Note 1 at 2 Cor. 1:3: Paul is now praising God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His wonderful mercies and comfort. The Greek word for "blessed" used here is a word that is used only for God in the New Testament. It is the Greek word "eulogetos" and means "blessed" or "praised." It comes from another Greek word "eulogeo," which is made up of "eu," meaning "good" and "lego," meaning "to speak," thus meaning "to speak well of," and carries the idea of "to thank, bless, or praise." This is where we get our English words "eulogize" or "eulogy," meaning "to praise highly, extol, or to speak or write a tribute extolling a person."

"Eulogetos" is used 8 times in the New Testament only of God and is used in the following ways: "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" (i.e. the praised one - Mk. 14:61), "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel" (Lk. 1:68), "The Creator, who is blessed for ever" (Rom. 1:25), "God blessed for ever" (Rom. 9:5), "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Cor. 1:3), "God and Father. . .which is blessed for evermore" (2 Cor. 11:31), "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3).

Note 2 at 2 Cor. 1:3: Paul now speaks of the heavenly Father as "the Father of mercies." The word "father" is used many times in scripture as an originator or as a source of something. For example, the devil is called the father of lies (Jn. 8:44), i.e. he is the author and originator of lying. So also is our heavenly Father the author, originator, and source of all mercy. "Mercy is condescending love, reaching out to meet a need without considering the merit of the person who receives the aid" (Expository Dictionary of Bible Words [EDBW]).

Each time that mankind cried out in faith to Jesus, His mercy reached out and met that need (Mt. 9:27-30; 15:22-28; Mk. 5:19; 10:46-52; Lk. 17:11-14). Jesus said, "Blessed are the merciful. . ." (Mt. 5:7), be merciful as your Father is merciful (Lk. 6:36), neglect not the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith (Mt. 23:23), I will have mercy, for I have come to call sinners to repentance (Mt. 9:10-13), forgive and have compassion on thy fellow servants as I have had pity on you (Mt. 18:21-35).

God is said to be rich in mercy because of His great love wherewith he loved us (Eph. 2:4), to have saved us not by our works but according to His mercy (Ti. 3:5), to have a throne called grace whereby we may come and obtain mercy (Heb. 4:16), and hath bound all men over to disobedience so that He may have mercy on them all (Rom. 11:32 [NIV]).

Mercy is a Christian virtue which is not only received from God, but is also expected, in turn, to be shown to others (Mt. 5:7; 23:23; Jas. 3:17).

Note 3 at 2 Cor 1:3: Six Hebrew and eight Greek words were translated "comfort" in the King James Version. The Hebrew word used most often is "NACHAM" and conveys the idea of someone being moved with great compassion and feelings of pity. The Greek noun used here in 2Co 1:3 is "PARAKLESIS" and was translated "consolation" fourteen times (Lu 2:25 [once], 6:24 [once]; Ac 4:36 [once], 15:31 [once]; Ro 15:5 [once]; 2Co 1:5-7 [four times], 7:7 [once]; Php 2:1 [once]; 2Th 2:16 [once]; Phm 7 [once]; and Heb 6:18 [once]), "exhortation" eight times (Ac 13:15; Ro 12:8; 1Co 14:3; 2Co 8:17; 1Th 2:3; 1Ti 4:13; Heb 12:5, and 13:22), "comfort" six times (Ac 9:31 [once]; Ro 15:4 [once]; 2Co 1:3-4 [twice], 7:4 [once], and 13 [once]) and "intreaty" one time (2Co 8:4). This Greek word was used eleven times in the book of 2 Corinthians (2Co 1:3-7 [six times]; 7:4 [once], 7 [once], 13 [once]; 8:4 [once], and 17 [once]), and that is why many refer to this epistle as the "book of comfort." This phrase "the God of all comfort" carries the idea of a divine comforter who encourages, refreshes, strengthens, aids, assists, and is an ever-present help in the time of need (Ps 46:1, 94:17-18, and 121:2).

The ways that God chooses to comfort are not always the same. He may deliver or remove the cause of affliction (Ac 9:26-31 and 20:9-12), comfort with words and a hope for the future (1Th 4:16-18), or use people to share their common faith (Ro 1:12). He may also comfort by prophecy (1Co 14:3), by sending fellow laborers to serve and strengthen (Col 4:11), by the ministry of the Word (1Th 2:11), by using the body of Christ as a channel of comfort (1Th 5:11), by prayer (2Co 1:11), etc. The point is that the source of all comfort is God, no matter what channel He may choose. Isn't it wonderful to know that we have such a loving and caring God who "knows what it is like when we suffer and are tempted, and he is wonderfully able to help us" (Heb 2:18, The Living Bible)?

In 2Co 1:3-7, Paul blessed God for His divine comfort and, in 2Co 1:8-11, for His deliverance (see note 25 at Joh 14:16, note 73 at Joh 16:4, and note 7 at 1Co 6:11).