For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound.

“"For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ." Not to depress the disciples by an aggravated account of his sufferings; he declareth on the other hand that great and superabundant was the consolation also, and lifteth up their heart not hereby alone, but also by putting them in mind of Christ and calling the sufferings "His," and prior to the consolation deriveth a comfort from the very sufferings themselves. For what joy can I have so great as to be partaker with Christ, and for His sake to suffer these things? What consolation can equal this? But not from this source only does he raise the spirits of the afflicted, but from another also. Ask you what other? In that he saith, "abound:" for he doth not say, "As the sufferings of Christ" are "in us," but as they "abound," thereby declaring that they endure not His sufferings only, but even more than these. For, saith he, "not whatsoever He suffered, that have we suffered; but even more," for, consider, "Christ was cast out, persecuted, scourged, died," but we, saith he, "more than all this," which even of itself were consolation enough. Now let no one condemn this speech of boldness; for he elsewhere saith, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh." Yet neither here nor there is it from boldness or any presumptousness. For as they wrought greater miracles than He according to that saying of His, "he that believeth on Me shall do greater works than these," but all is of Him that worketh in them; so did they suffer also more than He, but all again is of Him that comforteth them, and fitteth them to bear the evils that betide them. With which respect Paul aware how great a thing he had said, doth again remarkably restrain it by adding, "So our comfort also aboundeth through Christ;" thus at once ascribing all to Him, and proclaiming herein also His loving-kindness; for, he saith not, "As our affliction, such our consolation;" but "far more;" for, he saith not, "our comfort is equal to our sufferings," but, "our comfort aboundeth," so that the season of struggles was the season also of fresh crowns.”

