Today I want to talk about 2 Corinthians chapter 1, the Bible reads in verse 3, blessed be
God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort,
who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which
are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual
in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted,
it is for your consolation and salvation.
So here the Bible is using the word tribulation and it's interchanging it with the words affliction
or afflicted and with suffering and with trouble.
And all throughout the New Testament you'll see the word tribulation often coupled with
the word persecution and you'll often see it coupled with the word trouble or affliction
or suffering.
That's what tribulation is.
Now I think the biggest reason why people believe in the pre-trib rapture is because
they don't know what the word tribulation means and so therefore they think it's the
wrath of God being poured out on this earth.
I strongly recommend anyone who believes in the pre-trib rapture to just look up all 22
times that the word tribulation is used in the New Testament.
It's so obvious once you do that, that the pre-trib rapture is a false doctrine.
But in this passage he says the purpose of us going through tribulations or trials or
afflictions or sufferings, part of that purpose is that we will be able to comfort others
who are going through trials and tribulations and struggles and suffering.
And God is explaining that when we go through hard things then we're able to comfort those
and help those who are also going through hard things.
Now is this passage talking about the great tribulation at the end of the world?
No it's not.
But it still helps demonstrate what the word tribulation means and it still shows believers
going through tribulations.
People will say, God would never let believers go through the tribulation.
Well, we're going through tribulations all throughout history.
In 2 Corinthians they were going through tribulations.
We've all had trials and tribulations in our lives.
We just need to learn what the word tribulation means and stop equating it with God's wrath
because it has nothing to do with God's wrath.