2 Corinthians 1:8-11
For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.
Paul is a man who is often looked at for the example of a "righteous man." Paul is the one we see who has it all together. He even puts himself up to these very believers at Corinth by telling them in his first letter to "follow him as he has followed Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul is our example of faith and practice. But, Paul was also human. If, like me, you find yourself succumbing to sin, who has not turned to Romans 7 to read Paul's emphatic recollection of his own failures in the statement, "what I want to do, I don't, and what I don't want to do, I do," when referring to sin in his life. Paul and Barnabas had a huge fight over a personnel issues for their second missionary journey (Acts 15:35-38). Paul was human. In the above passage we can see that Paul was just like you and me as he recounts to these believers his own suffering life. Paul is outlining for them, in the opening lines of this book, that the suffering we have also comes with great comfort. The greater the suffering we have IN CHRIST, the greater the comfort we have IN CHRIST. He does not want the miss this point, however, so, like most great orators and writers, he gives them a personal story of experience: Paul was not just a teacher of doctrine, he was a user of his doctrine. We don't really know the details behind the example he gives in this passage, but it is a time when Paul was probably in Ephesus. The event caused him to both despair of life and to resolve that his life was prematurely over. There might be some confusion of whether Paul was depressed or not, but it is obvious this is a time of depression. You can't help but read the verses and see that Paul was hurting. He states he was "beyond strength" and "despaired of life itself." If those statements don't indicate some depressed feelings, you would be hard pressed to find any worse that did. Paul was in a tight spot. They show Paul was human with his emotion and his plights in life. However, the reason Paul is Paul is because he is a man of great faith. Note the solution to this disaster he finds himself experiencing. Paul, turns to Christ in faith and realizes that this is the time he is not to rely on his strength but the hope we have in Christ. In fact, he states, "But that was to make me rely no on ourselves but on God who raises the dead." Since he faced death, that thought must have been such a release of freedom. He goes on to say that God delivered him from this peril and "He will deliver us." Paul had his faith secure in what Christ can do, not what he had done or might do. He states, "on Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again." Paul had faith in the One who can deliver, does deliver and will deliver. With that mindset is there anything that God can't do? Is there anything in our lives so hard that God doesn't know it, or is afraid of it? Paul goes on to solicit their prayers, not for deliverance, but to remember to say thanks for all the deliverance already provided. God gives us prayer to thank Him and recognize that He is the one of whom we hope and trust. Not we ourselves. The truth is that God can deliver us, but we must come to Him in faith and trust in that deliverance at His timing and His speed.
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