Pandemic Preaching - Affliction

 

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 

And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."
-Apostle Paul, second letter to the early believers in Corinth
2 Corinthians 1: 3-7

The whole world is now entering the second year of living in a time of a pandemic. A few places have gone back to some semblance of pre-pandemic normalcy (and not really sure if we could ever go back to what was normal) but overall, today most people are still in some form of affliction or distress.

Suffering

For the last 12 months, the pandemic has brought about pain and suffering to people all over the world. If you are suffering, you are totally not alone.

The Apostle Paul knows all about suffering. The irony is before he became a follower of Christ, he was living a comparably great life. He was respected and feared. But he traded this life of comfort for a life of affliction, as he was called to spread the gospel to the whole world.

Paul wrote to the believers in Corinth, telling them what they already knew, that Paul and his team were distressed.

Paul told them that even though they were (distressed, or troubled, afflicted or suffering), this was for the comfort (consolation and encouragement) of the Corinthian believers.

Paul gladly accepted their suffering and took on this life of affliction to offer people eternal life through Christ Jesus.

Today, 2,000 years later, people are still sharing this good news of salvation and living the gospel of Christ. 

People are still living a life marked with troubles and afflictions. All of which are well worth it for their own sake and the sake of those who they will lead to Christ.

What is important to point out is that now that the whole world has been in varying stages of a pandemic lockdown for one year, the good news of salvation has not been curtailed at all as most have embraced technology, the internet, social media, TV, radio and other non traditional means to share and hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

2nd Letter to the Corinthians

Here is a visual summary of what Paul was trying to say to the Corinthian church on his second letter (a backdrop to the excerpt we read above).

Pandemic Preaching Series