Amidst the pain that Apostle Paul suffered, he found that God bestowed upon him a gift of comfort. Last weekend, Professor Doug Petersen unpacked 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 in a personal way to reveal what this comfort is.
Professor Doug Petersen, co-director of graduate studies at Vanguard University, California returned to City Harvest Church last week with his wife Myrna. From 15 to 19 May, he taught daily at CHC’s School of Theology on the Old Testament.
Over the weekend of 20 and 21 May, Prof Petersen took to the pulpit at CHC. Preceding his message, CHC pastoral supervisor Kelvin Tan and his wife Cynthia, went on stage to share how the lessons on the Old Testament had blessed them.
“What I took away was that doctrine should lead to a greater devotion to our Triune God and theology should lead to greater intimacy with God,” said Cynthia, addressing the professor. “That is what I learned through your life and your sharing.”
COMFORT IN THE MIDST OF SUFFERING
Prof Petersen preached a message out of 2 Corinthians, basing it on his personal testimony of God’s protection over his life these past few months. He prefaced his message by saying that, due to glaucoma, he could not see his notes well and he joked that he would show the congregation his notes—printed in font size 24—if he got stuck at any point.
He had a reader read out 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 to the congregation, then Prof Petersen noted that in these verses, Paul wrote about suffering so badly that he felt that it was the sentence of death and he feared for his life. The preacher then brought the church’s attention to the word “comfort” which was repeated 10 times within those eight verses.
“Amidst the pain, Paul discovered that God bestowed a gift of comfort,” he noted before drawing out the background of Paul’s relationship with the Corinthian church. Paul loved this church—he had started it on his second missionary trip and stayed with them for 18 months. Prof Petersen described Paul as a spiritual father and pastor to the Corinthian congregation.
But after he left, Paul received word that the Corinthian church was finding fault with him, challenging his teaching and his authority. Paul wrote them a letter in response—this letter became known as 1 Corinthians in the Bible. But the church ignored his letter, necessitating a visit from Paul.
Even then, they rejected him, and he left. However, Paul understood that if he failed to connect with the Corinthians, he would lose them. So, he wrote what is called “the Severe Letter” and sent Titus to bring the letter to the church, and bring back news as soon as possible. Eventually, he meets Titus in Macedonia, and he tells Paul the good news that the church of Corinth has repented.
Prof Petersen explained that, although it is not specified, between the Severe Letter and 2 Corinthians, something terrible happened to Paul. He wrote to the Corinthian church about it, emphasising that the source of his comfort amid this tragedy is God. The professor then took CHC through six truths one can draw from these scriptures.
1. God is the source of all comfort
2 Corinthians 1:3 reads, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.”
Paul wanted to remind the Corinthians that God was the source of all comfort. “God who was the First, who has no beginning, who has no end, who created every living thing, who created us,” the professor pointed out. “That God whose power is perfect, whose wisdom is perfect—it’s that God who is also our Father.”
2. The comfort is a gift (charism)
The comfort that Paul received was more wonderful than the suffering he was going through, said Prof Petersen. Paul wrote that it was not just a feeling that helped him tide over a tough time, but that comfort was a supernatural gift of the Spirit .
“It’s a power that comes not from inside, but from the Father of all compassion and comfort,” the professor explained.
3. The comfort is transferable to others
2 Corinthian 1:4 reads, “who comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”
Prof Petersen shared that this comfort that Paul received was transferable. It was enough not only for him but it overflowed to those he ministered to. He gave this parallel: “How many times has somebody gone through a crisis, and the Lord has been with them, and you hear about it and it just ministers to you?”
4. Christ is the channel of all comfort
Prof Petersen preached that Jesus is the channel of that comfort. Just as the Corinthian church is sharing in the comfort that overflows from Paul’s suffering, Christians share in the benefits of Christ’s suffering (2 Cor 1:5).
When someone has a relationship with Jesus Christ, apart from salvation and eternal life, he also receives the comfort that he needs—and it comes in abundance.
5. God is made strong in our weakness. He will deliver us
When one is unable to pull himself out of his circumstances no matter how hard he tries, God will come to his rescue.
Prof Petersen told the church that he first experienced that when he was learning Spanish 30 years ago. He practised very hard, but he was worried that he would never become an effective communicator in Spanish. But he was a lecturer, and so his livelihood depended on it.
He was praying one day, and God told him one day, “I will be strong in your weakness. I will give you the same result in this language as in English.” Years after he taught the first class in Spanish, he realised that his students from that class was still preaching from the parable he taught that very first day.
Even today, Prof Petersen is still leaning on God. Because of glaucoma, he had problems reading his sermon notes this past weekend. He was not confident he would be able to preach. “But I also knew that if I didn’t, I’ll probably never preach again. I’m trying to live that new normal by the mercy of our Heavenly Father. He is made strong in our weakness,” he said honestly.
In the second part of that verse, Paul wrote that God has delivered his believers out of sin and death. Prof Petersen encouraged the church that God will continue to deliver them. “Our comfort comes in abundance, wrapped up in the hope of glory, knowing he will overcome sin and we shall see Him face to face,” he added.
However, the professor also emphasised that God delivers His believers in the way He chooses and they have no say over how God operates. What believers need to do is to have perfect faith in His promises. “There will always be that divine comfort that will help us to withstand,” he encouraged.
The professor went on to share his experience battling with his failing eyesight. More than two months ago, his doctor told him that he had lost 99 percent of his optic nerve. The doctor could not operate on him because the pressure in his eyes was too high, and she was sorry to tell him that he would probably go blind within three weeks.
Prof Petersen went home and tried to process the news. His only prayer then was for God to leave him enough vision to recognise his family. He spent the day in a panic, trying to work out what he had to do in the three weeks before he went completely blind.
That evening, he wrote to Kong Hee, CHC’s senior pastor explaining his condition, thinking he would not be able to come to Singapore. Pastor Kong had invited him since last year to come and teach at SOT and preach again at CHC. Pastor Kong replied to the professor, telling him that the whole church was praying for him and encouraging him to keep believing in the Lord for healing. Since that day, Pastor Kong and his wife Sun would email him prayers daily.
That weekend after speaking to Pastor Kong, Prof Petersen watched CHC’s streaming service online and heard the church praying for him. “I heard you say my name,” he told the congregation, “and I said to Myrna, ‘Something is happening. I don’t know why, but the fear is gone.’”
On Monday, the doctor found that the professor’s eye pressure had miraculously dropped over the weekend to a point where he could now have the surgery. After two operations and by God’s grace, his eyesight stabilised. And he did not have to cancel his trip to Singapore.
6. Comfort, Prayer, and Thanksgiving
2 Corinthians 1:11 reads, “as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”
Paul was telling the group of people in Corinthians who were praying for him specifically, that he received comfort because of their prayers. “Their gracious prayers flooded over, and when it did, there was enough comfort to flow back to them,” Prof Petersen explained.
He said that something happens when he hears his name in the prayers of those praying for him. As he read 2 Corinthians 1:11, “I have this beautiful image of this congregation, their faces upturned saying my name,” he says.
As Prof Petersen ended his message, Pastor Kong came up the stage. “Professor Petersen has received the comfort—it is a divine gift, the power to make it through,” he said. “He is doing exactly what the Apostle Paul is doing—he is coming to tell you that as you prayed for him, he received divine comfort. As he shares with you, the comfort of the Lord is coming back to you.”
Pastor Kong invited all the pastors in CHC up to the stage to pray for Prof Petersen, declaring that the professor will have many more years of ministry. He also invited Prof Petersen to pray for the congregation, especially those who need God’s comfort.
