Suffering
Suffering is an inevitable part of life in a fallen world. The Bible does not deny pain, but offers perspective and comfort. God is close to those who suffer and can use even the most difficult experiences for good.
God Is Near in Suffering
God does not abandon His children when they go through difficulties.
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,* I fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. [*Footnote: Or "the darkest valley"; the Hebrew word can mean deep darkness as well as the shadow of death.]
גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑י שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי׃
18They cried out, and the LORD heard; he delivered them from all their troubles.
צָעֲק֣וּ וַיהוָ֣ה שָׁמֵ֑עַ וּמִכָּל־צָ֝רוֹתָ֗ם הִצִּילָֽם׃
19The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; he saves those crushed in spirit.
קָר֣וֹב יְ֭הוָה לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי־לֵ֑ב וְֽאֶת־דַּכְּאֵי־ר֥וּחַ יוֹשִֽׁיעַ׃
2When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you cross the rivers, they will not sweep you away. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not consume you.
כִּֽי־תַעֲבֹ֤ר בַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אִתְּךָ־אָ֔נִי וּבַנְּהָר֖וֹת לֹ֣א יִשְׁטְפ֑וּךָ כִּֽי־תֵלֵ֤ךְ בְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ֙ לֹ֣א תִכָּוֶ֔ה וְלֶהָבָ֖ה לֹ֥א תִבְעַר־בָּֽךְ׃
Christ Suffered for Us
Jesus knows suffering and carries our burdens.
3He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Like one from whom people hide their faces, he was despised, and we held him of no account.
נִבְזֶה֙ וַחֲדַ֣ל אִישִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ מַכְאֹב֖וֹת וִיד֣וּעַ חֹ֑לִי וּכְמַסְתֵּ֤ר פָּנִים֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ נִבְזֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א חֲשַׁבְנֻֽהוּ׃
4Yet it was our griefs he bore, our sorrows he carried; but we considered him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.
אָכֵ֤ן חֳלָיֵ֙נוּ֙ ה֣וּא נָשָׂ֔א וּמַכְאֹבֵ֖ינוּ סְבָלָ֑ם וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ חֲשַׁבְנֻ֔הוּ נָג֛וּעַ מֻכֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים וּמְעֻנֶּֽה׃
5But he was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was laid upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
וְהוּא֙ מְחֹלָ֣ל מִפְּשָׁעֵ֔נוּ מְדֻכָּ֖א מֵעֲוֺנֹתֵ֑ינוּ מוּסַ֤ר שְׁלוֹמֵ֙נוּ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבַחֲבֻרָת֖וֹ נִרְפָּא־לָֽנוּ׃
15For we do not have a high priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.
οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, ⸀πεπειρασμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα καθʼ ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας.
16So let us approach the throne of grace with confidence, to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
προσερχώμεθα οὖν μετὰ παρρησίας τῷ θρόνῳ τῆς χάριτος, ἵνα λάβωμεν ἔλεος καὶ χάριν εὕρωμεν εἰς εὔκαιρον βοήθειαν.
17Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.
ὅθεν ὤφειλεν κατὰ πάντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς ὁμοιωθῆναι, ἵνα ἐλεήμων γένηται καὶ πιστὸς ἀρχιερεὺς τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, εἰς τὸ ἱλάσκεσθαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ·
18For he himself suffered when he was tempted, and so he is able to help those who are being tempted.
ἐν ᾧ γὰρ πέπονθεν αὐτὸς πειρασθείς, δύναται τοῖς πειραζομένοις βοηθῆσαι.
The Purpose of Suffering
God can use suffering to shape us and strengthen faith.
3And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ⸀καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν, εἰδότες ὅτι ἡ θλῖψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται,
4endurance produces character, and character produces hope.
ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμήν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα.
5And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει· ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκέχυται ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου τοῦ δοθέντος ἡμῖν.
2Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers, whenever you fall into trials of every kind,
Πᾶσαν χαρὰν ἡγήσασθε, ἀδελφοί μου, ὅταν πειρασμοῖς περιπέσητε ποικίλοις,
3for you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
γινώσκοντες ὅτι τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως κατεργάζεται ὑπομονήν·
4And let endurance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ ἔργον τέλειον ἐχέτω, ἵνα ἦτε τέλειοι καὶ ὁλόκληροι, ἐν μηδενὶ λειπόμενοι.
6In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials,
ἐν ᾧ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὀλίγον ἄρτι εἰ ⸀δέον ⸀λυπηθέντες ἐν ποικίλοις πειρασμοῖς,
7so that the genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
ἵνα τὸ δοκίμιον ὑμῶν τῆς πίστεως ⸀πολυτιμότερον χρυσίου τοῦ ἀπολλυμένου διὰ πυρὸς δὲ δοκιμαζομένου εὑρεθῇ εἰς ἔπαινον καὶ ⸂δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν⸃ ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Comfort in Grief
God comforts us so that we can comfort others.
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,
Εὐλογητὸς ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ πατὴρ τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν καὶ θεὸς πάσης παρακλήσεως,
4who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we can comfort those in any affliction with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
ὁ παρακαλῶν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ πάσῃ τῇ θλίψει ἡμῶν, εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς παρακαλεῖν τοὺς ἐν πάσῃ θλίψει διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως ἧς παρακαλούμεθα αὐτοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.
4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; there will be no more grief or crying or pain. The former things have passed away."
καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυον ⸀ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ⸀ἔτι. τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.
Eternal Perspective
Today's sufferings cannot be compared with the coming glory.
18I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed in us.
Λογίζομαι γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς.
16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
Διὸ οὐκ ⸀ἐγκακοῦμεν, ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ ὁ ἔξω ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος διαφθείρεται, ἀλλʼ ὁ ⸂ἔσω ἡμῶν⸃ ἀνακαινοῦται ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ.
17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure,
τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως ⸀ἡμῶν καθʼ ὑπερβολὴν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν,
18since we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα αἰώνια.
10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore you, support you, strengthen you, and establish you.
ὁ δὲ θεὸς πάσης χάριτος, ὁ καλέσας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἐν ⸀Χριστῷ, ὀλίγον παθόντας αὐτὸς ⸀καταρτίσει, στηρίξει, σθενώσει, ⸀θεμελιώσει.