2 Corinthians 1

I think it's only logical to look at 2 Corinthians after we studied 1 Corinthians: http://www.esvbible.org/2+Corinthians+1/

Paul identifies that he wrote this letter to the Church at Corinth with the help of Timothy for the church and all the Christians in Greece.

The beginning of this letter is strong. Paul says to praise God! He is compassionate and gives us comfort. Because God is so good at comforting us, when we see others suffer, we are able to bring them comfort. We are able to receive such a great comfort from God because JEsus suffered so much on the cross for us. If we suffer, it beings others compassion and salvation because we must be comforted; therefore, we can turn around and comfort others. Paul says he has confidence in us, and that is why we share his suffering and his comfort. People often experience the same or similar situations, so if you are suffering through something that seems unbearable, somebody else has probably been through the same thing. If they were comforted by God, they can just as easily comfort you. Additionally, nothing God puts us through is for no reason. You may have heard it said before that everything happens for a reason, and Paul explains here why. We may go through a great deal of suffering at various points in our lives, but in the end, God will comfort us through it, and because of that, we can later comfort others. Later on, it could be days or decades, God will put someone in your path who is suffering through the same situation you are now, or have been in, or will be in in the near future, and you can comfort that person in the same way God comforted you.

Sometimes, we just have to suffer, and that suffering can last for a long time. In order for it to end in these situations, we have to realize that we can't rely on ourselves to get out of it. There is only one who can rescue us from suffering so extreme that we wonder if death is a better option: God. This is the same God that raised Himself back to life. We must see that He has rescued us once already, from death, the end all. We must use that knowledge to know that He is still rescuing us and will continue to rescue us no matter what the future may hold.

We should be proud that our consciences are clear and of the way we've lived our lives because we have lived them out for Jesus Christ. We should be proud of other believers and actively seek Christ and His plan for us so that they can be proud of us in return.

Paul says that everything he and Timothy and all of Paul's other followers have said is true because they have firmly planted it in the Lord. Everything about God is true, none of it is a lie, so if we speak from Him, everything we say will be true. That is why it is so important to read and know the Bible because it will help us speak the truth from God. We have all of the answers, we have easy access to them, but we just have to love God enough to look at them. God establishes us in a relationship with Jesus Christ. He has given us a chance at eternal life. Not only that, He has anointed us to carry out His mission of reaching all of the unreached people all over the world. But there's more, He has put His seal of ownership on us and given us the Holy Spirit as a guarantee. He claims us, and we are His. To prove this to us and others, He gave us the Holy Spirit, His own spirit. We have God's spirit within us, and therefore, we are one with God. Paul tells the church that he was going to visit them earlier, but in this letter has to send his regrets. He says he wasn't lying before when he said he would arrive, he had even planned to visit twice, but God called him away. Paul saw that he may damage the Church at Corinth. Paul knows that the church can't be about Him, but it must firmly plant its faith in Jesus, and so far, it's done that; therefore, Paul wants to let it prosper. We can't let any of our churches be about a pastor or missionary or worship leader. The church mustn't be about anyone except Jesus Christ.