Colossians 1:24-29

24: 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.
25: Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
26: that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,
27: to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28: We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.
29: For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

*** 

Paul said he rejoiced in his sufferings, not because he enjoyed suffering, but because he was doing his share on behalf of the Lord’s body—the church. The church suffers affliction as the body of Christ. Jesus suffered in the flesh while He was here on earth and the church, as His body in the earth today, suffers affliction as well. Paul shared in these to “fill what is lacking” or to endure suffering himself to help alleviate suffering elsewhere in the body.

Paul was made a minister by God to fully preach the Word for the benefit of the church. He gladly did so, suffering as a result of his preaching, so others could hear the gospel and grow up in Christ. The Word he preached was the hidden mystery. It was the message that was hidden for generations, but had been revealed to the saints. The mystery, once again, is that the Gentiles were included in God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 3:4-6). Both Jew and Gentile together form one new man—the body of Christ (Ephesians 2:15).

This is what Paul and others proclaimed. They admonished and taught the saints so all might be complete in Christ. Paul felt the presentation of the church to Jesus Christ at His return was something he and the other apostles were tasked with. Of course, they died prior to the Lord’s return, but He still gives ministry gifts to the church today as we read in Ephesians 4—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These ministers in the body help to equip and build up the saints until we all come into unity and maturity (Ephesians 4:11-13). The church will be presented to the Lord as holy and blameless at His return (Ephesians 1:4, 5:27).

Paul felt strongly enough about the church coming into maturity to rejoice in his sufferings. Ministers, and all saints, today should have the same level of conviction concerning growing up in Christ and becoming the holy, spotless bride of Christ at His return.


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