This Week's Focus Passage

2 Corinthians 1:3 ‘Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.’

This Week’s Focus Passage: 2 Corinthians 1:3

‘Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.’

 

    Paul’s second epistle to the church at Corinth, is considered, and fairly so, by many writers, theologians, and commentators, to be the book, or epistle, of comfort. And this is surely the primary subject of this second epistle from Paul, the apostle, to the Corinthians. Indeed, when we consider the matter of comfort, we are reminded of the statements, that is, the promises of Jesus Christ to His disciples, as recorded by John in his gospel account; where, in chapters fourteen through seventeen, Christ informs His disciples—and with them, ourselves—of the coming of the Comforter.

In what is commonly referred to as Jesus’ farewell discourse, announcing that He is going away; He informs them with a beautiful announcement and exhortation:

Let not your heart be troubled: believe in God, believe also in me. in my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

Unhappily, this glorious and promising statement does not seem to satisfy the fears and concerns of His disciples. They respond with many questions demonstrating the reality of those frequent occurrences throughout each of the gospel narratives, that seemed to force the Savior to expostulate with them, again and again, “O ye of little faith.” Yet, being the King of Grace, He does not leave them with only that rebuke. He responds to their questions and concerns, and ultimately He provides unto them, this Chief Remedy for every one of their requirements; very real or, only imagined:

I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth: whom the world cannot receive; for it beholdeth him not, neither knoweth him: ye know him; for he abideth with you, and shall be in you.

Did they understand this; do we understand this? “I will give you another Comforter; why does He say, ‘another Comforter’? The Christ had just informed them that He was going away. Now He says, “I will give you another Comforter.” What else may it mean, but that He is the ‘Comforter in Chief,’ if that may be spoken of reverently. He is going away, but He advises them that it doesn’t mean, ‘all is lost,’ for I will send to you ‘another,’ yes, another Comforter. It is widely known and understood, that the word employed here on four occasions by John, is in the Greek, Paracletos. Vine tells us that, ‘Comforter, or Consoler, corresponds to the name “Menaheri,” given by the Hebrews to the Messiah;’ Messiah is, in our New Testament, the Christ.

He is the anointed One; He is Jesus. The Comforter is going away, but He promises that He will ‘pray the Father,’ He will ask of the Father, and He will give Another. 

    It is most interesting that the use of this Greek word, parakaletos, is found, in one form or other, thirty-five times, in the Newer Testament. Four of these usages are found in John’s gospel account; more than any other New Testament book, that is, excepting our second epistle to the church at Corinth. And in this Pauling epistle, it is to be found on no less than eleven occasions. And, moreover, of those eleven usages, five are here in this very first chapter, yes, here in verses three through seven, although in the form of the word, paraklesis. This epistle obviously warrants such title, as suggested by some, as they speak of it, as Paul’s epistle of comfort.

    Indeed, we are actually looking at this third verse of the third chapter, with the title given, by the apostle, in his selection of these astoundingly glorious words; 

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. Blazing words which nearly constrain us to reflect upon the visions which some of the prophets, as well as the apostle John on Patmos; words covered with brightness and radiant glory; glory that raise our hearts and thoughts heavenward. One writer has even referred to these words as a specifically, ‘new name.’ With respect to this ‘new name’ offered up by the apostle Paul in this epistle, the theologian and preacher of the late nineteenth century, James Denney (b.1856), has well written the following, with our passage in his mind, having penned the following gracious words; 

“His [Paul’s] sufferings have brought him a new revelation of God, which is expressed in the new name, ‘The Father of mercies and God of all comfort.’ The name is wonderful in its tenderness; we feel as we pronounce it that a new conception of what love can be has been imparted to the apostle’s soul.”  

 

When we rejoin that appellation, The Father of mercies and God of all comfort, with its antecedent here in Paul’s epistle, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are verily almost compelled to wonderment. We have a reflection immediately upon our mind, and yes, upon our heart, of the eternal message of Paul, in his epistle to the Romans. Recall, the language of the beginning of what we call the fifth chapter of Romans, where we may read of the grand and final outcome of the satisfaction of Christ, the Son of God, on our behalf, as nailed upon that Roman cross at Golgotha. Paul, again:

Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

‘Peace with God!’ Is there any greater cause for comfort that having comfort in God? And knowing that our comfort in God is through our justification through Christ. And this grace has even provided our faith to know that these things are very true. What comfort that faith gives to the child of God? For the one ‘in Christ’ to know that this mercy is of God, the Father, through the Son of His love. When Paul says Father of mercies, is He not, in a very real sense, duplicating his expression, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ? For is not Christ the foundation of all our mercies? Is He not, in Himself, the Mercy of God? And is it not ‘in Christ’ that we are showered with the comfort from God; that He, our Father is, at the same time, our God of all comfort? And is this not the reason that Paul may also write, in his first epistle to this same church in Corinth, that this God of all comfort, has comforted us through Christ, when He made Him to be all things unto us; indeed, it bears repeating, repeatedly.

But of him [the Father] are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.—1 Corinthians 1:30. 

 

Let, I pray thee, thy lovingkindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.—Psalm 119:76.

 

David Farmer, elder

Fellowship Bible Church    

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