2 Corinthians 1:1-2:11, SURPRISING, COMFORTING, GRACIOUS

The Surprising Comfort of Suffering in 2 Corinthians 1:1-11

2nd Corinthians chapter 1 starting verse 1 all the way to chapter 2 verse 11. Hear the word of the Lord Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God in Timothy our brother to the Church of God that is at Corinth.

With all the Saints who are in the whole of Achaia. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ The father of mercies and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our affliction.

So that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction. With a comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God for as we share abundantly in Christ sufferings so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too if we are afflicted it is for your comfort and Salvation and if we are comforted it is for your comfort.

Which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken for we know that as you share in our sufferings. You will also share in our comfort. For we do not want you to be ignorant brothers of the affliction.

We experience in Asia for we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received this sentence of death. But that but that was to make us rely not on ourselves, but on God who raises the dead.

He delivered us from such a deadly peril and he will deliver us on him. We have set our hope and he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer so that many will give thanks on our behalf. For the blessing granted us through the prayers of many.

For our boast is this the testimony of our conscience that we behaved in the world with simplicity and godly Sincerity not by earthly wisdom, but by the grace of God and supremely so toward you for we are not writing to you anything other than what you read and acknowledged and I hope that you will fully acknowledge.

Just as you did partially acknowledge us that on the day of our Lord Jesus. You will boast of us as We will boast of you. Because I was sure of this. I wanted to come to you first so that you might have a second experience of grace.

I wanted to visit you on my way to Macedonia and to come back to you from Macedonia and have You send me on my way to Judea. Was I vacillating when I wanted to do this? Do I make my plans according to the flesh ready to say?

Yes. Yes. And no no at the same time as surely as God is faithful our word to you has not been yes. And no for the Son of God Jesus Christ whom we proclaimed among you Silvanus and Timothy and I was not yes and no, but in him it is always Yes for all the promises of God find their yes in him.

That is why it is through him that we utter our amen to God for his glory and it is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us and who has also Put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

But I call God to witness against me. It was to spare you that I refrained from coming again to Corinth not that we lord it over your faith. But we work with you with you for your joy for you stand firm in your faith.

For I made up my mind not to make another painful visit to you for if I cause you pain who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained and I wrote as I did so that when I came I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice.

For I felt sure of all of you that my joy would be the joy of you all for I wrote To you of my out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears not to cause you pain. But to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

Now if anyone has caused you cause pain he has caused it not to me. But in some measure not to put it too severely to all of you for such a one this punishment by the majority is enough. So you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him for this is why I wrote That I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive I also forgive indeed. What I have forgiven if I have forgiven anything has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.

So that we would not be outwitted by Satan for we are not ignorant of his designs. May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word on the spring of my senior year of high school by a track In or near Houston, Texas, I was bent over with my hands on my knees breathing heavily.

In pain I Just run a mile in five minutes and seven seconds. Not great. Not even really good for that matter four years later on a track at Mississippi State University I heard the timer call out my mile time.

456.

11 seconds faster than four years ago. I Wasn't in pain. I was actually remember thinking I feel fairly comfortable. I had run over. And in fact, I felt so comfortable. I continued the race I I had over two miles to go in my 5k now.

How did I go from? Straining agonizing afflicting myself to put out at best I could do was a five minute seven second mile to Really easily painlessly doing a 456 mile 11 seconds faster as the first one-third of a 5k.

How did I go from one to the other? Well, I went through a lot of pain. To be able to run that fast without pain that sport running is all about conditioning and you get to a certain point when you're Stretching your can do what you're gaining.

Conditioning that you go through pain to get better. You have to stretch your capacity for endurance and speed and that means when you get to the point of stretching your abilities. You know you get to where you're you're tired and you just have to go on or you're just.

This is naked. This is as fast as you could go and you have to keep pushing when you get to that point of suffering and exhaustion a.

Pain.

You have to stay at it, that's how you stretch that's how you get better. Experts on exercise physiology. Of course. They can research and they could coach about how to minimize unnecessary stress. Unnecessary pain.

How to get the most out of your workouts. Got to remember to stretch and warm down. Talk cheerily about learning to walk. Work smart not always harder. How you need to have. You need to have some easy days.

