The First Epistle to the Corinthians gives us gifts from an ascended Lord. The Second Epistle brings down the life of 1 Cor. 15 into the path of a suffering Christ. 1 Corinthians follows the Lord up, enriching the Church. 2 Corinthians associates the Church with Christ going down to poverty. Chapter 1:3 at once presents God in suited relationships, as “the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” The deeper you go into the suffering the more you get the consolation. I am responsible to obey: my Father is responsible for the consequences of my obedience.
Verses 6, 7, seek to win the Corinthians for these associations of suffering and comfort getting hold of the God of all comfort; v. 7 shows there is nothing merely apostolic in it; vv. 8, 9, they go deeper in obedience, even to death; and when all was apparently over with them, they only learn God in a still deeper character, as the God who raises the dead. There was no thought with Paul of getting out of the suffering, but rather of filling up “that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Col. 1:24.) “We were pressed out of measure”—into God which raiseth the dead. All this calls out prayer, thanksgiving, and sympathy. 2 Corinthians gives us the wonderful opportunity of connecting the sufferings and glories, before we go to glory, as we see them connected in Christ. The lesson learned is that we should not trust in ourselves; and God accepts the vessel as “the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort,” and fills it with consolation. It is how God is found out by a saint, the companion of Christ, in tribulation.
1 Cor. 15 is life victorious going out of the scene; 2 Corinthians 1 is life victorious coming into it. It is the history of a life, possessed in Christ by the Holy Ghost, which in working itself out, makes everything tributary to itself. Afflictions work out glory—nothing ruffles. Even Satan is put under tribute with a thorn (ch. 12.) to keep this self quiet; to bring Paul to weakness. This is his fortune made, for “Christ was crucified through weakness,” and with this the epistle closes.
It is the pathway to weakness, and the tributaries become ground of glorying (ch. 12:9). Everything is made tributary to the power of life. There is no will in the epistle; if will comes in, clearly God must break it.
Hence the important place the ministry has, that produces this state of life and power, in circumstances of death and weakness. God is presented at the beginning, with mercies and comfort; Christ at the close with sympathies for those associated with Him (Paul, etc.), the sympathies of the Christ with whom they were suffering. It is His sufferings that are in question—strange and incomplete, if we had not His sympathies, as at the close. At last Paul and Christ are together. This is how Christ reached weakness— “crucified” (ch. 13:4). Weakness of this kind is what we want. It is really weakness, because of the power of life.
Verse 12 is a great moral verse. You find them everywhere. We have had prayer and thanksgiving, now conscience conies in with the moral state, “simplicity and sincerity;” and their antagonistic things, “fleshly wisdom,” and trusting in ourselves. Simplicity has a great place, a thing which is very rare. Are we cultivating these things, the materials for a walk according to God in such a world?
Conscience comes first, “the testimony of our conscience,” though not the highest thing. If I walk in the Spirit conscience has nothing to say to me; if not, conscience catches me up, and I go down into conflict. It is well for conscience to have something to approve. I am not adequate as a source, to have my conversation in the world, except by the “grace of God.” Grace is the spring of such a walk, producing it in reference to “the day of the Lord Jesus,” the time of manifestation. The grace of God, the clay of the Lord, everything is put beyond one’s own measure. The first circle is a world to suffer in with Christ; the second, a walk to be maintained before man. Will it stand in the day of the Lord? A man or woman walking in the presence of God is at ease—simple—puts on nothing, but watches against lightness or lack of restraint. (J. G. B. said of Lady P., that she always made him feel that there was somebody more consciously present to her, than he was, when with her.)
V. 19— “For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you.” When it comes to testimony it is the full glory of the person of the Son-not a suffering Christ.
V. 20—What ale was to God as to the promises the “Yea and the Amen.” Then as to ourselves— “He which stablishes us.” It is a great relief to be taken out of the suffering into the status that satisfies God. Here you come to life in its proper state of enjoyment.
V. 24—“Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand.” The apostle steps aside to let faith have its link with God. Dominion coming into the Church destroys this.