back to Sunday School Lesson

Lesson Truths at a Glance

“Relationships: The Integrity Factor”

II Cor. 1:3-12; 2:14-17

August 1, 2010

1. Consolation givers

God is the source of all comfort. God comforts us in our difficulties of being His followers that we might

understand comfort and that we might comfort others with His comfort. The words “comfort” and “consolation”

together are used ten times in II Cor. 1:3-7. Comfort means “exhortation”, “encouragement”, “cheer”. It is also

translated “consolation”. These are to be the purposes whenever Christians meet together and especially when

troubles, trials, differences, or tribulations of any kind are present. Christians are to be comforters to each other.

Our willingness to share comfort examples the sincerity of our faith. If we are true followers of Christ, we will

always be seeking the comfort and consolation of others in tribulation even though we ourselves may suffer in

the process. The comfort God gives to us is to become a gift we give others. We are sharers in the sufferings of

Christ (vs. 5) and also givers of His comfort to others in conflict as we ourselves have received His comfort. As

He has shared His comfort with us, we are to share it with others being grateful for it. This is Paul’s hope for

the Corinthian church. (II Cor. 1:3-7)

2. Consolation deliverers

It is not known what trouble Paul experienced in Asia Minor, but most likely was the uproar by Demetrius, the

silversmith in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41). The sentence of death (vs. 9) is probably referring to the life threatening

persecution he faced when he preached the Gospel in Lystra (Acts 14:19-20). The point Paul makes here is to

trust God for deliverance (vss. 9, 10). God had delivered (past), was delivering (present), and would deliver

(future) from the trials in the Corinthian church. He further praised them for their intercession on his part. The

prayers of the church were a part of Paul’s deliverance. He views his escape from persecution as a direct result

of their intercession, and praise was due to God for it. The emphasis being upon the facts that Christians should

trust God and pray for each other in all aspects within the church as well as without. When God’s people trust

and pray, God delivers and is to be praised for deliverance bringing glory to God. (II Cor. 1:8-11)

3. Consolation livers

The triumph of the Christian life is faithfulness to Christ (vs. 14). We are to be the fragrance of Christ in the

world (vs. 14). The fragrance is the knowledge of Christ, and we are to be faithful to proclaim the Gospel,

and not on a success in response basis. Too many ministries today are based on whether it draws large crowds

or has spectacular buildings or church productions. God’s standards are different. He asks for faithfulness to

the truth and to our calling. Our fragrance is a message of life to those who accept it and one of death and judg-

ment to those who reject (vss. 15, 16). It is not something to be peddling with; i.e., to make merchandise of, “to

sell”. Many today use religion for personal gain (like Demetrius in Acts). To them the Gospel is merchandise to

be peddled for profit. Paul, unlike some others, was sufficient for the Gospel ministry because he was sincere

(vs. 17). Thus today, more than ever before, Christians need to be the fragrance Christ before God and the

world. (II Cor. 2:12, 14-17)

Closing thought: Our world needs desperately to sense some authentic fragrance.