2 Corinthians 1:5 (ASV)

Passage

For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.

Nearby Context

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

2 Corinthians 1:4 who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

2 Corinthians 1:5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:6 But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which worketh in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer:

2 Corinthians 1:7 and our hope for you is stedfast; knowing that, as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so also are ye of the comfort.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sufferings", "christ", "abound", "even", "comfort", "aboundeth", and "through". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sufferings" and "christ", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 4's "who comforteth us in all our affliction..." into verse 6's "But whether we are afflicted it is...", so "sufferings" and "christ" belong inside that flow. In 2 Corinthians context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sufferings" and "christ" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.