{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-1750","native_reference":{"book_number":540,"chapter_from":1,"chapter_to":1,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":5,"verse_to":5},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Ambrosiaster</b>: It is clear that Christ himself, for whose sake we are suffering, is present with us, consoling us and rescuing us from trouble by his divine intervention.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON PAUL'S EPISTLES</i></p><p><b>Isaac of Nineveh</b>: Now by \"consolation\" he means theoria, which, being interpreted, is vision of soul. Vision gives birth to consolation.<br/><i>— ASCETICAL HOMILIES 74</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also aboundeth through Christ.\" Not to depress the disciples by an aggravated account of his sufferings; he declareth on the other hand that great and superabundant was the consolation also, and lifteth up their heart not hereby alone, but also by putting them in mind of Christ and calling the sufferings \"His,\" and prior to the consolation deriveth a comfort from the very sufferings themselves. For what joy can I have so great as to be partaker with Christ, and for His sake to suffer these things? What consolation can equal this? But not from this source only does he raise the spirits of the afflicted, but from another also. Ask you what other? In that he saith, \"abound:\" for he doth not say, \"As the sufferings of Christ\" are \"in us,\" but as they \"abound,\" thereby declaring that they endure not His sufferings only, but even more than these. For, saith he, \"not whatsoever He suffered, that have we suffered; but even more,\" for, consider, \"Christ was cast out, persecuted, scourged, died,\" but we, saith he, \"more than all this,\" which even of itself were consolation enough. Now let no one condemn this speech of boldness; for he elsewhere saith, \"Now I rejoice in my sufferings, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh.\" Yet neither here nor there is it from boldness or any presumptousness. For as they wrought greater miracles than He according to that saying of His, \"he that believeth on Me shall do greater works than these,\" but all is of Him that worketh in them; so did they suffer also more than He, but all again is of Him that comforteth them, and fitteth them to bear the evils that betide them.</p><p>With which respect Paul aware how great a thing he had said, doth again remarkably restrain it by adding, \"So our comfort also aboundeth through Christ;\" thus at once ascribing all to Him, and proclaiming herein also His loving-kindness; for, he saith not, \"As our affliction, such our consolation;\" but \"far more;\" for, he saith not, \"our comfort is equal to our sufferings,\" but, \"our comfort aboundeth,\" so that the season of struggles was the season also of fresh crowns.<br/><i>— Homily 1 on 2 Corinthians</i></p><p><b>Origen of Alexandria</b>: If as the sufferings of Christ abound so also comfort abounds through Christ, let us welcome the great encouragement of Christ's sufferings and let them abound in us, if we indeed yearn for the abundant comfort with which all who mourn will be comforted, though perhaps it will not be alike for everyone. For if the comfort were alike for everyone, it would not be written, \"As the sufferings of Christ abound for us, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.\" Those who share in sufferings will share also in the comfort in proportion to the suffering they share with Christ. And we learn this from the one who made such statements with unshaken conviction, for \"we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.\"<br/><i>— EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 42</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"b93291aebc280dd420cfc6680fba69d38d4df826bfcc6ed2d75cebf23336375f","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":1750,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"d935404f24440dca061905daf4fb9b91acdb7171998773f99930e526312b0cfd","translator":null,"work":null}