Colossians 1:24-29 The mystery of Christ and the perfection in Christ
Paul received a stewardship from God to preach this divine Christ (shown in verses 9-18) who had reconciled the world (vv. 19-23). It was Paul’s ministry, but we, too, are responsible to God to preach Christ.
Paul’s enemies used his imprisonment against him. The Colossian false teachers probably ridiculed Paul and used this as a weapon to fight the truth of the Gospel. But Paul being Paul, turned this attack around and used it to defeat his enemies and to build a closer relationship with the Colossian church. Had Paul compromised with his enemies and stopped ministering to the Gentiles, he could have been spared a great deal of suffering. But he could not abandon his calling just for personal safety and comfort. God had made him a minister, he had been given a “stewardship” (dispensation), and he had to be faithful to his calling (1 Cor. 4:2). It was not a matter of choice: he was called to fulfill the Word of God.
Paul’s special message regarding the Gentiles had to do with what he called the mystery. To us today, a mystery is something eerie and perhaps frightening; but this was not the way the word was defined in Paul’s day. The false teachers used this word to describe the inner secrets of their religions. A mystery is a “sacred secret,” hidden in the past and now revealed by the Holy Spirit (see Eph. 3:1–13).
24 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, 25 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, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 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. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (ESV)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Because of what Christ did, we can expect to share in glory. We must rely on Jesus for our salvation, not on works or rules, but solely on Him who saved us by grace through faith.
- We are servants of God called to do His will, whether in good times or bad times.
- Knowing the truth about the power of the gospel and the person of Christ is the believer’s best protection against deception.
CLOSER LOOK:
Verse 24: Paul was rejoicing in this suffering because he was counted worthy to suffer for Christ. Also, Paul was the chosen apostle to the Gentiles and is now suffering because of them. This reconciliation by Christ of Jews and Gentiles to God in one body is a mystery revealed only in Christ. Paul rejoiced that he was able to suffer for them what was still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions. It is important to note, however, that these sufferings had nothing to do with the sacrificial sufferings of Christ on the cross. Only Jesus could die for the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). Paul is not saying that Christ’s death on the cross was insufficient (2:11-15; cf. Rom. 3:21–26; Heb. 10:10–14) or that he was a co-redeemer with Christ. He was speaking not of salvation but of service. Christ’s suffering alone procures salvation (1 Pet 1:11; 5:1; Heb. 2:9). But it is a believer’s privilege to suffer for Christ (2 Tim. 3:11; 1 Pet 3:13–14; 5:9; Heb. 10:32). The word “affliction” (thlipsis) means “distress,” “pressure,” or “trouble” (remember, Paul had plenty of trouble; 2 Cor. 11:23–29).[1] Generally, it refers to trials in life, not the pains of death. Christ does indeed continue to suffer when Christians suffer for Him. He asked Saul (later called Paul) on the Damascus Road, “Why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:4) Since the church is Christ’s body, He is affected when it is affected. For the sake of Christ’s body, Paul willingly suffered (Phil. 1:29).[2]
So, Paul is making the point that a Christian will endure the sufferings that Christ would be enduring if He were still in the world (2 Cor 1:5; 4:11). Christ had told His disciples that if the world hated Him it would hate His followers. If people persecuted Him, they would persecute His followers (Jn 15:19-20). Paul believed he was suffering the afflictions God wanted him to endure. Instead of facing his difficulties with dread, Paul saw his troubles as a time of joy (Rom 8:17; Phil 1:29; 1 Thess 1:6; 2:2; 3:3-5; 2 Tim 3:12), because they were producing an eternal reward (2 Cor 4:17).
Verses 25–26: When Paul says, “I became a minister,” it means to become a servant. Paul’s appointment made him a minister of the gospel (Eph 3:7; Col 1:23), a minister of God (2 Cor 6:4), a minister of Christ (1 Cor 4:1), and a minister of the New Covenant (2 Cor 3:6). He was a God-ordained servant to make “the Word of God fully known” (cf. 1:9; 2:9). God’s purpose was Paul’s purpose, and God’s Word was Paul’s message. Therefore, Paul’s message was pure and uncorrupted by false teaching (Rom 15:19; 2 Tim 4:2). The Colossian heresy boasted of a “fullness” of knowledge possible only through their mystical experience.
Stewardship means Divine ordering (GK. oikonomia), administration, or trusteeship. This was Paul’s high privilege and sacred trust. Paul was a steward in God’s economy; a trustee in God’s household; and an administrator of God’s business. Paul was on business for the King. “Given…for you,” means it was given to Paul, not usurped; and was for their benefit and blessing.
