Note 8 at 2 Cor. 1:6: The New English Bible approaches this verse by saying that Paul's trials and distresses are the price Paul paid for the Corinthians' consolation and salvation. Paul is simply saying that all the afflictions he had endured were because of his ministry to others. A person who is seeking only personal benefit from salvation will not experience as much persecution as those who seek to convert and help others.

This is because the real motive behind persecution is to silence the one who is the channel of God's conviction. If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that yelps the loudest is the one that was hit. Likewise, the most violent persecutors are the ones who the Lord has convicted (Saul is an example).

This verse further attests that the sufferings to which Paul is referring were persecution-related and were not afflictions, such as sickness, from which we have been redeemed.