Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Corinthians 1:5

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

Abound in us.—Better, overflow to us. The sufferings of Christ, as in 1 Peter 4:13 and 1 Peter 5:1 (the Greek in 1 Peter 1:11 expresses a different thought), are those which He endured on earth.

These are also the sufferings which, in His mysterious union with His Church, are thought of as passing from Him to every member of His body, so 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 to 2 Corinthians 4:10; Philippians 3:10; Colossians 1:24; and 1 Peter 4:13.

The use of the plural, as in “our tribulations” and “overflow to us”, is partly because St. Paul joined Timothy with himself in his salutation.

It is also partly because this is his usual way of speaking of himself unless he needs to distinctly assert his own individuality.

So our consolation also abounds.—Better, as before, overflows. The consolation which has come to him through 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.