Completing the Sufferings of Christ

"For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:5)

"...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death...." (Philippians 3:10)

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange things were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." (1 Peter 4:12-13)

"Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 6:15). "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ's body and individually members of it." (1 Corinthians 12:26-27)

"...always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:10).

"...for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus." (Galatians 6:17)

"Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes." ~Paul (2 Corinthians 11:24)

It is generally believed that Jesus also received this number of lashes from the Romans, and in light of that we should remember that in Hebrew and in the God's Word numbers have great meaning. Forty means complete; thrity-nine then could mean "not complete." I can't find evidence of this right now, but it makes sense to me, and might be true. Please inform me if you know more about this.

"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions." (Colossians 1:24)