"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Our God is so marvelous that just one name cannot do Him justice. In fact as we study the Scriptures we find there are a multitude of names that describe His character in abundance. Here are two more names in our verses for today.
“The Father of Mercies”
Our Father is merciful. This name focuses on God’s compassion for His child. The ancient Greek word for mercies used here means, to pity, and it is plural so it is speaking God’s “emotions and acts of pity”1 towards His children. This word speaks to how God “feels” (emotes) about His child’s need. In fact Vincent says that Father of Mercies is the equivalent of “the Compassionate Father.”2
“The God of all Comfort”
The Father is a Comforter. But in the Bible we see that He isn’t the only comforter. Jesus is also called Comforter, by John. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate [comforter] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,” (1 John 2:1). In John’s Gospel, Jesus says that He will send another comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, indicating both that He considered Himself to be a comforter, along with the Holy Spirit. (See John 16:7.) And in the same night Jesus promised the disciples, “I will not leave you comfortless [as orphans],” (John 14:18). The simple truth is our God is a God of comfort, whether you are speaking of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit.
Why is God concerned with comforting us? Verse 4 points out that He “comforts us in all our tribulation.” That is, His comfort is for all of our tribulations collectively, and in any tribulation specifically.3 And there is a reason that He takes such good care of us this way. “That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble.” Is the human side clear to you? God comforts me so that I can comfort you! He uses us to be a comfort to someone else.
Not only do I need to be ready to comfort someone in need, but I need to be willing to let someone else comfort me when I need it. Because God uses people to comfort people. My pride should not keep someone with God’s comfort from helping me when I am in need it.
So our Bible mentions five comforters.” The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, you, and me.
Who out there needs your comforting today?
1. A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, electronic version, in eSword.
2. See Vincent, Vincent’s Word Studies, electronic version in eSword.
3. Vincent, ibid.