God’s presence brings us comfort; our presence brings others comfort.

[God] comforts us . . . so that we can comfort those in any trouble. 2 Corinthians 1:4

“The body of Christ” is a mysterious phrase used more than 30 times in the New Testament. The apostle Paul especially settled on that phrase as an image of the church. After Jesus ascended to heaven, He turned over His mission to flawed and bumbling men and women. He assumed the role of head of the church, leaving the tasks of arms, legs, ears, eyes, and voice to the erratic disciples—and to you and me.

Jesus’s decision to operate as the invisible head of a large body with many parts means that He often relies on us to help one another cope during times of suffering. The apostle Paul must have had something like that in mind when he wrote these words: “[God] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 

For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:4–5). And all through his ministry Paul put that principle into practice, taking up collections for famine victims, dispatching assistants to go to troubled areas, acknowledging believers’ gifts as gifts from God Himself.

The phrase “the body of Christ” expresses well what we are called to do: to represent in flesh what Christ is like, especially to those in need.

Dear Lord, thank You for always being faithful to comfort me when I’m hurting. Show me who needs my encouragement today.

上帝同在使我心得安慰，我们与人相伴抚慰人心。

[上帝]就安慰我们，叫我们……去安慰那遭各样患难的人。-哥林多后书1章4节

在新约圣经中，多次出现“基督的身体”这一个充满奥秘的词语，使徒保罗特别用这个词语来形容教会。耶稣升天之后，祂将传福音的使命转交给教会，就是我们这些不完全、拙口笨舌的信徒。耶稣成为教会的头，却将手、脚、眼、耳、口的职责，全交给还不够成熟的门徒，以及你和我。

耶稣基督决意成为教会的头，让祂身体的其他肢体各司其职，就是要我们在患难中彼此扶持，共同面对暴风巨浪。相信使徒保罗曾经有这样的经历，所以他说：“我们在一切患难中，[上帝]就安慰我们，叫我们能用上帝所赐的安慰去安慰那遭各样患难的人。我们既多受基督的苦楚，就靠基督多得安慰”（哥林多后书1章4-5节） 。保罗一生的宣教服事，都一直实践这个原则，为饥寒者筹集捐赠、差派同工关心各个教会，并且确信上帝藉着信徒供给他人的需要。

“基督的身体”一词，充分表达了我们蒙召的目的：活出基督的样式，以基督的爱对待他人，特别是对那些身处困境的人。

亲爱主，感谢祢，
在我伤痛时祢赐下安慰。
求祢让我看到今天有谁需要我的鼓励。

Read：

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Praise to the God of All Comfort

3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 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.

整理：于姊妹