The sufferings of the Christ 1/2

2 Corinthians 1:5
For as the sufferings¹ of Christ² abound³ in us,
so our consolation⁴ also aboundeth³ by Christ².

¹) Hardship or pain
²) The anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ
³) The Greek word used here means: to superabound, to be in excess, to be superfluous; and can also mean to cause to superabound or to cause to excel.
⁴) Comfort, imploration, hortation, solace

Other translations

New International Version
For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.

New Living Translation
For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ.

English Standard Version
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

Berean Study Bible
For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Berean Literal Bible
because as the sufferings of the Christ abound toward us, so through Christ our comfort also abounds.

New King James Version
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

New American Standard Bible
For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

Study

For ☆ ὅτι (hoti) ☆ Conjunction ☆ Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.
just as ☆ καθὼς (kathōs) ☆ Adverb ☆ According to the manner in which, in the degree that, just as, as. From kata and hos; just as, that.

The sufferings of Christ

“The sufferings of Christ” doesn’t mean things suffered for Christ’s sake, but Christ’s own sufferings as they are shared by His disciples. See Matthew 20:22;  Philippians 3:10;  Colossians 1:24;  1 Peter 4:13.
Note also the peculiar phrase abound (περισσεύει) in us, by which Christ’s sufferings are represented as overflowing upon His followers. (See Colossians 1:24).

By “the sufferings of Christ” are also 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.

The sufferings of Christ, as in 1 Peter 4:13 “but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation“, and  1 Peter 5:1 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed“, (the Greek in 1 Peter 1:11 expresses a different thought), are those which He endured on earth; those which, in His mysterious union with His Church, are thought as passing from Him to every member of His body, that they too may drink of the cup that He drank of.

For the thought that in our sufferings, of whatever nature, we share Christ’s sufferings (compare 2 Corinthians 4:10;  Philippians 3:10;  Colossians 1:24;  1 Peter 4:13).

The use of the plural, “our tribulations,” “overflow to us,” is dependent partly on the fact that Paul has joined Timotheus with himself in his salutation, and partly on the fact that it is his usual way of speaking of himself unless he has distinctly to assert his own individuality.

The ☆ τὰ (ta) ☆ Article – Nominative Neuter Plural ☆ The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Sufferings

“Sufferings” stands in contrast here with “salvation” (2 Corinthians 1:6); as “tribulation” (distress of mind), stands in contrast with “comfort” or “consolation.”

Sufferings ☆ παθήματα (pathēmata) ☆ Noun – Nominative Neuter Plural ☆ From a presumed derivative of pathos; something undergone, i.e. Hardship or pain; subjectively, an emotion or influence.

Of Christ

Compare this with Colossians 1:24.
The sufferings endured, whether by Himself, or by His Church, with which He considers Himself identified (Matthew 25:40, 45; Acts 9:4; 1 John 4:17-21).

Christ calls His people’s sufferings His own suffering:

1. Because of the sympathy and mystical union between Him and us (Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 4:10);
2. Because they are borne for His sake;
3. Because they tend to His glory (Ephesians 4:1; 1 Peter 4:14, 16).

Of Christ ☆ Χριστοῦ (Christou) ☆ Noun – Genitive Masculine Singular ☆ Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

Abound in us

Abound in us, as written in some translations, would in my opinion better be interpreted as: overflow to us. 

The order of the Greek following words is more forcible than in the 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.

Overflow ☆ περισσεύει (perisseuei) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular ☆ From perissos; to superabound, be in excess, be superfluous; also to cause to superabound or excel.
To ☆ εἰς (eis) ☆ Preposition ☆ A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.
Us ☆ ἡμᾶς (hēmas) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Accusative 1st Person Plural ☆ I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

So our consolation also aboundeth.

Our consolation abounds through the Christ means,

• either that consolation which they 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.

Again, a better interpretation of the Greek would in my opinion be overflows
The consolation which has come to Him through the Christ, as the channel through Whom it flows down from the Father, has, like the suffering, an expansive power, and pours itself out on others.

So ☆ οὕτως (houtōs) ☆ Adverb ☆ Thus, so, in this manner. Or (referring to what precedes or follows).
Also ☆ καὶ (kai) ☆ Conjunction ☆ And, even, also, namely.
Through ☆ διὰ (dia) ☆ Preposition ☆ A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.
Christ ☆ Χριστοῦ (Christou) ☆ Noun – Genitive Masculine Singular ☆ Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.
Our ☆ ἡμῶν (hēmōn) ☆ Personal / Possessive Pronoun – Genitive 1st Person Plural ☆ I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.
Comfort ☆ παράκλησις (paraklēsis) ☆ Noun – Nominative Feminine Singular ☆ From parakaleo; imploration, hortation, solace.
Overflows ☆ περισσεύει (perisseuei) ☆ Verb – Present Indicative Active – 3rd Person Singular ☆ From perissos; to superabound, be in excess, be superfluous; also to cause to superabound or excel

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