You need to get your rest, but the brutal fact remains No pain, no gain. Of course you could ask same question sometimes I ask myself especially in those moments of pain. Why would you intentionally inflict pain on yourself?

What's up with that? You could be lying in bed. No, just reading a book or something. Well, the answer is simple because I thought the benefits outweighed the cost. I Enjoyed it at least the benefits part.

I got more pleasure more satisfaction more joy even scholarship money back than the exertion I Put out then the pain I had to experience. What about you?

Have you been willing?

To suffer pain. To inflict pain on yourself. Some kind of deprivation. To lose something that you otherwise would have enjoyed. Maybe like To go through some experience. That's that's difficult like sitting for hours studying some boring books when you could be just playing games or watching TV or.

Are you willing. Have you been willing to pass on desserts or Save your money or give your money when you could be all you could be splurging it all on yourself. Have you been willing to break off compromising relationships that you know could bring you some good times?

Are you been willing to say no to some sexual opportunity that you know could be pleasurable for any good thing you want? Whether fitness or a good job a good career a good business or a good marriage or Being a Christian any good you want.

You'll have to suffer some pain. Now the Apostle Paul here tells the church of the gain that can come through pain. He does that in three parts three great ironies. That seems so strange to the worldly way of thinking both then and today.

Officially today three of them for verses 1 to 11 the surprising fact of the comfort the pain can bring. Second from chapter 1 verse 12 to chapter 2 verse 4 the comforting fact of The grace it brings.

And third from chapter 2 verse 5 to verse 11 the gracious fact of the forgiveness it brings. Well first Paul began. 2nd Corinthians is typically introducing himself and his current companion Timothy the brother.

He calls him Paul is an apostle. He was made so by God's will that's where his authority comes from. He could speak to them with authority and 2nd Corinthians is a useful book for us. Especially after Hosea.

Hosea is kind of partly anyway about the church being worldly. Israel was a kind of church and it was worldly was elected. It was like the cultures around them. 2nd Corinthians is about what we are to do about the world.

Being in the church and one thing that the world doesn't want to do. Is suffer. World hates to suffer, you know, look at our ads for weight loss programs. Promising that you that you can quote eat like a man and still lose weight.

That you can kick cigarettes without suffering any cravings. That you can get a college degree in record time in your spare time. Implied that you won't have to suffer long hours and enduring. Studying boring books and even some churches are in on it promising that you can have an instant spirituality.

Just by saying the right prayer or getting the right experience. Having the right anointed man or woman lay hands on you and it's just it's done. It's not gonna cost you anything. You don't have to sacrifice anything or experience anything unpleasant.

You won't have to keep any promises to your own hurt. It's all pleasantness and sweetness enjoyment. No grief. No pain. That's what we're sold today over and over again. But as alluring as that is That is the world in the church.

2nd Corinthians exists to tell us How to deal with it. First we deal with it by recognizing the surprising fact of the comfort that suffering and grief brings. We all want comfort. We want to be comforted and be comfortable.

The great irony is that to get comfort We must suffer. How can I run a 456 mile and be comfortable? Do a lot of suffering. Maybe drug dealing or gambling or self-serving politicians will promise us today that we can have the easy life.

We can have comfort just handed to us without any pain out any cost. Even the world in the church tells us that we can have all the promises of God without any of the sufferings of Christ. We can have a religion that likes to talk and sing a lot about heaven.

But never mentions death but 2nd Corinthians tells us what to do with that Religion about scaping reality singing sweetly about heaven, but never mentioning death. Doesn't know how to suffer. And so doesn't really know how to comfort either.

Do you want comfort.

Well.

Then suffer. That is assuming that you're part of the church that you have received grace and peace from God your father and the Lord Jesus Christ. If so, you will be Afflicted. You'll be required to sacrifice some things some time.

Sacrifice some of your attention maybe like right now when you'd rather be paying attention to maybe something on TV. Got to pay attention to the sermon some money some luxuries. Maybe you'll be the strange one out among at work or among friends.

You'll be afflicted and you respond by he like here praising God the father your father the father of your Lord Jesus. The father of mercies and Paul calls him in verse 3 the God of all Comfort, how do you get to know the God of all comfort?

