1   Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,  To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, like the other apostles, saw Jesus alive after his crucifixion.  For Paul, that happened on the dusty Damascus Road.  Following Jesus cost Paul dearly.  He’d just escaped Ephesus where he was nearly killed in the silversmith riots.  He’d been beaten, imprisoned, the cause of riots, had done hard labour to pay his way, experienced sleepless nights and hunger.

Paul later on goes to explain it this way

5 when we’re beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating;  6 with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love;  7 when we’re telling the truth, and when God’s showing his power; when we’re doing our best setting things right;  8 when we’re praised, and when we’re blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted;  9 ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die;  10 immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all. 2 Corinthians 6:5-10 The Message

Seeing Christ’s death even in the middle of trial or testing or suffering with the clear view of Jesus being enough.  What matters above all for Paul is our identity in Christ.  He wasn’t interested in power plays or elegance or growing wealthy or triumphalism.

What drove Paul was Jesus in all of life.  Speaking the truth and reality of the gospel with a growing humility that was all looking at Jesus as enough[1].  Paul starts writing into a church where word had come back that some of them didn’t welcome Paul to show his face ever again.

Paul writes back a letter telling them what’s been going on for him since they last met.  It is unquestionably a journey into the experience of suffering.  Let’s drill down into verses 3-11 which comes in two parts:

·         first verses 3-7 blessed be God

·         then verses 8-11  God is a deliverer