Study 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-6

Verses 3-6
1. i1The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ:i0 i1 f3 ho Theos kai pateu772?r kuriou heu772?mou772?n Ieu772?sou Christoucf0 i0 f0 . God is the Father of Christ's divine nature by eternal generation, of his human nature by miraculous conception in the womb of the virgin, and of Christ as God-man, and our Redeemer, by covenant-relation, and in and through him as Mediator our God and our Father, {cf11ul John 20:17}. In the Old Testament we often meet with this title, i1The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob,i0 to denote God's covenant-relation to them and their seed; and in the New Testament God is styled i1 the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,i0 to denote his covenant-relation to the Mediator and his spiritual seed. {cf11ul Galatians 3:16}. 2. i1The Father of mercies.i0 There is a multitude of tender mercies in God essentially, and all mercies are from God originally: mercy in his genuine offspring and his delight. i1He delighteth in mercy,i0 {cf11ul Micah 7:18}. 3. i1The God of all comfort;i0 from his proceedeth the COMFORTER, {cf11ul John 15:26}. He giveth the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts, {cf11ul 2 Corinthians 1:22}. All our comforts come from God, and our sweetest comforts are in him.par II. The reasons of the apostle's thanksgivings, which are these: - par 1. The benefits that he himself and his companions had received from God; for God i1 had comfortedi0 them i1 in all their tribulations,i0 {cf11ul 2 Corinthians 1:4}. In the world they had trouble, but in Christ they had peace. The apostles met with many tribulations, but they found comfort in them all: their sufferings (which are called i1 the sufferings of Christ,i0 {cf11ul 2 Corinthians 1:5}, because Christ sympathized with his members when suffering for his sake) did abound, but their consolation by Christ did abound also. Note, (1.) Then are we qualified to receive the comfort of God's mercies when we set ourselves to give him the glory of them. (2.) Then we speak best of God and his goodness when we speak from our own experience, and, in telling others, tell God also what he has done for our souls.par 2. The advantage which others might receive; for God intended that they i1 should be able to comfort othersi0 in trouble ({cf11ul 2 Corinthians 1:4}), by communicating to them their experiences of the divine goodness and mercy; and the sufferings of good men have a tendency to this good end ({cf11ul 2 Corinthians 1:6}) when they are endued with faith and patience. Note, (1.) What favours God bestows on us are intended not only to make us cheerful ourselves, but also that we may be useful to others. (2.) If we do imitate the faith and patience of good men in their afflictions, we may hope to partake of their consolations here and their salvation hereafter.par