By being afflicted. For Christ now don't just be afflicted for your stupidity. Drive too fast and you get pulled over. That's not that's not affliction that is teaching you to be like Christ. That's because you drove too fast.

Not not being afflicted for our stupidity or for our sins, but because we chose to follow the Lord and that choice Brought us some pain. You have less money now than you could have otherwise because you gave some of it.

You have less time because you spend it seeking the Lord praying and Bible study in church. That's some loss as some affliction. Some some right now may be suffering in this country because they're choosing to worship together when the government Around them says they can't without afflictions.

We can get to know the God of all comfort then in verse 5 He says we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, but we're people who love to be Comfortable. Why would we willingly put ourselves through suffering?

Because through it through suffering we get to know the God of all comfort. Paul says it a verse 5 so You're afflicted. So this is a purpose statement. This is the reason for the affliction. Providing the reason we are afflicted through Christ.

We share abundantly in comfort, too. We're afflicted Because we choose to follow Christ he comforts us and So we experience the God of all comfort. Do you want to truly? Know the Lord you really crave.

Is it the cry of your heart? To know Jesus. You want to gain a true intimate knowledge of him? Then be prepared to suffer no pain no gain. There's another good to gain through pain here first you experience the God of all comfort then once you've been comforted.

Then you can comfort others to know God in the comfort he provides and then to turn around and be a provider of comfort to others who are suffering. The second half of verse 4 says so that again, this is the purpose statement where we suffer so that We may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction.

Like mr. Perry is in some affliction now having to be confined to a nursing home where no one can come and see him so for the staff first for God. We get to know God through suffering and is being comforted and then is so that we can comfort others.

The comfort comes from God first God then others and when we suffer for when we suffer for him. We are then to pass on that comfort to others now the world that is in the church the worldly church today.

Had no concept of others. We talk about others. Who are these others that I heard you talk about? Haven't you heard the footprints in the sand? There's only him and me walking on the beach. It's all just saw two of us.

It has a religion that it thinks is Individualistic it's unconnected to the to the body of Christ where the church is optional. Yeah, okay. It had might help for some people but I don't need it. You have some Christians around us call themselves Christians.

Anyway, never go to church and they think that's they think that's fine. That's normal. It's like it's the being attached to the church is some Optional extra for those who are kind of into that kind of thing.

But they have no no knowledge member from Hosea. My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. They have worldly people who think their covenant commitments are just nice-sounding phrases never requiring any Sacrifice or any suffering they don't understand.

They have no knowledge of the God of all comfort who invites us to participate in his sufferings. So that the purpose again he could comfort us so we get to know him and So that the second purpose we can pass on that comfort to others.

The church is to be a place of comforted sinners or it's comforted suffers. Comforting other sufferers. We don't have to have this mask on. Maybe for health maybe for the virus you can have the the mask over your mouth and nose.

But I mean this this mask this front people sometimes put on. Everything's fine, and I smile we look everything's great and you know, we say the right spiritual words I'm a more than it conquers. I'm too blessed to be distressed.

I'm too anointed to be disappointed and we put on a big smile and church shout hallelujah, and then we slink home. Depressed and lonely and grieved not comforted. Because we wouldn't admit we're afflicted.

Starting in verse 8 Paul informs them of the affliction. He suffered he says for cause we were so utterly burdened. Beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. You think it's strange for a Christian to talk like this?

Does it sound strange today? I mean so many like to put up this front. I'm so spiritual. I'm so Spirit-filled so powerful. Here's Paul the Apostle talking like this. We were so utterly burdened so much stress so much on us.

We didn't have the strength to bear it. We almost feel like dying. That's what Paul is saying here. That sounds strange to us today because we're so often so fake you put up this front everything's great.

Paul says he thought he was going to die. He was down. He felt overwhelmed. He it was he felt beyond his strength things were so bad that he felt like he had been condemned to die in verse 9, but he was delivered and so he was comforted and So now he turns with that comfort to comfort the Corinthians.

They feel afflicted and so he assures them first in the end of verse 10. God will deliver us on him. We have set our hope. All right, not in the money we have in the bank. None of our doctors not in how the election might turn out in him and God if you're feeling distressed.

