Are Christians supposed to suffer? Consider the following scriptures:


  James 1:2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
  
  Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. 
  
  Matthew 5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


I could add more to the list, but the point is probably clear enough in these. In many cases, the Bible seems to expect that not only will Christians suffer, but that we need to be suffering. 

During the NT period Christians were  "stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated." We know it was a time of persecution - but was that merely descriptive and written for them, or is it perspective, meaning that if one is living an authentic Christian life, we should be expecting these things? Is it accurate to suggest that a wealthy Christian living a life of ease is circumventing the prescribed ordered?

In other words, looking at the whole of Scripture* is it accurate to say that a Christian who is not or has not been experiencing trials, persecution, and other sorts of things that can be called "Suffering," is not actually experiencing the Christian life? Specifically, are there other portions of Scripture I am not properly taking into account, or doctrinal perspectives that would be highly resitant to this claim?



*A good answer to this question would reference other Scripture to either support this as a standard "across the Bible" kind of thing, or present Scripture that would seem to be in opposition. Specifically, I am looking to see if this statement is fairly consistent across Scripture, or if, perhaps, I have qutoed these out of context.  I also would like to know what doctrinal perspectives would be resistant to this.
Yes...

A majority of Christian traditions recognize on some level that we will and even must suffer. The author and perfecter of our faith was hung on a tree. As his followers, we can expect pretty much more of the same.


  1 Peter 4:12-14 (ESV)
  12&nbsp; Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13&nbsp; But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14&nbsp; If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.


In fact if you comb through the rest of Scripture you will find a huge amount of material covering not only how to deal with suffering, but more warning to expect it and even detailed analysis of how it helps us.

The view that current suffering is a necessary part of our Christian walk in so far as it is aspect of how we are united with our Savior is particularly emphasized in the Reformed tradition. More generic Evangelicals also tend to hold generally to the idea that suffering is not without purpose but see it as so much of a requirement so much as probability. 

There's a wrong way to do it...

For every truth, there is a perversion. The obvious perversion of a "yes" answer here is the idea of needing to go out and find trouble. Some flog themselves, others stick their necks out on issues that do not further the cause of the Gospel just because they know it will garner a reaction and bring on the suffering. Although I am caricaturizing, these fallacies often require nuanced rebuttals to show how they are bringing trouble on themselves in a way that isn't what Scripture would direct us to even if it promises that trouble will come and is even for our good.

We aren't told to seek suffering for suffering's sake, we're told to seek the Kingdom and how to respond to suffering when it does come.

There are those who say "No"...

A relatively modern movement, but one that has actually popped it's head up a few times before, is the idea of what is sometimes labeled "health and wealth" gospel. They build a case on excerpted passages that God doesn't want his children to suffer and the only reason we do is our own weakness/lack of faith/etc. You generally won't find espousers of this view even acknowledge verses such as the ones in your question at all.