2 Corinthians 1:8

Contextual Overview

⁷And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. ⁷ 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. ⁷We have high hopes for y'all. We want y'all to share in the suffering because if you share in the suffering, you'll get to share in the comfort that can only come from God himself. ⁷ and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. ⁷And our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort. ⁷ And our hope for you is certain; in the knowledge that as you take part in the troubles, so you will take part in the comfort. ⁷ (and our hope for you [is] sure;) or whether we are encouraged, [it is] for your encouragement and salvation: knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the encouragement. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will share in the comfort. ⁷ Our hope for you is steadfast, knowing that, since you are partakers of the sufferings, so also are you of the comfort. ⁷ And our hope concerning you is stedfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also of the comfort.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

of our: 2 Corinthians 4:7-12, Acts 19:23-35, 1 Corinthians 15:32, 1 Corinthians 16:9

insomuch: 1 Corinthians 4:8, 1 Samuel 20:3, 1 Samuel 27:1

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:14 - In Genesis 32:7 - greatly Exodus 3:2 - bush burned Exodus 18:4 - delivered Judges 15:18 - and fall 1 Samuel 23:26 - away 1 Samuel 30:6 - was greatly 2 Chronicles 20:12 - we have Job 5:19 - deliver thee Psalms 4:1 - thou Psalms 55:4 - My Psalms 56:3 - General Psalms 94:17 - Unless Psalms 107:6 - he delivered Proverbs 24:16 - a just Ecclesiastes 2:20 - General Isaiah 33:18 - heart Isaiah 40:31 - renew Isaiah 50:10 - let Jeremiah 1:8 - for I am Lamentations 3:54 - I said Daniel 3:23 - fell Daniel 6:27 - delivereth John 5:7 - I have Acts 4:24 - they Acts 12:11 - and hath Acts 16:6 - Asia Acts 19:41 - he dismissed Acts 23:11 - the Lord Acts 26:17 - Delivering Acts 26:22 - obtained Acts 27:44 - that Romans 1:13 - General Romans 7:24 - who 1 Corinthians 4:9 - I 1 Corinthians 12:1 - I would not 2 Corinthians 4:8 - troubled 2 Corinthians 6:5 - in tumults 2 Corinthians 6:9 - behold 2 Corinthians 11:26 - in perils by the 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - I would 2 Thessalonians 3:2 - delivered 2 Timothy 3:11 - Persecutions 1 Peter 1:1 - Asia

Cross-References

Genesis 1:5
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light day, and the darknes night: and the euenyng & the mornyng were the first day.

Genesis 1:5
God named the light "day," and he named the darkness "night." There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the first day.

Genesis 1:5
God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:5
dai, and the derknessis, nyyt. And the euentid and morwetid was maad, o daie.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light, Day, and the darknesse he called Night: and the euening and the morning were the first day.

Genesis 1:5
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble,.... The apostle was very desirous that the Corinthians might be thoroughly acquainted with the trouble that had lately befallen them; partly because it would clearly appear from hence what reason he had to give thanks to God as he had done; and partly, that they might be encouraged to trust in God, when in the utmost extremity; but chiefly in order to remove a charge brought against him by the false apostles; who, because he had promised to come to Corinth, and as yet had not come, accused him of lightness and inconstancy, in as much as he had not kept his promise. Now to show that it was not owing to any such temper and disposition of mind in him, he would have them know, that though he sincerely intended a journey to them, yet was hindered from pursuing it, by a very great affliction which befell him: the place where this sore trouble came upon him, is expressed to be in Asia: some have thought it refers to all the troubles he met with in Asia, for the space of three years, whereby he was detained longer than he expected; but it seems as though some single affliction is here particularly designed: many interpreters have been of opinion, that the tumult raised by Demetrius at Ephesus is here meant, when Paul and his companions were in great danger of their lives, Acts 19:21, but this uproar being but for a day, could not be a reason why, as yet, he had not come to Corinth: it seems rather to be some other very sore affliction, and which lasted longer, that is not recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: the greatness of this trouble is set forth in very strong expressions,

as that we were pressed out of measure. The affliction was as an heavy burden upon them, too heavy to bear; it was exceeding heavy,

καθ' υπερβολην, even to an "hyperbole", beyond expression; and

above strength, that is, above human strength, the strength of nature; and so the Syriac renders it, מן חילן, "above our strength"; but not above the strength of grace, or that spiritual strength communicated to them, by which they were supported under it: the apostle adds,

insomuch that we despaired even of life; they were at the utmost loss, and in the greatest perplexity how to escape the danger of life; they greatly doubted of it; they saw no probability nor possibility, humanly speaking, of preserving it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For we would not have you ignorant - We wish you to be fully informed; see the notes, 1 Corinthians 10:1; 1 Corinthians 12:1. The object of Paul here is, to give a full explanation of the nature of his trials, to which he had referred in 2 Corinthians 1:4. He presumed that the Corinthians would feel a deep interest in him and in his trials; that they would sympathize with him, and would pray that those sufferings, and that this deliverance might be attended with a blessing 2 Corinthians 1:11; and perhaps he wished also to conciliate their kindness toward himself by mentioning more at length the nature of the trials which he had been called to endure on account of the Christian religion, of which they were reaping so material benefits.