Corinthians If you're feeling distressed.

Covenanters.

Then hope in God first. Experience the God of all comfort. Gain the sense of his comfort. From your from your pain. Then Paul tells them in in verse 11. Then what's your comforted. Help us? By prayer.

God. Then others. And you can help others by praying for them. You're feeling afflicted. Then get your eyes off yourself. Do something for others at least pray pray. He says in verse 11 so that many will thank God for answering those prayers.

So you're afflicted for Christ's sake which leads for you being comforted by the God of all comfort which leads you to comforting others and praying for others. And then.

You know, you're so.

Thanking God for his comfort. You're so comforting others all the time. You just really don't have the time left to feel too. Sorry for yourself. You just your times all taken up. So you just don't you don't notice your own pain that much anymore the pain has gained you the freedom from pain.

That's the surprising fact of the comfort that affliction brings. Next we see the comforting fact of the grace that affliction brings. How did we deal with the world in the church? You know the worldly church.

How do you deal with a worldly church? The suffering that Paul has gone through is not all suffering persecution. From outside powers like from the Romans or the whatever local government. Afflicting him caning him or lashing him or whatever they were doing.

He has suffered here sometimes from some inside the church particularly the Church of Corinth the church he's writing to because they are. Many of them anyway are worldly. They're carnal. They're literally they're fleshly that is that they're acting like Unsaved unsanctified people and that's afflicting Paul himself.

That's where a lot of his affliction is coming from. Coming from the church and one of the characteristics of the worldly in the church is that they they boast how spiritual they are a lot of times is fake.

We talked about that the fakery and They accuse. Especially they accuse leaders. Here here Paul they're accusing him now in this culture here in America worldly people in the church. Think it is normal and acceptable to accuse leaders even if for no reason.

Mary and I know of a local pastor. It's gonna now got to leave this area because they just felt no one's church was responding to them. They try to do things and whatever they would try they would get no support from the church.

And so whatever they would try wouldn't succeed because they get no support from the church and then the people would accuse them. Blame them for it. Okay, it's just like you'd want to pull out your hair.

And but that's it that's this normal or this culture and of course, it's worldly it's wrong Here and Paul is dealing with that here here. He decides to boast back. Our boast he says it at the end of verse 12 is that we have behaved with simplicity and godly sincerity.

Okay, just as he's throwing that out there. He's asserting that whatever you he's about to tell us what he's being accused of. He's saying first of all, let it be known. We we acted our words were simple.

Otherwise, we meant what we said no hidden meanings behind what we said and we were sincere. We were like God we were since we meant what we said the world of the church while smugly boasting about how great they are how spiritual they are was accusing Paul of being unfaithful a Promising they accused him.

Well, hey Paul you promised to come and you broke your promise. You're being unreliable. You're saying one thing and you're doing another. But Paul boasts my conscience acquits me. We have been we've been up front and we have been honest and he explains it versus 15 to 17 that he had told him Earlier that he wanted to visit them again.

He probably said something like, you know. This is what he probably said to them. I want to come back to you again. Before going going on to Jerusalem. I want to but his plans changed and so as the world does in the church or not the accusers just pounce on that otherwise they Misinterpret it and they twist it and then they use their interpret a misinterpretation of his words to accuse him that He hadn't said that he was definitely going to come to them and visit them.

He only said he had wanted to. And and they said well he's not trustworthy and Paul refutes them in the middle of verse 17. He asked them if he plans. Like carnal people do carnal worldly people do they plan like they say yes.

Yes. Definitely coming. That's what happened this week. Is that his death? He's gonna be here. Of course not here. That's that's worldly.

I.

May be so used to that of this culture. We think that's normal, but it's not it's not godly. It's not right. You keep your word now if something comes up you have to change your plans. You can that's you're gonna understand that but just not keeping your commitments is is a problem.

And that's what they were accusing Paul of here. He doesn't give his commitments. He just says yes. Yes, when he really doesn't mean it does he act like a carnal person and just tell others what they want to hear.

They they asked him if he was coming to visit them again. He said well, I'd like to. But when it did work out, he couldn't make the visit and so they said he said yes. Because he's just like everyone else.

