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Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
I want to quote some verses after that, 1 Corinthians 1:3-11 (The Message)
3-5 “All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing and counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before we know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have had plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get the full measure of that too.”
6-7 “When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it.”
8-11 “We don’t want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn’t think we were going to make it. We felt like we’d been sent to death row, that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally—not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead! And he did it, rescued us from certain doom. And he’ll do it again, rescuing us many times as we need rescuing. You and your prayers are part of the rescue operation—I don’t want you in the dark about that either. I can see your faces lifted in praise for God’s deliverance of us, a rescue in which your prayers played such a crucial part.”
As for me, 2 Cor., the first 5 chapters are positively priceless.
I was wondering which version you are using here?
I am currently reading NET - New English Translation. It is the newest version, and very scholarly, yet readable in modern English. It says for 3-5:
"Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow toward us, so also our comfort through Christ overflows to you. " 2 Cor. 1:3-5
What stands out for me, is in verse 3, the version you posted says, "healing and counsel," Whereas most versions say, "comfort."
The word in Greek here is παρακλήσεως or parakleseos. I would translate that as "comfort." But the interesting thing, is this is the same root word John uses in John 16:7 for the Holy Spirit. Parakletos παράκλητος, is the "Comforter." And, I have read so many different word that Parakletos is translated to in English.
I think it is important to remember that Greek and English are very different languages, and In fact, these words have many shades of meaning in English. Hence: Comforter, Counselor, Advocate, and so forth. The Holy Spirit has so many aspects, it is impossible to quantify. And, so, verse 3, can have many dynamics when we look at .
In the end, God has given us so much support, comfort, guidance, healing and counsel. I guess that is what I like about translating from Greek - learning all these amazing shades of meaning contained in the Holy Spirit, and that God is there with us, and like Paul, ready to comfort us in our afflictions.