Sufferings and afflictions work for good to those who Love God, who are the called according to His purpose (and are trained by them.)

This morning I read the entry for today's date in Streams in the Desert Volume 1. It used the text of 2 Corinthians 4:17 from the Weymouth trasnlation of the New Testament which says,

"For this our light and transitory burden of suffering is achieving for us a weight of glory".

I got to thinking about that word, "acheiving". It reminded me of such words like "obtain" and "win" and "possess" that are used in the New Testament with regard to our Salvation. Then I wondered what the Greek word was that Mr Weymouth translated as "acheiving".

I discovered that the Greek word was κατεργάζομαι (katergazomai) and means such things as:

From Thayer's-
1) to perform, accomplish, achieve.
2) to work out, i.e. to do that from which something results.
2a) of things: bring about, result in.
3) to fashion, i.e. render one fit for a thing.

From Strong's-
to work fully, that is, accomplish; by implication to finish, fashion.

From Bullinger's-
to work down, effect, acheive.

Before I read either Thayer's or Strong's I was thinking along the lines of, 'working so as to receive something back', 'working to obtain', or even 'working for recompense'.

The KJV translation of 2 Cor 4:17 says,

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;"

The Greek word translated as "affliction" is θλίψις (thlipsis) meaning pressure and is more often translated as "tribulation"It comes from a word that means to crowd.

It seems to me that this verse says affliction/tribulation/pressure is on our side! It works FOR us! It works toward getting/obtaining/acheiving the result of Glory! This Glory is the Hope of every saint, Paul says so in Romans 5:2,

"through whom (Jesus) also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

That is, the Hope of being like Him when we are either Changed or Resurrected at His coming. We cannot reach or obtain that condition then without experiencing affliction or tribulation or suffering. So what is said in Acts 14:22 is true then,

"And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 22strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."

There is one other verse where both katergazomai and thlipsis appear together: Romans 5:3,

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation(<--thlipsis) produces(<--katergazomai) perseverance;" (NKJV)

In this verse it is apparent that tribulation/affliction works for us by producing perseverance (KJV=patience) which Jesus says in Luke 21:19 we "possess/win/aquire our souls" with!

Hebrews 10:36 says,

"For you have need of endurance(same as "perseverance" above), so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:"

The Promise being the Salvation of your soul.

Having started looking at a verse that says affliction/tribulation works FOR us, we have moved on to see that it only really works FOR us if it results in patience/endurance/perseverance on our part.

Hebrews 12:11 says,

"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

If you don't accept that God uses affliction or tribulation to chasten and discipline His kids then you will utterly disregard the link I am making here between suffering affliction and being trained by God. My thought here is that you are only really trained by it if you bear it patiently (thus producing Peace!).

I would like to finish with one more verse, this time from Philippians 2:12,

"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out(<--katergazomai) your own salvation with fear and trembling;"

Here Paul clearly says, "work for the result of your Salvation!" "work at getting Salvation!" "work at acheiving the end of your Faith - the Salvation of your Souls!" (See 1 Peter 1:9)


When we suffer affliction may we share it all with the Lord who is our Rock, Refuge, Strong Tower, Sanctuary, Shade, Comforter and many many more things beside and allow him to nurse us and give us Peace. Amen.