Skip to content

discipleship

Colossians 1:24-29 Suffering and Perfection in Christ

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]

Read More »Colossians 1:24-29 Suffering and Perfection in Christ

Colossians 1:1-2 Devotional

May 6 – Colossians 1:1-2

GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD

The previous post finished our reading plan from the “Unshakeable” series from Northeast Bible Church. Now, we embark on a new devotional journey. Over the next few weeks, we will look at the book of Colossians. This will still take the form of a devotional with study and application. These devotional posts will focus on what the text is saying and how it can be applied to our current lives. Don’t forget, some texts may have multiple applications. Our current moods and situations may cause us to focus on one more than the other or the Spirit may point something out that we need to hear.

These posts are definitely not meant to be detailed studies on Colossians like you would find in commentaries. You probably won’t find synthetic charts, outlines, deep expositions or detailed discussion on some of the controversial passages (there are many great resources out there for this). But what we will do, is read God’s Word, review the background or context, and look for applications.

However, in this first post, I would like to provide some general information to get us on the same page regarding Colossians. Today, our text will be shorter so we can review the author, purpose, background, time frame, and introductory statements.

We start our study by getting an overview of Colossians, including the place, the time, the author, and the setting, as these will help us better understand the text. Knowing more about the context is helpful in going deeper into the text to understand more about what the author is saying and what the ultimate Author is saying. Thinking through these things will help us in our application of the text and its principles.

Overview:

The Book of Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul about a.d. 60–62, while he was imprisoned in Rome. One purpose was to correct the heresy that had sprung up in the Asian city of Colosse. Paul seems to write as though he had our own society in mind. Even today, new cults claim to be Christian yet deny the deity of Christ and the basic beliefs of Christianity. Many today view Jesus as no more than “a great teacher.” Paul’s patient correction of the Colossian believers should remind us that we need to keep the worship of Jesus Christ central in our churches. But we must remember, some of these “new” beliefs have its source in the occult (though hidden under new names) and in other religions that go all the way back to the beginnings of history with the fall of man.

Pantheism is at the center of the New Age movement and other movements like it. It teaches that “all is God.” But their God is not a personal being; he is an impersonal energy, a force or consciousness. This thinking leads to another idea. Since all is one and all is God, we too are gods. One of the goals of the New Age movement (and maybe the only goal) is to awaken us to the god who sleeps within us, to teach us to live like the gods we are. This type of thinking is reminiscent of Satan’s temptation in the Garden of Eden.

Paul described Jesus with some of the grandest language in all the New Testament, focusing on Christ’s preeminence and sufficiency in all things. Paul presented Christ as the center of the universe, not only as the active Creator but also as the recipient of creation—in His taking on of human flesh.[1] Christ was and is the visible image of the invisible God, containing within Himself the fullness of Deity (Colossians 2:9). Because of His divine nature, Jesus is sovereign, above all things with an authority given Him by the Father (1:15-20). As such, Jesus is also Head over the church. He has reconciled all things to Himself through His death on the cross, making believers alive to God and setting them on the path to right living (1:21-23). By providing a proper view of Christ, it served as the cure for the Colossian heresy as well as a building block for Christian life and doctrine both then and now.

Read More »Colossians 1:1-2 Devotional