Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake . . .
Rejoicing in suffering. What a concept. What a counter-cultural, upside-down, foolish-in-the-eyes-of-the-world notion. And yet, what a thoroughly biblical response to the trials and pain Christians face in this fallen world. Being a Christian doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer. Quite to the contrary, it means that in some ways we will feel the pain of this fallen world more sharply. We follow a crucified Lord who said, “‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you”, and John later wrote, “Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.[1]
Besides the hatred of the enemies of Christ, there are all the manners of suffering that come with living in a world broken by the fall. Paul tells us elsewhere that our “light and momentary” earthly suffering is preparing us for heaven, and that God uses all things for our good.[2] James tells us that our trials are for our sanctification, and Peter tells us that our trials are necessary to prove our faith genuine.[3] So, yes, there are many reasons for suffering, and knowing that our hopes are anchored in Christ and not the world, we can rejoice.
Filling Up What is Lacking
But when in Colossians 1:24 Paul writes that he not only rejoices in his sufferings but that he is “filling up in his flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions,” that’s downright baffling.
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church —Colossians 1:24
Keep in mind the context that we’ve been studying for the past few weeks. In verse 18 Paul introduced the relationship of Christ to the church as a head to a body. We the church are the body and Christ is our head, and through this spiritual connection his life flows into us by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, pains felt in the body are felt in the head; our Lord is not insensitive to our suffering. Paul knew this from the moment Christ confronted him on the road to Damascus. Paul (then called Saul) was on his way to arrest Christians, but the Lord made it clear that he felt every bit of his followers’ afflictions: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” . . . “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”.[4] When speaking of the final judgment and the distinction between the “sheep and the goats,” Jesus revealed that he identifies so closely with his people that what is done (or not done) to and for them is done (or not) to and for him.[5] The afflictions of the church are Christ’s afflictions. He not only suffered for us on the cross, but he suffers with his church even now.
But what is lacking? From Richard Phillips’ commentary:
Just as God ordained the atoning sufferings of Christ for our forgiveness, he also ordained the sufferings of Christ’s church in his gospel plan for the world. G. K. Beale explains, “This does not mean that Christ’s unique atoning sufferings were incomplete or inadequate but that the general, imitative sufferings of Christ [by his church] were incomplete.” Thus, by speaking of what is still lacking in Christ’s afflictions, Paul means that his church has yet much more to suffer. What the world has yet to witness are the full sufferings of a church that carries the message of the cross into the world, thus confirming the truth of Christ’s passion.[6]
Paul knows that “the church Is ordained to an appointed measure of affliction” and he “sees his trials as relieving others by what he suffers and as bringing Christ’s return that much closer.” [7] So by “filling up what is lacking,” he is receiving afflictions upon himself in order to spare the rest of the church. Paul is following his Savior in a sacrificial and costly service for the gospel. Because his ministry benefits the church in tangible and spiritual ways, he rejoices.
Stewardship Revealing the Mystery
Paul next clarifies what exactly his ministry to the church is.
. . . the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. —Colossians 1:25–27
Paul is a steward, serving his master, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his ministry is “to make the word of God” clearly understood in its meaning and application in the minds, hearts, and lives of the saints. This involves not only the Scriptures of the New Testament, explaining where needed the meaning of the gospel accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus, but also revealing the threads of the gospel woven throughout the Old Testament. This is what he means by “the mystery hidden for ages and generations” which has now been “revealed to his saints” (1:26). As Jesus explained to his confused and grieving disciples on the road to Emmaus, all Moses and all the Prophets and all the Scriptures (meaning the entire Old Testament) spoke of him.[8] But what was written of Jesus in the Scriptures for ages and generations was hidden in mystery (1:26). They could see glimpses of the promised Messiah, and those glimpses were enough to feed their grace-given, genuine faith.[9] And those glimpses included an aspect of the church that was Paul’s particular niche—the inclusion of Gentiles into the body of Christ (1:27).
While there were glimpses of this in the Scriptures,[10] the commandments of God that his people remain distinct from the pagan nations around them and not to mingle or intermarry with them carried severe penalties.[11] And yet when God called Abraham, included in his pronouncement of blessing upon his family is the blessing of all the nations through him.[12] This blessing looked forward to the undoing of the separation curse upon Babel, which began in the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and will be fulfilled ultimately before the throne of God in heaven.[13] That the God of Israel would become the God of every nation was mind-blowing to faithful Jews who’d dedicated themselves to a life separated from outsiders in pursuing purity of worship. Peter struggled with the concept even after God made it abundantly clear to him.[14] But that God would choose one of the purest of those Jews to reveal the glory of Christ in the inclusion of those outsiders was his pièce de resistance.[15] We might even say, “Oh, that’s rich!” And we’d be right. In fact, it is “the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:27).
Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. —Colossians 1:28–29
The only hope of glory, the richest hope of glory, is Christ. And so Paul proclaims him and only him, serving his Master by “warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,” toiling and struggling, that he might “present everyone mature in Christ” (1:28). This is the role not only of Paul, but it is the role handed down by the Lord to all the men he calls to shepherd his flock.[16] Our pastors are called to preach to us the truth, to encourage and exhort us, holding out to us our Lord Jesus Christ as he is revealed to us in the Scriptures. Their ministry is not to be simply “inspirational messages,” but inspired by and held to the standard of the living and active Word of God.[17] Christ is our only hope for salvation, and growing in Christ is the lifetime work of every believer, enabled by the indwelling Holy Spirit.[18] And it is the Holy Spirit who empowered Paul to continue his striving in ministry (1:29), even in the midst of his suffering (1:24). Which brings us right back around to the beginning of our passage, and the rejoicing of Paul, because of the benefits of his suffering to the church, and the glory of Christ revealed by God to the church through his ministry.
And so, dear believer, I pray that knowing the riches and glory of Christ in you, as revealed in his Word, brings you joy today and every day, in whatever circumstance you find yourself.
[1] John 15:20; 1 John 3:13
[2] 2 Cor. 4:14–18; Rom. 8:28
[3] James 1:2–4; 1 Pet. 1:8
[4] Acts 9:4–5
[5] Matt. 25:40 & 45
[6] Richard Phillips, Colossians & Philemon, Reformed Expository Commentary (P&R: Phillipsburg, NJ, 2024), 107–108.
[7] Phillips, Ibid. See also Revelation 6:11 where the martyrs of the church are told the final judgment won’t come until the complete number of their brothers and sisters have also been killed, and the vision of spiritual warfare in Rev. 12 where the church (the “woman”) and believers in Christ (“her offspring) will suffer for the sake of their Savior until he returns (verses 13 & 17).
[8] (Luke 24:25–27)
[9] Rom. 4:3; Heb. 11:1–2
[10] Believing Egyptians joining the exodus (Ex. 12:38), Rahab the prostitute from Jericho, Ruth the Moabitess
[11] Num. 25; Neh. 13:23–27
[12] Gen. 12:1–2
[13] Gen, 11:7–9; Acts 2:5–11, 38–41; Rev. 7:9–10. For a fuller treatment of this theme in Scripture, I’m indebted to Christopher Ash and his book, Remaking a Broken World: The Heart of the Bible Story (UK: The Good Book Company, 2010, rev. 2019)
[14] Acts 10; Gal. 2:11–14
[15] Phil. 3:4–6
[16] Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11–15; 2 Tim. 4:1–5
[17] Rom. 6:17; 1 Pet. 1:23–25; Heb. 4:12
[18] Phil.1:6; 2:12–13
*Photo by Marlys Stahl
Grateful 