Verse 11
Paul seems to have had no doubt that his brothers and sisters in Corinth would continue to pray for him.
". . . the Apostle is as secure of the intercession of the Corinthians as he is of God’s protection, and the one will contribute to the other." [Note: Plummer, p. 20.]
"Joining in helping" is the translation of a Greek word used only here in the New Testament: synypourgounton. It consists of three words meaning "with," "under," and "work." It paints a picture of laborers bowed down under some heavy burden that they are working hard together to lift.
"Intercessory prayer has great power, otherwise Paul would not so often solicit it on his own behalf, and enjoin the duty on his readers." [Note: Hodge, p. 12.]
"There is no limit to the power of intercessory prayer; and though the display of God’s mercy does not depend on it, we may be sure that He desires nothing more than that His people should be united in mutual intercession offered in the name of His Son. When such prayer is answered, it results in an outburst of praise and thanksgiving which redounds greatly to God’s glory." [Note: R. V. G. Tasker, The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, p. 44.]
"In prayer, human impotence casts itself at the feet of divine omnipotence." [Note: Hughes, p. 23.]
"My heart always rejoices when anyone writes or says to me, ’I am praying for you,’ for I need to be prayed for. I am so forgetful about prayer myself; so many times when I should be praying I am busy at something else, and often if there is any power at all in my messages I know it is because somebody at home or in the audience is praying for me. One owes so much to the prayers of God’s beloved people." [Note: Ironside, pp. 33-34.]
"Persons" (Gr. prosopon) is literally "faces." A literal rendering presents the attractive picture of many faces turned upward toward heaven offering thanks to God for His answers to the united prayers of Paul and his readers. This is doubtless the figure Paul wanted us to visualize in this verse.
From this introduction hopefully we have learned a greater appreciation of the comfort of God and the afflictions He allows us to experience in our service for Him.
"The Arabs have a proverb, ’All sunshine makes a desert.’" [Note: Barclay, p. 192.]
"In this beautiful introduction Paul found occasion to be thankful in the most trying circumstances. Even suffering has benefits. It provides the occasion to experience God’s comfort, to watch Him answer prayer, and to observe how believers can be strengthened in their Christian walk and witness by another’s circumstances." [Note: Kent, p. 34.]
"Comfort is the great word, comfort from God, comfort for others. So he prepared for whatever he had to say presently of rebuke, by a revelation of great tenderness. He called them to sympathize with him, and he assured them that God had sympathized with him, and that He would sympathize with them as they are asked to sympathize with him. It is the sympathy of sharing the activity of God, Who is the God of all comfort." [Note: Morgan, p. 229.]
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