"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints that are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed (be) the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ. But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort. For we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning our affliction which befell (us) in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life: yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead" (2 Cor. 1:1-9).

In these verses we see a side of the apostle Paul that we do not see in other passages. We see the apostle Paul realizing that there is no help from self or any other human source. The tribulation he suffered was of such a nature as to take away all expectation of help, but from God alone. The burdens of persecution facing him in Asia were so great that he despaired even of life. Paul reveals the magnitude of these burdens here and the strength that God supplied, so that these brethren might not be ignorant of these weighty experiences.

Exactly to what part of the trouble in Asia the apostle refers, we do not know. We do know about the troubles in Ephesus, namely the insurrection raised against him by Demetrius and his fellow silversmiths (Acts 19:23), the Jews plot to kill him (Acts 20:3) and the fighting with wild beasts (1 Corinthians 15:32). Whatever it was, it was something that caused the apostle to feel "weighed down exceedingly." Literally, weighed down beyond what is credible, even beyond what any natural strength could support. The expression denotes excess, eminence, or intensity. By these trials, his life had been endangered, perhaps, more than once. He had been called to look death calmly in the face, and to anticipate the probability that he might soon die. Perhaps facing the severity of this kind of agony, death would seem to be welcomed. Later from a Roman prison, Paul wrote, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if to live in the flesh, - (if) this shall bring fruit from my work, then what I shall choose I know not. But I am in a strait betwixt the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ; for it is very far better" (cf Philippians 1:21-24). This was one of the instances undoubtedly, to which he refers in 2 Corinthians 11:23, where he says he had been "in death oft." Paul felt that he was condemned to die; as if he were under sentence of imminent death with no hope of acquittal; he was called to contemplate the hour of death as just before him.

What changes would it make in us if we viewed death with such reality and nearness? Could it be that this was one cause of Paul's fidelity, and of his great success in his work? Someone has very poetically described Paul's motivation, "He preach'd as though he ne'er would preach again, As a dying man to dying men."

Where then is our strength when we view death as near? Paul said, "Yea, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead" (2 Corinthians 1:9). Trusting in ourselves is equivalent to trusting in things which are seen, things which will perish. Paul said, "For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). God has demonstrated His power in the raising of Jesus from the dead (cf Ephesians 1:19ff). Therefore, Paul could write from a Roman prison, "I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). When troubles are so violent and overwhelming, that there appears to be no hope or help, let us not neglect nor forget the promise of God. "I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5). In times of Paul's trouble, God alone can help.

Paul's desire for the Corinthians was that they would express the same strength of confidence in God by praying together for him. "Ye also helping together on our behalf by your supplication; that, for the gift bestowed upon us by means of many, thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf" (2 Corinthians 1:11). We should pray for ourselves and for one another. If we help one another by our prayers, we may hope for an occasion of giving thanks by many for answered prayer.

Let us not fail God in times of trouble, but let us continue to express our confidence in the great God who is the source of our strength. For it is He that has the power to raise the dead!