“Here begins the epistle, in which the Apostle does two things. For first he excuses himself for not having gone to them, as he had promised; second, he pursues his intention, in chapter 3, where he says "we begin again," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets down his excuse for the delay; second he assigns the cause of the delay, in the second chapter, where he says "but I determined," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he renders them well disposed; second he sets forth his excuse, where he says "and with this confidence," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he wins their goodwill by relating certain things in general; second, certain things in particular, where he says "for not," etc. Now the Apostle wins their goodwill by showing that whatever he does, he does it all for their benefit. And concerning this he does two things. First he sets forth beforehand the benefit that comes to others from him; second he assigns the reason for these things, where he says "for as they abound," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First the act of thanksgiving is set down; second the manner of the thanksgiving, where he says "who comforts," etc.; third the cause, where he says "that we also may be able to comfort." He gives thanks, therefore, to the whole Trinity, from whom every good comes. And so he says "blessed be God," that is, the whole Trinity. Likewise to the person of the Father, when he says "and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ," through whom, namely Christ, the Father has given us all things. But it should be known that we bless God, and God blesses us, but in different ways. For God's speaking is his doing. Ps. 32:9: "He spoke, and they were made." Hence God's blessing is to do good and to pour in good, and thus it has the character of causality. Gen. 1:28, and 22:17: "Blessing I will bless you," etc. But our speaking is not causal, but recognitive or expressive. Hence our blessing is the same as recognizing the good. When therefore we give thanks to God, we bless him, that is, we recognize him as good and as the giver of all goods. Tob. 12:6: "Bless the God of heaven," etc. Dan. 3:57: "Bless, all ye works," etc. Rightly, therefore, he gives thanks to the Father, because he is merciful, hence he says "Father of mercies," and because he is a comforter, hence he says "and God of all comfort." And he gives thanks for two things, of which men have the greatest need. For first they need evils to be taken away from them, and this mercy does, which takes away misery; and to have mercy is proper to a father. Ps. 102:13: "As a father has mercy on his children," etc. Second they need to be sustained in the evils that come upon them. And this is properly to be comforted, because unless a man had something in which his heart might rest, when evils came upon him, he would not endure. Then, therefore, someone comforts another, when he brings him some refreshment, in which he may rest amid evils. And although in some evils a man can be comforted and rest and be sustained by something, still God alone is he who comforts us in all evils. And therefore he says "God of all comfort"; because if you sin, God comforts you, because he himself is merciful. If you are afflicted, he comforts you, either by rescuing you from the affliction through his power, or by judging through his justice. If you labor, he comforts you by rewarding, Gen. 15:1: "I am your reward," etc. And therefore it is said, Matth. 5:5: "Blessed are they that mourn," etc. But he adds the matter of the thanksgiving, saying "who comforts," etc. As if he were to say: therefore blessed, because he comforts us in all tribulation. Below, 7:6: "who comforts," etc. But he sets down the cause of this, when he says "that we also may be able to comfort." Here it should be noted that there is an order in the divine gifts. For God gives special gifts to some for this purpose, that they may pour them out for the benefit of others. For he does not give light to the sun, that it may shine for itself alone, but for the whole world. Hence he wills that from all our goods, whether they be riches, or power, or knowledge, or wisdom, some benefit should accrue to others. 1 Pet. 4:10: "As every man has received grace," etc. This, therefore, is what the Apostle says: "he comforts us in all tribulation." But why? Not that this alone should be for our good, but also that it may benefit others. Hence he says "that we also may be able to comfort them," etc. For we can comfort others by the example of our own comfort. For he who has not been comforted does not know how to comfort. Ecclus. 34:11: "He who has not been tempted, what does he know?" "Who are in all" - that is, in whatever distress. Is. 61:1f.: "The spirit of the Lord has sent me," etc., "that I might comfort all who mourn," etc.; Ecclus. 48:27: "he comforted them that mourn," etc. We can, I say, comfort by exhortation to the endurance of sufferings, promising eternal rewards, by which, namely, we exhort you through the Scriptures and interior inspirations, that we may patiently endure, and exhort others by our example, and through the Scriptures themselves. 1 Cor. 11:23: "For I have received of the Lord," etc. Is. 21:10: "What I have heard from the Lord," etc. Having set down the benefit that comes from the apostles to others, he consequently assigns the reason for what has been said, saying "for as they abound," etc. And because he had said two things, namely that God comforts us in all tribulation, and that we also may, etc., here he explains the reason for these two things, and first he shows how God comforts us in all tribulation; second, how our comfort is turned into the comfort of others, where he says "but whether we are in tribulation," etc. He says, therefore: rightly I say that he comforts us in all our tribulation, because according as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, etc. He says "of Christ," that is, begun by Christ. Ez. 9:6: "Begin at my sanctuary." For in Christ the sufferings for our sins began, because he himself bore our sins in his body upon the tree, 1 Pet. 2:24, then through the apostles, who said "we are put to death all the day," Ps. 43:22, etc., then through the martyrs, who "were cut asunder, were tempted," etc., Heb. 11:37; lastly the sinners themselves will patiently bear the wrath of the Lord for their own sins, because they have sinned against him. Or, "sufferings of Christ," that is, those which we endure on account of Christ: Acts 5:41: "the apostles went rejoicing," etc. And Ps. 43:22: "For your sake we are put to death," etc. As, I say, sufferings of this kind abound, so through Christ our comfort abounds. Ps. 93:19: "According to the multitude of my sorrows," etc.”

