appropriate amount of time with them.)
2. Have you experienced this in a another context where someone promises to help you but never follows through?
F. Read 2 Corinthians 1:18-20. How does Paul answer the suggestion that his changed plans show that he is unreliable? (He points to the reliability of the message he preached. Jesus Christ is not “Yes and No.” All of God’s promises find their “Yes” in Christ. Paul’s changed travel plans do not mean that either his gospel or his character is untrustworthy.)
G. Read 2 Corinthians 1:21-24 and 2 Corinthians 2:1. Why has Paul not shown up at Corinth as the church members expected? (Paul says he did not come because he wanted to spare them another painful encounter.)
IV. The Painful Letter
A. Read 2 Corinthians 2:4 and 2 Corinthians 7:8. What did Paul do in place of his visit? (He sent the Corinthians a letter that made them “grieve.”)
1. Why do you think he sent a letter instead of showing up personally? It was less stressful? (A letter allows the recipient to more calmly consider the entire message.)
B. Read 2 Corinthians 7:9-11. Did the letter work? (Yes. It produced repentance. This shows the success of Paul’s strategy of writing rather than visiting.)
1. Notice verse 10. If we repent of our bad behavior, what is the outcome? (Salvation without regret.)
2. Is something in your past still causing regret? What should godly grief over our past produce? (Repentance that leads to salvation. Unlike worldly grief, godly grief moves us toward God rather than toward hopelessness.)
C. Friend, have you seen the upside of suffering? Have you seen how loving correction can cause temporary grief yet ultimately produce something good? Both ideas can seem doubtful at first, but the Bible shows us how God can turn our suffering into a blessing for others and how godly rebuke can lead to repentance and salvation without regret. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in the path of love when you face these challenges.
V. Next week: Authentic Christian Ministry.
Copr. 2026, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.
