heathen, so that his life was a continued death, or, as he ex- pressed it, he died daily. Besides these external afflictions he was overwhelmed with cares and anxiety for the churches. And as though all this were not enough, he had " a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan," to buffet him. See 11, 24-30, and 12, 1. In the midst of all these trials God not only sus- tained him, but filled him with such a heroic spirit that he actually rejoiced in being thus afflicted. " I take pleasure," he says, " in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in perse- cutions, in distresses for Christ's sake ; for when I am weak, then am I strong," 12, 10. This state of mind can be experi- enced only l)y tliose^vdio are so tilled with the love of Christ, that they r e j oic^ifr*^ very thing, however painful to them- selves, whereby history is pi'bmoted. And where this state of mind exists, no afflictions can equal the consolations by which they are attended, and therefore the apostle adds, that he was enabled to comfort those who were in any kind of affliction by the comfort wherewith he was comforted of God.
5. Tor as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ.
This is a confirmation of what precedes. 'We are able to comfort others, foi' our consolations are equal to our suffer- ings.' The sufferings of Christy do not mean 'sufierings on account of Christ,' which the force of the genitive case does not admit ; nor sufferings which Christ endures in his own members; but such sufferings as Christ suffered, and which his people are called upon to endure in virtue of their union with him and in order to be like him. Our Lord said to his disciples, " Ye shall indeed drink of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism wherewith I am baptized with," Matt. 20, 23. Paul speaks of his felloicsJiip^ or participation in the suffermgs of Christ, Phil. 3, 10; and the apostle Peter calls upon believers to rejoice, inasmuch as they are " par- takers of Christ's sufferings," 1 Peter 4, 24. Comp. Rom. 8, 17. Col. 1, 24. Gal. 6, 17. In many other passages it is taught that believers must share in the sufferings, if they are to be partakers of the glory of Christ. >S'o, i. e. in equal measure, our consolation aboundeth through Christ. As union with Christ was the source of the afflictions which Paul endured, so it was the source of the abundant consolation which he en- joyed. This makes the great difference between the sorrows
II. CORINTHIANS 1, 6.7. f
of believers and those of unbelievers. Alienation from Christ does not secure freedom from suffering, but it cuts us off from the only source of consolation. Therefore the sorrow of the world worketh death.
6, 7, And whether we be afflicted, (it is) for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual to the en- during of the same sufferings which we also suffer : or whether we be comforted, (it is) for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you (is) stedfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so (shall ye be) also of the consolation.
Although the ancient manuscripts differ very much in the order in which the several clauses of these verses are ar- ranged, yet the sense expressed in all is substantially the same. The text adopted by Beza, Griesbach, Kuapp, Meyer, <fec., on the authority of the manuscripts A, C, and several of the ancient versions, reads thus, " Whether we be afiiicted, (it is) for your consolation and salvation ; whether we are comforted, (it is) for your consolation, which is effectual in enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer ; and our hope of you is stedfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the suffering, so also (shall ye be) of the consolation." The reading adopted by Lachmann, Tischendorf, Riickert and oth- ers, differs from the common text in placing the clause oicr hope of you is stedfast, immediately after the first member of the sentence, and before the words, ichether we are com- forted. For this arrangement are the MSS. B, D, E, F, G, I. The reading of Beza gives the text in its simplest and most perspicuous form. In either way the main idea is, ' Whether we be afflicted, it is for your good ; or whether we be com- forted, it is for your good.' All the rest is subordinate. The relation in which the apostle stood to the Corinthians was such that he felt assured that they would share both in his sufferings and in his consolation, and therefore experience the benefit of both. It was not that Paul's constancy in su^ fering set them a good example ; nor simply that Paul suf- fered in behalf of the Gospel, and therefore for the benefit of others ; nor does he mean merely that the experience of the Corinthians would correspond to his, if they were similarly