He tells people what they want to hear doesn't care if it's true. He was thinking no all along but he said yes, because that's the way those worldly carnal people like Paul are. Smiling and saying yes when it pleases and when they actually have no intention of doing what they say now that was the accusation.

Against Paul some here are throwing at him coming from the world. In the church that Paul was boasting. Was it true? He had dealt he says with them simply and.

Sincerely.

First notice of verse 17 that Paul acknowledges that they are right that double-talk. Like they are accusing him of It's carnal literally fleshly, you know, he did. Paul doesn't say back. I'll stop nitpicking.

Okay, so what I said I was gonna come but you know. Whatever it's not a big deal. He didn't say he didn't say that at all. He said he's admit he's agreeing with them. That would be a big deal if I said I was going to come and then I didn't come, you know.

Basically for no reason he Agrees with them that double-talk like that is indeed Carnal this worldly. That's that's the way the world does business simply by so often simply by lying. Often with a smile when they feel it's in their interest.

If they think I can get away with lying the lie it furthers their interest and it still does we have people today. Especially the world of the church that thinks us lying is a virtue. Right. I mean you ever been in a church here.

Somebody sing a special song and. And they sing horribly right that happens. They say you're just horribly they can't sing you want to maybe you want to encourage them. Somehow thanks for trying or thanks for doing that or but you know.

Some people go beyond that and say what a great job you did. I remember in a speech class. Somebody gave up and you got to give Practice speaking and somebody gave all it was so bad. He was so boring I couldn't get and I'm thinking about when are you gonna stop get this over with and he stops and he sits down in front Of me and some girl turns to him.

That was really good. Thank you. And I was thinking no it wasn't it was horrible. Stop lying to him our people today assign a church covenant and they walk away from it as soon as we feel like Doing something else it that's worldliness.

That's being that's double-talk. That's being carnal. It's the world in the church and here Paul condemns it as indeed he agrees with him. That would be carnal, but he boasts he did no such thing. He says I was simple.

I meant what I said. I. And I said what I meant. He wanted to come. That then leads to three questions. Why do you want to come? Second, why did he believe so strongly in integrity and being faithful to his word and third?

Why did he change his plans? You know, otherwise he wanted to come and why didn't he end up coming then first? Why did he want to come? He says in verse 15 that you might have a second experience of grace.

Now don't read some great theological thing into this. Oh, there's there's salvation and then there's a second experience and that's done what he means. Paul had been afflicted. He had been comforted.

He praised God in verse 3 for that comfort for he praised God for being the God of all comfort for God first. And so he wanted to come to the Corinthians to pass on to them. This comfort he had others.

To reveal grace to them so that they would know the Lord better experience grace. Deeper that was his goal to comfort them with grace twice he says in verse 15 and 16 I Wanted to do that to bring comfort.

Second why did he believe so strongly in integrity? The answer to that is related to the surprising fact of the comfort that affliction brings that is we become like the God. We worship. Paul begins this letter here second Corinthians.

Worshipping the God who is the father of mercies the father of mercies. Oh, there's all mercies were begotten by him. They issue from him and the God of all comfort. That's that's the God. Then he holds up before the Corinthians.

This is the God we worship the father of all mercies the God of all comfort. Hold him up to them. So they worship him especially to the world that's in the church so you get to know who this true God is so that as they worship this God, they will become more like him and So less worldly they too will become merciful and comforting here with the comforting fact of the grace.

He brings he holds up for them a God.

Who is faithful.

Verse 18 begins as surely as God is faithful. In other words God has integrity to God keeps his word. He does what he says he means what he says and says what he means as God is faithful. So have we been we become like the God we worship if we worship a worship a sentimental God.

Who is this focus on us as individuals doesn't care about anyone else just cares about me. Walking alone, you know, we walk me and God we walk alone in the garden while the dew is fresh on the roses and the joy We share as we tarry there.

No one else in the history of mankind has ever known. Now if we worship a God like that It's no wonder there were so easily moved by my feelings and so lacking in Commitment to the church, you know, what's the church?

