2 Corinthians 1:3

Blessed be God. Gr. eulogetos (see on Matt. 5:3). Appropriately, Paul begins with an ascription of praise to God. For the sense in which men “bless” God see on Ps. 63:4.

The Father. The significance Christ attached to the name Father as applied to God is seen throughout the teachings and ministry of Jesus. It reflects the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount. It is the key word of the Lord’s Prayer. It is the ground of Christian brotherhood, the inducement to forgive those who offend us. The all-pervading consciousness of God as His Father was with Jesus throughout life (see on Luke 2:49). After His resurrection He spoke of “my Father and your Father” (John 20:17). Men sometimes experience difficulty comprehending the omnipresence, the omnipotence, and the omniscience of the Infinite God. But all men can understand and appreciate Him as the loving Father, who gave His only Son to live and die for a race of sinners (John 3:16). To see Jesus is to see and know the Father (John 14:9; cf. ch. 17:3).

Father of mercies. This exact phrase occurs only here in the NT. God is the merciful Father, the source from which mercies flow, the originator of all mercies. Mercy implies something more than mere benevolence, more than goodness. God is good to all, but He is merciful to those afflicted by sin and in need of forgiveness. Mercies are a revelation of the very character of God. They are the issues of His heart. See on Rom. 12:1.

Comfort. Gr. paraklesis (see on Matt. 5:4). It is through the Holy Spirit, the Comforter (see on John 14:16), that God comes close to man to minister to his spiritual and material needs. The word paraklesis is characteristic of this epistle. It occurs 11 times as a noun and 18 times in the verb form.