Of our trouble which came to us in Asia - The term “Asia” is often used to denote that part of Asia Minor of which Ephesus was the capital; see the note, Acts 2:9. There has been considerable diversity of opinion as to the “troubles” to which Paul here refers. Some have supposed that he refers to the persecutions at Lystra Acts 14:6, Acts 14:19-20, from which he had been recovered as it were by miracle; but as that happened so long before this, it seems improbable that he should here refer to it. There is every mark of freshness and recentness about this event; and Paul evidently referred to some danger from which he had been lately delivered, and which made a deep impression on his mind when he wrote this Epistle. Semler supposes that he refers to the lying in wait of the Jews for him when he was about to go to Macedonia, mentioned in Acts 20:3. Most commentators have supposed that be refers to the disturbances which were made at Ephesus by Demetrius and his friends, mentioned in Acts 19:0, and by reason of which he was compelled to leave the city.

The only objection to this is, that which is mentioned by Whitby and Macknight, that as Paul did not go into the theater there Acts 19:31, he incurred no such risk of his life as to justify the strong expressions mentioned in 2 Corinthians 1:9-10. They suppose, therefore, that he refers to the danger to which he was exposed in Ephesus on another occasion, when he was compelled to fight there with wild beasts; see 1 Corinthians 15:32. But nearly all these opinions may be reconciled, perhaps, by supposing that he refers to the group of calamities to which he had been exposed in Asia, and from which he had just escaped by going to Macedonia - referring perhaps more particularly to the conflict which he had been compelled to have with the wild beasts there. There was the riot excited by Demetrius Acts 19:0, in which his life had been endangered, and from which he had just escaped; and there had been the conflict with the wild beasts at Ephesus (see the note, 1 Corinthians 15:32), which perhaps had occurred but just before; and there were the plots of the Jews against him Acts 20:3, from which, also, he had just been delivered. By these trials, his life had been endangered, perhaps, more than once, and he had been called to look death calmly in the face, and to anticipate the probability that he might soon die. Of these trials; of all these trials, he would not have the Corinthians ignorant; but desired that they should be fully apprized of them, that they might sympathize with him, and that through their prayers they might be turned to his benefit.

That we were pressed out of measure - see Acts 19:0. We were borne down, or weighed down by calamity (ἐβαρηθεμεν ebarēthemen) exceedingly καθ ̓ ὑπερβολὴς kath' huperbolēs, supereminently. The expression denotes excess, eminence, or intensity. It is one of Paul’s common and very strong expressions to denote anything that is intensive or great; see Romans 7:13; Galatians 1:13; 2 Corinthians 4:17.

Above strength - Beyond our strength. More than in ourselves we were able to bear.

Insomuch that we despaired even of life - Either expecting to be destroyed by the wild beasts with which he had to contend, or to be destroyed by the people. 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.” And this was one of the many cases in which Paul was called on to contemplate death as near. It was doubtless one cause of his fidelity, and of his great success in his work, that he was thus called to regard death as near at hand, and that, to use the somewhat unpoetical, but deeply affecting lines of Baxter, expressing a sentiment which guided all his ministry, and which was one source of his eminent success,

He preach’d as though he ne’er would preach again,

As a dying man to dying men.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Corinthians 1:8. Our trouble which came to us in Asia — To what part of his history the apostle refers we know not: some think it is to the Jews lying in wait to kill him, Acts 20:3; others, to the insurrection raised against him by Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen, Acts 19:23; others, to his fighting with beasts at Ephesus, 1 Corinthians 15:32, which they understand literally; and others think that there is a reference here to some persecution which is not recorded in any part of the apostle's history.

We were pressed out of measure, above strength — The original is exceedingly emphatic: καθ' ὑπερβολην εβαρηθημεν ὑπερ δυναμιν· we were weighed down beyond what is credible, even beyond what any natural strength could support. There is no part of St. Paul's history known to us which can justify these strong expressions, except his being stoned at Lystra; which if not what is here intended, the facts to which he refers are not on record. As Lystra was properly in Asia, unless he mean Asia Minor, and his stoning at Lystra did most evidently destroy his life, so that his being raised was an effect of the miraculous power of God; he might be supposed to refer to this. Acts 14:19, c. But it is very likely that the reference is to some terrible persecution which he had endured some short time before his writing this epistle and with the outlines of which the Corinthians had been acquainted.