God's mercy -- now, when I see all the glory of bearing a part in this

magnificent work, my sorrow is turned to joy'.

So the apostle held on his way undaunted, enduring all things for the

elect's sakes that they may obtain that salvation which is with aionion

glory.  The relation of Paul's sufferings with those endured alone by Christ,

may be better appreciated if we show the correspondence between two sections

of Colossians 1 thus:

In the body of His flesh

Christ's Work for His Church in

Through death

which none may share (Col.

To present holy etc.

In my flesh for His Body's sake

Christ's work for His Church

Through afflictions

which Paul and the members of

To present every man

His Body may share (Col. 1:24:28).

The language of Paul in this chapter, both as to the Work of Christ,

and his own ministry, leaves us without doubt that there is an intentional

parallel, which once seen, places the sufferings endured by the apostle in

their true place.  Just as Christ's great Work presents the church holy and

unblameable and unreproveable in His sight, so the ministry of Paul was to

present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

How full is this theme of 'suffering as an essential factor in

There are two items recorded in 2 Corinthians that must not be omitted

from a series dealing with the relation of sacrifice and service, and they

are found in chapter 1 and in chapter 12.  The keynote is struck in the

opening thanksgiving:

'Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father

of mercies, and the God of all comfort' (2 Cor. 1:3).

Most of Paul's epistles have some specific note of thanksgiving in the first

chapter, and these notes of thanksgiving generally provide a key to the

peculiar aspect of the epistle so far as its blessings are concerned.

The examination of these opening benedictions would occupy far more

space than it is possible to give here.  It is not difficult however in the

case before us to see that the supporting fact that God is the Father of

mercies and the God of all comfort, runs like a golden thread through the

dark experiences of this epistle.

The next verse (2 Cor. 1:4) supplies us with the place that suffering

and its relief occupies in Paul's service, and should also, in our small

measure, occupy in our own:

'Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to

comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we

ourselves are comforted of God'.