“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our con - solation also aboundeth in Christ 44 The sufferings of Christ ” are, (1.) as S. Ambrose takes it, those which we suffer for Christ; (2.) such as Christ suffered ; (3.) those which Christ regards as His own, in accordance with S. Matt xxv. 40 and Acts ix. 4, as (Ecumenius understands the words. Theophylact adds that the word 44 abound ” is used to point to the fact that Christ suffered more in His members than in Himself. This is true by way of extension, but not in the way of intension. In S. Laurence Christ suffered the fire, in S. Stephen the stones, in Ignatius the wild beasts ; but His suffering and sorrow in Himself were greater and more intense than what all these suffered. The meaning, therefore, is this, according to Theophylact : Do not be downcast whoever of you suffers from afflictions and various ills, because, however great your sufferings may be, so great is your consolation. But here observe, (1.) as Theophylact does, that S. Paul does not merely say that the comfort equals the sufferings, but that it abounds and is greater than they are; and, therefore, whoever is afflicted may bear his troubles patiently, nay, joyfully and gladly, and so may gain the victory over them. (2.) The sufferings of Christ have this characteristic, that Christ gives consolation in proportion to them, and the greater the suffering the greater the comfort On the other hand the sufferings of the world are vinegar without honey, and as they increase, so do desolation and mourning and woe. (3.) It follows from this that the suffering of the Cross is not to be fled DEUS CONSOLATOR 5 from but embraced, as the mother of so much Divine comfort and joy. So S. Andrew, Ignatius, Xavier embraced it, and prayed daily for the Cross, and would not be set free from it unless God would give them a heavier one”

“For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us,.... By "the sufferings of Christ" are not meant those which he suffered in his own person for the sake, and in the room and stead of his people, the fruits and effects of which abound to them, and in them; but those which he suffers in his members, or which they suffer for his sake; and which are said to "abound in" them, because of the variety and greatness of them; though not as if they were more or greater than what Christ suffered in his soul and body, when he was made sin and a curse for his people: yet notwithstanding the abundance of them, such is the goodness and grace of God, that he proportions comforts to them; as their afflictions increase, so do their comforts; as their sufferings for the sake of Christ, and his Gospel, are more and greater, so, says he, our consolation aboundeth by Christ: meaning, either that consolation which they felt and enjoyed in their own souls, under all their tribulations, which abundantly answered to them, and which they ascribe to Christ, from and by whom it comes to them; or else that consolation, which, by preaching Christ, abounded to the relief of others who were in distress and trouble.”

“The sufferings of Christ - Suffering endured for the cause of Christ: such as persecutions, hardships, and privations of different kinds. Our consolation also aboundeth - We stood as well, as firmly, and as easily, in the heaviest trial, as in the lightest; because the consolation was always proportioned to the trial and difficulty. Hence we learn, that he who is upheld in a slight trial need not fear a great one; for if he be faithful, his consolation shall abound, as his sufferings abound. Is it not as easy for a man to lift one hundred pounds' weight, as it is for an infant to lift a few ounces? The proportion of strength destroys the comparative difficulty.”

“St. Paul here styles his own sufferings, the suffering of Christ, to shew that Christ takes part, and suffers in all his members. (St. Chrysostom) — Though it is generally understood to signify the sufferings undergone for Christ. (Estius) — If we consider the very intimate union that exists between Jesus Christ, who is the head, and every one of the living members of his body, that is, the Church, that whatever any one suffers, for the cause of truth, Christ is said to suffer, as the Lord said to Saul, why persecutest thou me? and that whatever is given to any indigent brother in the name of a disciple, Christ receives as given to himself, can we want any further proof of the excellence and power of good works, which begin and terminate in charity? (Haydock)”

“sufferings--standing in contrast with "salvation" (Co2 1:6); as "tribulation" (distress of mind), with comfort or "consolation." of Christ--Compare Col 1:24. The sufferings endured, whether by Himself, or by His Church, with which He considers Himself identified (Mat 25:40, Mat 25:45; Act 9:4; Jo1 4:17-21). Christ calls His people's sufferings His own suffering: (1) because of the sympathy and mystical union between Him and us (Rom 8:17; Co1 4:10); (2) They are borne for His sake; (3) They tend to His glory (Eph 4:1; Pe1 4:14, Pe1 4:16). abound in us--Greek, "abound unto us." The order of the Greek following words is more forcible than in English Version, "Even so through Christ aboundeth also our comfort." The sufferings (plural) are many; but the consolation (though singular) swallows up them all. Comfort preponderates in this Epistle above that in the first Epistle, as now by the effect of the latter most of the Corinthians had been much impressed.”