But Paul declared that the fullness of “the mystery” is found only in Christ. The “mystery” referred to in these verses is similar to the mystery spoken of in Ephesians 3:8-10. In Greek pagan religions, a mystery was a secret teaching reserved for a few spiritual teachers who had been initiated into an inner circle.[3] By “mystery” Paul meant something once concealed but then revealed, which is contrasted with the Colossian heretics’ notion of a secret teaching known only to an exclusive group and unknown to the masses. The church was unknown in the Old Testament because it had been kept “hidden for ages and generations.” Paul said it is only now revealed (disclosed) by God to the saints. The Lord had revealed this mystery to Paul and called him a steward of it. Since the church is Christ’s body, resulting from His death on the cross, it could not possibly have been in existence in the Old Testament. Indeed, Jesus, when on earth, said it was yet future (Matt. 16:16–18). Since the church is Christ’s body, welded together by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13), the church’s birthday occurred when this baptism took place (Acts 1:5; 2). Soon Saul recognized that this mysterious body of Christ, the church, was in existence and that he was persecuting it (Acts 9:4; cf. Gal. 1:13).
Imagine what this message meant to the Gentiles. They were no longer excluded from the glory and riches of God’s grace! The “mystery” of the church, however, does not mean that Gentile salvation and blessing were unforeseen before Christ (cf. Luke 2:29–32; Amos 9:11–12). The mystery was not that Gentiles would be saved but how they could be “fellow-heirs” (Eph. 3:6), on the same level with Jews, with no middle wall of partition between them (Eph. 2:12–14). In the Old Testament Gentiles who believed and became a part of Judaism were still considered lower than Jews. This special union in which there “is neither Jew nor Greek” (i.e., Gentile, Gal. 3:28) was nonexistent before Christ died and the Spirit descended to baptize all believers into this new body.
Verse 27: God has chosen to make known this mystery to New Testament saints. He willed in His sovereign mercy to reveal His eternal purpose with all its glorious riches (i.e., divine effulgence or blazing splendor). The amazing thing is that this is now revealed among the Gentiles, whereas previously God’s special revelation was to the Jews (Rom. 2:17; 3:1–2; 9:4). Now those “who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:13). Those “without hope and without God” (Eph. 2:12) have been given a glorious hope which is Christ in you. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” lines up with Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 3:6, where Paul states that the mystery is the union of Jews and Gentiles in one body, Christ’s church. Because of “the glorious riches” (literally “the riches of the glory”), believers are indwelt by Christ, “the hope of glory.” They are thus “in Christ” (2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:4), and Christ is in them (cf. Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 13:5). Because of Christ, believers look forward to sharing His glory (Col. 3:4; Rom. 5:2; 8:18, 30; 2 Cor. 4:17; Gal. 5:5; 1 Peter 5:10; also cf. Rom. 8:24).
Verses 28–29: Paul not only preached (meaning “to announce with authority as a herald”), but he also warned. While it is good to proclaim positive truth, it is also necessary to warn God’s people against the lies of the enemy (Acts 20:31). In fact, Christians should be alert to warn one another. Paul considered himself a spiritual father to the local churches, and it was his duty to warn his children (1 Cor. 4:14). Paul, in proclaiming this Christ who now also dwells in Gentile believers was “warning everyone (also translated as admonishing [nouthetountes][4] and teaching (didaskontes)[5] everyone (3:16). No doubt he did this warning, counseling, and instructing because of the false teaching about Christ in Colosse. He did so wisely (cf. 4:5–6) since his purpose was not to drive them into the hands of the heretics but to present everyone mature (teleion)[6] in Christ. The concept of perfection in the NT means completeness or maturity. Paul was interested in believers not remaining spiritual babies (cf. 1 Cor. 3:1–2) but in becoming spiritually mature (cf. Heb. 5:11–14). Elsewhere Paul prayed for complete sanctification of believers (1 Thes. 5:23). Paul preached the “fullness” of the gospel so that believers could have the fullness of life Jesus promised (John 10:10). This is a great discipling verse. Paul was not content to see people saved and born again. He took the responsibility of leading them on to maturity. He moved them from infancy to highly-skilled experts. Spiritual babies have great potential, but they became a serious drain on the church and a source of untold problems if they remain in the nursery forever. The reference here is probably to the coming of Christ when every believer will experience the completion of Christ’s work in him or her (1 Cor 13:10). Nonetheless, we all should strive to grow in maturity and helping others grow closer to God as well.
To this end, Paul expended all his God-given strength. Developing maturity in believers took great labor (kopiō)[7] or wearisome toil (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10, 58; Gal. 4:11; 1 Thes. 1:3) and even struggling (agōnizomenos; cf. Col. 2:1; 4:12)[8] or agonizing like an athlete in an arena (cf. 1 Cor. 9:25; 1 Tim. 6:12). Paul toiled and struggled for the perfection of his fellow believers, not in his own strength but by the power of God working in him.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 674. Geisler points out that the word affliction is never used in the NT of Christ’s death.
[2] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 674.
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1564.
[4] Strong’s 3560; BDAG “to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct, admonish, warn, instruct.” Counseling.
[5] Instructing. Strong’s 1321. BDAG “to tell someone what to do, tell, instruct.”
[6] “perfect”; cf. James 1:4. Strong’s 5046. BDAG “to meeting the highest standard,” also “perfect, complete, expert.”
[7] Strong’s 2872. BDAG “to exert oneself physically, mentally, or spiritually, work hard, toil, strive, struggle.”
[8] Strong’s 75; BDAG “of a(n athletic) contest, lit. and fig. engage in a contest” and “to fight, struggle”