2 Corinthians 1:5 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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2 Corinthians 1:5

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But then, the subject changes slightly in this fifth verse – sufferings for Christ. What does the apostle mean by ‘the sufferings of Christ’? He is going to tell us that he had a great trial in Asia, so very serious that he despaired of life and he was rendered utterly helpless. Possibly the Corinthians already know about this. He does not mention it in 1 Corinthians. Perhaps they know about it, but perhaps it has not dawned on them how serious it was. Perhaps it is more recent. Many people think something happened to him in Asia between the writing of 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians which was worse than anything ever described before.Well, of course, we cannot have fellowship in Christ’s sufferings in the sense of sharing his atoning death, that is obvious. He suffered uniquely on Calvary’s cross to bear away the punishment of sin. We depend upon his atoning death for the cleansing of sin and new life and salvation. We cannot share in that. That work is so intense and it is unique to the Son of God. But we can share his sufferings in this sense that because we belong to him and own his name and testify to him, then we receive persecution, disdain, rejection, and so on. And every time we do we are in a sense sharing his suffering. Not his atoning sufferings, but we are sharing the sufferings that come from owning him. Fellowship in the sufferings of Christ. They reject us because they reject him. And that is what the apostle means in verse 5 – ‘As the sufferings of Christ.’ You could say for Christ because we are his. ‘Abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.’Before he comes to the detail, there are some wonderful statements here and they amount to this – as the sufferings abound, so our consolation also aboundeth. Your comfort, if you suffer for Christ, your comforts will at least equal the trial, you may be sure of that. That is what that Scripture says. There is a balance, there is a recompense and it amounts to this – it is impossible for your trials on behalf of Christ to exceed the compensation or the comfort that you receive from God when you call upon him and the ultimate deliverance. They will balance. The comforts indeed will exceed the trial.

Application

Really? What about somebody who is martyred for the faith? Of course, their comfort as they enter into eternal life will vastly exceed the trial. And also the instrumentality will exceed. When at the time of the Reformation in towns everywhere throughout this country, people were martyred and lost their lives for Christ’s sake, it moved the hearts of the people. The witness was twofold. There was a tremendous effect in the lives of onlookers and others as to the genuineness and the depth of Christian testimony and experience. And there was also an abiding testimony on the judgment side to the resistance and fallenness and obduracy of men and women that they could put others to death simply for professing Christ and worshipping him. It is a tremendous testimony. But the comforts will always exceed the trial in life as well as in death.

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2 Corinthians 1:5 Commentary and Bible Study