2 Corinthians 1:3-14

The mutual interdependence of St Paul and the Corinthian Church

3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Two feelings rise at once in the Apostle's mind. The first is an overwhelming gratitude for his deliverance from his distress, the second the keen sense of his entire unity of heart and soul with the Corinthian Church, and his desire to impart to them whatever blessing he had received from God. Our version follows Wiclif here, substituting, however, evenfor and. The other English versions have God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, save the Rhemish, which renders accurately by the God and Father, &c. See John 20:17; 1 Peter 1:3 and note on 1 Corinthians 15:24

the Father of mercies Either (1), with Chrysostom, the God Whose most inherent attribute is mercy, or (2) the source from whence all mercies proceed. But perhaps the former involves the latter, a sense, however, of which the fact that -mercies" is in the plural forbids us to lose sight. Cf. Ephesians 1:17; James 1:17. Even if we regard the phrase -Father of mercies" as a Hebraism, it is stronger than the expression -merciful Father." So Estius, "valde multumque misericordem et beneficum."

and the God of all comfort Why does St Paul say -the Fatherof mercies and the Godof comfort?" Because the term -Father" implies mercy, suggesting as it does the close and affectionate relation between God and man. See the O. T. passim, and especially Psalms 103:13. Compare also -Our Father which art in heaven." God is called -the God of comfort" (see next note) because it comes from Him.

comfort This word, or the verb compounded from it, occurs tentimes in this and the next four verses. In our version, which here follows Tyndale, they are rendered indifferently by comfortand consolation, a rendering which considerably lessens the force of the passage. For consolationthe Rhemish substitutes exhortation, and Wiclif monestynge(i.e. admonishing) and monestid, after the Vulgate, which renders indifferently by exhortatioand consolatiohere. Perhaps the best words which can be found to express the double meaning of consolation and exhortation conveyed by the Greek are encourageand encouragement. Cheerwould be more appropriate still had not the noun become almost obsolete. The original sense of the English word (late Latin confortare) denotes strengthening.