2 Corinthians 1:4
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Continuing his opening blessing, Paul explains the divine purpose behind the comfort he receives in affliction: that it might overflow to comfort others in their distress.
What Does 2 Corinthians 1:4 Mean?
Comfort received is meant to become comfort given. Paul says God comforts us in all our tribulation so that we may comfort others in any trouble, using the very comfort we ourselves received from God. The verse reveals a purpose hidden inside affliction: what God pours into us is not meant to terminate in us. It flows through us to others who suffer.
Notice the careful symmetry of the words "all" and "any." God comforts us in all our tribulation -- there is no trial outside His reach -- so that we can meet others in any trouble they face. The comfort is not generic advice spoken from a safe distance; it is the tested, firsthand consolation of someone who has walked through darkness and found God faithful there. This is why those who have suffered often become the most credible comforters. Their words carry weight because they have been where the hurting now stand. Paul frames his own hardships this way: his sufferings equip him to strengthen the Corinthians. The verse dignifies pain by giving it a forward-looking purpose -- the wounded become healers, and the comfort of God multiplies as it is handed on from one trembling heart to another.
In the Original Language
The repeated verb parakaleo (παρακαλέω), "to comfort, encourage," ties together the comfort received and the comfort given, while thlipsis (θλῖψις) means pressing affliction.
Cross References
Application
Let the comfort God gave you in your hardest seasons become the comfort you offer someone walking that road now.