When Paul opens his second letter to the Corinthians, he doesn’t start with doctrine. He starts with suffering, comfort, and prayer. This passage gives us a glimpse into the personal cost of gospel ministry and the beauty of how God uses suffering to encourage others.



Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church was complicated. These opening verses set the tone for a letter that’s both tender and urgent.



In this week’s episode, we explore:




* Why Paul refers to himself as “we” and why it matters



* The complicated backstory behind Paul’s letter



* How Paul sees his suffering as part of his ministry to others



* What true encouragement looks like—and where it comes from



* Why Paul asks for prayer, and what that reveals about Christian community



* How God meets us in affliction not to remove the pain, but to strengthen our hope




By listening, you’ll gain a richer understanding of 2 Corinthians and the heart behind Paul’s words. You’ll see how his story models gospel-shaped leadership—and how our own trials can become a source of comfort to others.







Suffering, Comfort & Prayer: What Paul Teaches About Ministry (2 Corinthians 1:1-11)



To understand 2 Corinthians, we need three key pieces of context:




* Paul often uses “we” to refer to himself. Sometimes he means “we apostles,” but often he means “I, Paul.” It’s important to understand who he’s referring to in each passage.



* Paul wrote a now-lost letter between 1 and 2 Corinthians. This current letter responds to how the Corinthians reacted to that missing letter.



* Paul’s relationship with the church in Corinth was troubled. Some respected him, but others rejected his apostleship and questioned his sincerity.




See: How Many Letters did Paul write Corinth?



Paul’s Greeting: A Chosen Apostle



Paul opens by calling himself an “apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” That’s not just a formality. It’s a gentle but firm reminder to a church that doubted him: God chose Paul to speak for Christ. That calling didn’t come through popularity or persuasion—it came through divine appointment.




* Paul opens the letter by reminding the Corinthians that he is an apostle by the will of God—not by personal ambition.



* This introduction is significant because some in Corinth doubt his authority. Paul wants to clarify from the outset that his role is divinely appointed.



* Paul’s position is like that of an ambassador sent by a president to restore order in a disorganized branch. The local team claims to respect the president but rejects the ambassador’s authority.



* Paul’s defense is not about personal pride. It’s about preserving the authority of the message and the One who sent him.




Suffering, Comfort & Prayer



Paul praises God as “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (2 Corinthians 1:3). But Paul isn’t just making a general theological point. He’s describing his own life. God has encouraged him in the midst of real affliction, and that encouragement wasn’t just for Paul—it was for the Corinthians too.




* God encourages us in our affliction, not always by removing it.



* Paul’s sufferings are part of his ministry; he endures them for the sake of the Corinthian believers.