Thomas Aquinas Commentary 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

"Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ." — 2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (ASV)

Here begins the message, in which the Apostle does two things. First, he excuses himself for not visiting them as he had promised. Second, he begins to pursue his main intention, which starts in chapter 3.

Regarding his excuse, he first works to win their goodwill before presenting the excuse itself (verse 15). To win their goodwill, he cites both general and special facts (verse 8), showing that whatever he does is for their benefit.

In demonstrating this benefit, he first mentions the profit others have gained from him and, second, the reason for it (verse 5). This first point, concerning the profit to others, involves three parts: first, he gives thanks; second, he describes the manner of his thanks (verse 4); and third, he explains the cause for it (verse 4b).

He gives thanks, therefore, to the entire Trinity, the source of every good. For this reason he says, Blessed be the God—that is, the entire Trinity—and to the person of the Father when he says, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the Father has given us all things. It should be noted that we bless God and God blesses us, but in different ways. For when God speaks, he accomplishes: He spoke and they were made (Psalms 148:5). Therefore, for God to bless is to produce something good and to infuse something good, and so to be a cause: I will indeed bless you and multiply your descendants (Genesis 22:17). But our speech does not cause things; it acknowledges or expresses them. Therefore, our blessing is the same as recognizing good. When we thank God, we bless him, that is, we acknowledge that he is good and the giver of all good: Bless God and acknowledge him in the presence of all the living for the good things he has done for you ; Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord; praise and exalt him above all for ever (Daniel 3:57).

It is fitting that he thank the Father, because he is merciful; for this reason he says, the Father of mercies. And because he is a comforter, he says, and God of all comfort. He thanks God for the two things people especially need. First, they need to have evil removed from them, and this is done by mercy, which takes away misery, for it is characteristic of a father to have compassion: As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear him (Psalms 103:13).

Second, people need to be supported in the face of evils that occur, and that is to receive comfort. For unless a person has something in which their heart can rest, they will not stand firm when evils come upon them. Therefore, a person comforts another by offering them something refreshing, in which they can rest in evil times. And although a person might be comforted by something and find rest and support in the case of some evils, it is God alone who comforts us in all evils. For this reason, the Apostle calls Him the God of all comfort. For if you sin, God comforts you, because he is merciful. If you are afflicted, he comforts you either by rooting out the affliction by his power or by judging justly. If you labor, he comforts you with a reward: I am your shield; your reward shall be very great (Genesis 15:1). Therefore, it says in Matthew 5:4: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

He tells us why he is thankful when he adds, who comforts us in all our affliction. As if to say: He is blessed because he comforts us in all our affliction: God who comforts the downcast (2 Corinthians 7:6).

He gives the reason for this when he says, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction. Here it should be noted that there is an order among God’s gifts. For God gives special gifts to some so that they may pour them out for the benefit of others; he does not give light to the sun in order that the sun may shine for itself alone, but for the whole world. Therefore, God desires that some benefit come to others from all our gifts, whether they be riches or power or knowledge or wisdom: As each has received a gift, employ it for one another (1 Peter 4:10). This then is what the Apostle says: who comforts us in all our affliction.

But why? Not only for our benefit, but so that it may also profit others. For this reason, he says, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction. For we can comfort others by the example of our own comfort. One who is not comforted does not know how to comfort others: He who has not been tried, what manner of things does he know? (Sirach 34:9, Vulgate). The Spirit of the Lord is upon the one who can say, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me to bring good tidings to the afflicted (Isaiah 61:1), and who comforts all who were mourning in Zion (Sirach 48:27, Vulgate).

We are able, I say, to comfort them by exhorting them to endure sufferings and by promising eternal rewards. That is, we exhort you by the Scriptures and internal inspirations, so that we may patiently endure and exhort others by our example and by the Scriptures themselves: For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you (1 Corinthians 11:23); What I have heard from the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, I announce to you (Isaiah 21:10).

Having mentioned the benefit that comes to others from the apostles, he gives the reason for what he has said: For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. And because he has said two things—namely, that God comforts us in every affliction and that we ourselves can also comfort others—he explains here the reason for both. First, he shows how God comforts us in every affliction; second, how our comfort is turned to the comfort of others (verse 6).

He says, therefore, I am right in saying that he comforts us in every affliction, for as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. He speaks of Christ’s sufferings, that is, sufferings begun by Christ: Begin at my sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6). For the sufferings for our sins began in Christ, because he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24); then they continued through the apostles, who said, We are slain all the day long (Psalms 44:22; Romans 8:36); and then through the martyrs, who were cut in two and were tempted (Hebrews 11:37). Finally, sinners themselves will patiently bear God’s anger for their sins.

Alternatively, "the sufferings of Christ" means what we endure for Christ: Then they left the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name (Acts 5:41); For your sake we are slain all the day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter (Psalms 44:22). Just as we share abundantly in these sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too: When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul (Psalms 94:19).