It's just me and God. Sharing a joy that no one else knows because no one else matters. But if we worship a God of all comfort who comforts us so that We go to nursing homes where we have members who need comforting so that We go to some suffering member of the church that needs it so that it's the reason he's comforting us.

So that we're not just all about ourselves Who is faithful and expects us to be too then? We're a very different kind of person. Why does he believe so strongly in faithfulness because he says in verses 19 to 22 the Son of God whom we worship is Faithful.

He is not. Yes, because that's what we want to hear. Yes, we're saved by grace, but no the real fact is you have to work for it. You have to do these religious deeds. Yes, he's come again. He's coming again.

But no, it's just a spiritual kind of mystical secret. Thing that maybe it already happened already. Yes, there's a resurrection. But no, it's kind of like his coming. It's just a spiritual thing that there will be no new body or new earth indeed all the promises of God He says find their their yes in Jesus.

He is faithful.

That is the promises of God all the way back to the Garden of Eden. All the promises when God told Satan a son of the woman would crush his head. The promises to Abraham that he would be the father of many nations that he would have the promised land that he would be a blessing.

To the nations the promises to David that he would have a king to reign forever. The promises of the law that if we obey God would bless us. All these promises. Find their fulfillment in Jesus. We get them by believing in Jesus.

Now He fulfills them and makes them all certain for all his people. So it's not spiritual double-talk in verse 20. What is God who establishes us something sure and certain? He establishes us in Christ that is in the anointed one not in our works not in our Whatever our religion but because we are in Christ.

He is the anointed one and he has anointed us making us a little Christ. We are the anointed with the Holy Spirit in verse 22. He sealed us and he's given us the Spirit as A guarantee an assurance that we will get all those promises that come to us Through Christ so we can be certain He is faithful.

He answers some of those questions in Psalm 77. Do you notice some of the despair and doubt being afflicted you cry out to God? Have you forgotten your promises? Have you forgotten your steadfast love?

Have you forgotten your covenant? Have you forgotten your grace and Comes back the voice all the promises of God are yes in Christ. Yes, he will hold you he will didn't he won't ensure that you endure to the end.

Third why did Paul change his plans? I? Mean he wanted to come to them. What happened? Because he wanted to spare them. Unnecessary pain in verse 23 in chapter 2 verse 1. He wanted to comfort them with grace.

He says there I made up my mind. Not to make another painful visit to you another painful visit which implies There was a previous painful visit sometime after 1st Corinthians was written. Apparently Paul visited Corinth.

Found that they hadn't followed all his instructions in that letter. Maybe they still hadn't disciplined the man who was living in immorality. Maybe they were still eating meat sacrifice titles and causing others to stumble.

Maybe they were still trying to be you know. Too rigorous and so not marrying while others were being too lax and getting drunk at the Lord's Supper as though, you know. Not caring if others came later and couldn't find any of the wine and the bread.

Some were still showing off their spiritual gifts speaking in tongues in the church like like no one else mattered. They were still teaching that the resurrection was passed and whatever the case He had asked them in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 verse 12 remember last year with the first Corinthians.

He asked them there, you know, do you want me to come to you with a rod? With discipline or with the loving gentle spirit. Now because they hadn't fully repented he came he shows us here in 2nd Corinthians.

He did make a visit indeed.

With a rod.

He made a painful visit, you know, he knocked some heads together Pointed his finger in some people's faces told them to shape up or ship out or be shipped out. Then in chapter 2 verse 3 he reveals that he also wrote them a very painful Pointed letter.

We probably don't have this letter and first is his visit then his letter caused him grief.

Pain.

Paul here delivered from his affliction. Paul comforted himself wanting to pass on that comfort to them. But instead he found that he had to inflict afflict the comfortable. Why would he do such a thing.

Why would he cause him pain? Well first notice. How strange this seems in our day in our day? So much of the world in the church how strange it seems to us that a spiritual leader Would act like this.

You know, we have almost no concept today in the church today in America at least of a shepherd a pastor afflicting people. Making painful visits if you've even heard of such a thing I had to make a painful visit to see that member had to go.

Tell them straighten up you got to repent writing letters that cause people to self suffer any people they just assume. The spiritual leader the pastors, but always supposed to be about comforting here.