4/4/21 Essential Doctrines #23 2 Cor. 1:3-10 (1.
1st Lesson “Sufferings of Christ” 5th I would not/Ignorant
1. Paul is talking to the Corinthian saints (and to us, this is our mail) about trouble and suffering that came unto him in Asia. And (trouble & suffering) is coming to each of us, if we remain faithful to the doctrine, and open our mouth boldly and make known the mystery of Christ). He writes (2 Cor. 1:8) concerning Deliverance from Suffering and Death. “For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, and so much that we despaired even of life: He goes on in vs 9 “but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: (10) who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us.”
2. Paul wants us to know that trouble & suffering is to be looked at differently in this dispensation of Gentile grace, than when God was dealing with Israel. That is why many believers today are depressed & disillusioned while they do not understand suffering in the dispensation of grace. And when you are ignorant (unaware) of rightly dividing the word of truth (The Key), and do not recognize the difference between the prophetic program and the mystery program, you will not & you cannot understand suffering! TheSPOE will have you duped (just like spiritual gifts, phenomena) into believing that you are entitled to Israel’s blessings, healings, wonders, and miracles.
And I just stopped by today, along with Paul (in our review), to let you know, we don’t need Israel’s earthly miracles! We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ! (Eph. 1:3) “For by grace are we saved through faith; and it is not about ourselves, it is the (free) gift of God. Not of works (flesh) lest any man should boast.” (Eph. 2:8-9). Works were for Israel ‘s earthly prg! Faith is for the BOC heavenly prg!
3. Paul teaches us that in the dispensation of grace, there are three types of suffering. #1: “Suffering for nothing,” we’ve all made bad, sorrowful, stupid decision’s walking after our sinful flesh and desires. And it profited us nothing, but a life of regret! That is suffering for nothing! #2 “The Suffering of this Present time” Because of Adam’s disobedience, sin entered the world & along with it came,
trouble, pain, sickness, disease, pandemics & death, babies die, accidents, earthquakes, storms,, etc.. Paul writes in Rom. 8 “because of the bondage of corruption/sin…the whole creation (everything that lives & moves & we along with it) are groaning, moaning, suffering in pain together until NOW. And we ourselves groan & suffer within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. Meaning we are going to suffer as long as we are in these vessels of clay. Good News! “But We have this treasure (doctrine of grace) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of power may be of God, and not of us.”
3. There is more good news about the suffering of this present time folks. Paul writes (v17) “If so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I Reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in US.”
4. Paul wants us to know, until we are literally “delivered from the bondage of corruption (of this world) into the glorious Liberty of the children of God. Until the BOC is raptured! We are going to experience suffering & the sentence of death is in our member. That brings us to Suffering #3 “The Sufferings of Christ.” And these last two types of sufferings, (#2 & #3) if they are endured, work out for God’s glory and honor. They send an Impact unto the principalities & powers in heavenly places that the Angels might know the manifold wisdom of God.
What are “Sufferings of Christ?” Paul thought you would never ask! Paul who is our “pattern” (1 Tim. 1:16), was afflicted, and suffered great persecution to preach the mystery of Christ and lay the foundation for building the body of Christ in this dispensation of grace. Paul was beaten, stoned & left for dead, shipwrecked in the deep, robbed, in danger among false brethren, weary, in pain, hungry & naked, all for the preaching of JC, according to the revelation of Mystery
5. Vs 5. “For as the sufferings of Christ abound (overflow) in us, so our consolation also abounded (Grace overflows) by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and Salvation which is effectual (power of doctrine) in the ENDURING of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and Salvation (Salvation here is saved from the effects of sufferings). God does not send or remove tribulations, but gives us the grace & strength to ENDURE/RESPONSE them! “Again, Paul is our pattern, example, and he was afflicted and consoled by the doctrine, so we can do the same. No one in their right mind wants to suffer! Hello! But the key for us in the
BOC is to imitate Paul. “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do (that): and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:9). Suffering for Christ is a marathon folks, not a sprint!
6. Last Point: And this is the point for me. Vss. 3 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Out of a grateful heart, Paul praises the father of our LJC, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort. Vs. 4 “Who comforts us in all our tribulation, (sufferings), (here it is folks) that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
Paul was comforted so that he can comfort others. God comforts us (by the doctrine effectually) in all our tribulations, sickness, sufferings, FOR WHAT? So that we can be able to comfort others also. Let me close this review with my personal experience with “the God of all comfort!”
I lost my son when he was 18 years old, Jamaal Kenyatta Gilliland. I named him myself, a proud African name. He was killed in a car accident in Kalamazoo. My wife & my daughters were devastated. I was asked by a Deacon at the church I grew up in, to preach that Sunday morning, while my son was still lying-in state in the local funeral home. Deacon Henry said to me, “Jr, I know your hurting son, but we need a preacher to preach, and preaching would be a comfort to you & to us.” I thank God for that brother. I do not even know how I made it to that church to preach that Sunday. But I do know this, that it was only by the grace of God, the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, that gave me the endurance, strength, grace, to carry on. My sermon that Sunday was entitled, “Preaching through a Storm.” And if you’ve ever lost a loved one, it’s a raging storm! I know now that God comforted me thru storm tribulation, storm of death, brain cancer, divorce, WHY? I might comfort others by the comfort wherewith God comforted me. Let us not be weary in well doing. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not.”
In the disp. of grace, God will not cancel the storms, No! The storms will keep coming, but the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, will give you the endurance, grace, to withstand the storm! “Sufferings of Christ!”
So, I agree with our Apostle in his sufferings: “My Grace is sufficient, for when I am weak, His strength makes me strong.“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounded by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and Salvation, which is effectual in the ENDURING of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and Salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing, that as Ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall Ye also of the consolation. “ “Let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Gal.6:9.
Colman J. Gilliland 