The Prayers of Believers Share in Deliverance From Troubles (2 Cor. 1:8–11)

2 Cor. 1:8. For we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the affliction we experienced in Asia; for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.

“We do not want you to be ignorant”—we want you to know. “We tell you of this,” he says, “so that you will not be in ignorance of what happened to us. For we desire that you know all that is happening to us, and we are very concerned for this. And this is the strongest proof of his love for them” (the holy Chrysostom).

“About the affliction we experienced in Asia.” What affliction does the Apostle mean here? Either the affliction which he suffered from those “many adversaries,” of whom he spoke in the first epistle (1 Cor. 16:9) (the holy Chrysostom, Oecumenius, Theophylact), or “he has in mind the uproar raised by the silversmith Demetrius” (Theodoret). But why not understand here, besides this, also that great extremity in which the Apostle found himself when fighting with the beast in Ephesus (1 Cor. 15:32)? These two passages mutually explain each other, and all that the Apostle says now becomes completely understandable when we admit that he means the affliction which he experienced when placed in the necessity of standing face to face with the beast; it is understandable how he was “so utterly burdened beyond our strength,” how he did not hope to remain alive, and in his thoughts he considered that he would no more live (“we had the sentence of death upon us”), and how, when God delivered him from this evil, He did the same as if He had delivered him from death. Therefore we hold that it is best to rest upon this circumstance, not turning to allegorical interpretation of the Apostle’s struggle with the beast, not sheltering under the fact that nothing is said of this in Acts.

“So utterly burdened beyond our strength,”—“like a ship laden beyond its capacity with some cargo and ready to sink. With the words ‘so utterly’ and ‘beyond our strength,’ at first glance it seems that one and the same thing is expressed, but in reality it is not. ‘So utterly’ does not mean the same as ‘beyond our strength.’ Why, so that no one should say: however excessive the danger was, it was not great for you, the Apostle added that it was both great and exceeded our strength, and exceeded it so much that” “we despaired of life itself,” that is, we no longer expected even to remain alive. This state David called “the gates of hell, the pains of death, and the shadow of death” (Ps. 87). “The Apostle says the same thing, that is, they were subjected to such a danger which undoubtedly threatened them with death.” These are the words of the holy Chrysostom. How well they fit when we picture the holy Paul standing before the beast!

2 Cor. 1:9. Indeed, we had the sentence of death upon us, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God, who raises the dead.

“We ourselves had in our own hearts the sentence of death”, that is, we ourselves determined that we would no longer live. Holy Chrysostom says: “What does ‘the sentence of death’ mean? — It means judgment and expectation of death. The power of God did not allow this judgment to come to execution, permitting it to strike only our thoughts and expectation. Therefore he says: ‘we ourselves’ and not in reality the sentence ‘of death we had.’ Why did God permit such danger so they lost hope? — ‘That we should rely not on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.’ Here again he reminds them of the resurrection of which he spoke much in the first epistle.”

2 Cor. 1:10. He rescued us from such a deadly peril, and he will rescue us; on him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.

“We, he says, were in such extremity that our death was a settled matter. Having delivered us from such extremity, God delivered us from death; we appeared—as alive from death, as buried ones risen from their tombs. ‘From such a deadly peril he rescued us,’ he says. He did not say: from such dangers, as well to show the irresistible force of the trials, and also to confirm more fully the truth of his teaching which he had presented before. Since the resurrection of the dead is still a future event, he shows here that it also happens daily. For when God snatches away a man who has despaired and approached the gates of hell, what else does He do but resurrect a dead man, drawing from death itself him who has fallen into its mouth? Therefore, at an unexpected deliverance of some man from a desperate state, it has become customary with many to say: in this man we have seen the resurrection of the dead.” With us they say: he has risen from the dead.

“And he will rescue us.” He spoke of the great affliction that occurred in Asia; but now he speaks of afflictions from which he has only just emerged, and the anguish of heart experienced in Troas, and of those outward conflicts and inward fears that troubled him in Macedonia. Afflictions continue; in their footsteps follows also the mercy of God that delivers from them. The hand of God, which holds me and protects me, is never withdrawn. I feel this and confess it.

“On him we have set our hope that he will rescue us again.”—“We have set our hope”—we have firmly hoped, we have certain hope, believing unshakably that it will always be so, as long as God has ordained us to live and work for His glory, planting the evangelical faith on earth; it will be thus: God will deliver us from all extremities. We seem destined to suffer and afflictions. This we know and expect nothing else ahead; yet this does not trouble us and does not stop us: for as certain as afflictions are for us, so certain is also deliverance from them. One expectation covers the other; and the peace of our spirit remains firm. The Apostle speaks as if saying: “We must constantly labor throughout all our lives; many trials lie ahead, and in them we will not again be abandoned, but will receive help and support from above” (the holy Chrysostom).

2 Cor. 1:11. As you help us by your prayers, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

“As you help us” relates not only to “will rescue us” but also to “rescues us” and “rescued us.” He wishes to say: your prayer has always been and is and will be helpful and instrumental to us. “He rescued us,” he says, “from those deaths, through the intercession of all of you in prayers for us” (the holy Chrysostom, and Photius in Oecumenius). If this prayer-help related only to future deliverance from evils, the Apostle would have said: you also help. But he does not ask; he speaks as of a pious act being fulfilled according to the established order. And prayer for the father-enlightener was arranged of itself, and probably the commandment was made directly upon enlightenment. Everywhere everyone prayed in common about their father, who had given them spiritual life. Thus “prayer was being made earnestly by the Church to God” for Peter (Acts 12:5). Thus all the churches prayed also about the holy Paul, that God might prosper him in all things. This prayer contributed to the fact that God delivered, delivers, and will deliver him from all evils. This is not a condition without which God’s help cannot exist; but such is the order in the spiritual kingdom, that such prayer necessarily exists in it, although God Himself by His own self provides all things as “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” “Note here,” says the holy Chrysostom, “that even when God by His mercy gives something, prayer here greatly contributes. Thus although Paul at the beginning of the epistle attributed his deliverance to God’s mercies; yet here he attributes it also to the prayers of the faithful.”

“As you help us” συνυπουργουντων, “and you.” Who then are the other participants in this work? The holy Paul himself, and all other churches, and all believers. Thus God was pleased to establish the kingdom of Christ, so that the need of one should be the common need of all, and deliverance from it should be received as a good for all. God wishes through this to keep all in the bond of love, living and sincere. Nowhere is this bond expressed so tangibly as in sympathy and the united prayer that results from it. All become one soul. For this reason such prayer is powerful and quickly answered. “Often the united and harmonious prayer of many inclines God. Therefore to the prophet Jonah He said: ‘Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons?’” (Jon. 4:11) “This was after they repented and cried out to God in prayer. What did the prayer for Peter accomplish? This prayer was so powerful that even when the doors of the prison were closed, and chains bound the Apostle, and on both sides guards slept around him, it brought him out of prison and freed him from all those dangers.”

“So that from many mouths thanks may be given on our behalf for the blessing granted us.” — “Blessing” χαρισμα, such a gift, such a good, which by natural means cannot possibly be obtained, but only from God, from God’s mercies (Photius in Oecumenius). “The blessing granted us” here means our deliverance. “Our deliverance, that is, liberation from all the evils of which he spoke, God wished to bestow on all of you, so that many might give Him thanks, because many received His grace” (the holy Chrysostom). He points to a deed already accomplished, but in it he points also to the law of God’s providential actions in the power of many prayers. God hears the prayers of many and grants what is requested, so that for what is given through the prayer of many, many may give thanks. But what? Does God need thanksgiving? No; but what is precious and valued in God’s eyes is that which evokes thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is evoked by a sense of well-being, and well-being is the goal of God’s mercy. Thanksgiving is a testimony that God’s mercy is poured out upon many, is received by many, and establishes well-being among them. In this lies God’s rest. But this sense of well-being is more precious in God’s eyes when it is felt not for this reason, that each received from God’s hand for himself, but that others received. In this case thanksgiving is anointed with the fragrance of disinterested love and places those who give thanks in a disposition corresponding to the giver. Behold what principles are hidden in the Apostle’s word! “And he said this both to urge them to pray for others, and to train them always to give thanks to God also for the deliverance of others from adversities, showing at the same time that God especially desires this. Those who pray and give thanks for others in both cases gather much greater benefit for themselves” (the holy Chrysostom).