Colossians 1v24
Colossians 1:24
“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,…”
At first read, this appears to say that Paul somehow completes the works accomplished by the afflictions of Christ. Surely, there is nothing any person can do to contribute to the salvation of the elect, by the Lord. Hanging on the cross, would the Lord Jesus have announced, “it is finished,” were this not the case?
Filling up (#466) – antanaplērŏō “to supplement,” or “fill up”
Lacking (#5303) – hustĕrēma “deficit,” or “poverty”
I don’t think there is a great need to go into the meaning of these words at length, mainly because the meanings of them don’t really shed any new light on the verse. These words mean exactly what they appear to mean. Interestingly, the Greek text, though it reads a bit awkwardly, I think, sheds some light on what this verse might be trying to say.
From the Greek translation of the NT: v.24
“Now I rejoice in the sufferings on behalf of you and I fill up the lacks of the afflictions of the Christ in the flesh of me on behalf of the body of him, who is the assembly…”
Christ’s afflictions aren’t what is lacking! What is lacking is my partaking, as a believer, in those afflictions. When I become a believer, my flesh is “empty” in regards to the sufferings for Christ. As I am slowly sanctified throughout my life, however, my flesh becomes “filled” with the sufferings I’ve endured for the sake of Christ. The only thing lacking in any of this is my suffering on behalf of Christ. As I’ve previously written about, suffering is a part of being a Christian (Philippians 1:29,30; Acts 5:40,41; Romans 8:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4; 1 Peter 2:20; 3:14-17; 1 Peter 4:19; Revelation 2:10). If I’m not suffering sometimes for the sake of Christ, I am no Christian. Suffering comes at the hands of the world, when I oppose their views/values. If I’m never opposing these things, I’m no friend of Christ (1 John 2:15,16)!
Grace in Trials
Father of mercies,
Hear me for Jesus’ sake.
I am sinful even in my closest walk with thee;
it is of thy mercy I died not long ago;
Thy grace has given me faith in the cross
by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me and me to thee,
drawing me by thy great love,
reckoning me as innocent in Christ though guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces,
I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me,
for it is hard to practice what I believe.
Strengthen me against temptations.
My heart is an unexhausted fountain of sin,
a river of corruption since childhood days,
flowing on in every pattern of behavior;
Thou hast disarmed me of the means in which I trusted,
and I have no strength but in thee.
Thou alone canst hold back my evil ways,
but without thy grace to sustain me I fall.
Satan’s darts quickly inflame me,
and the shield that should quench them easily drops from my hand:
Empower me against his wiles and assaults.
Keep me sensible of my weakness,
and of my dependence upon thy strength.
Let every trial teach me more of thy peace, more of thy love.
Thy Holy Spirit is given to increase thy graces,
and I cannot preserve or improve them unless he works continually in me.
May he confirm my trust in thy promised help,
and let me walk humbly in dependence upon thee, for Jesus’ sake.
“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,…”
At first read, this appears to say that Paul somehow completes the works accomplished by the afflictions of Christ. Surely, there is nothing any person can do to contribute to the salvation of the elect, by the Lord. Hanging on the cross, would the Lord Jesus have announced, “it is finished,” were this not the case?
Filling up (#466) – antanaplērŏō “to supplement,” or “fill up”
Lacking (#5303) – hustĕrēma “deficit,” or “poverty”
I don’t think there is a great need to go into the meaning of these words at length, mainly because the meanings of them don’t really shed any new light on the verse. These words mean exactly what they appear to mean. Interestingly, the Greek text, though it reads a bit awkwardly, I think, sheds some light on what this verse might be trying to say.
From the Greek translation of the NT: v.24
“Now I rejoice in the sufferings on behalf of you and I fill up the lacks of the afflictions of the Christ in the flesh of me on behalf of the body of him, who is the assembly…”
Christ’s afflictions aren’t what is lacking! What is lacking is my partaking, as a believer, in those afflictions. When I become a believer, my flesh is “empty” in regards to the sufferings for Christ. As I am slowly sanctified throughout my life, however, my flesh becomes “filled” with the sufferings I’ve endured for the sake of Christ. The only thing lacking in any of this is my suffering on behalf of Christ. As I’ve previously written about, suffering is a part of being a Christian (Philippians 1:29,30; Acts 5:40,41; Romans 8:17; 1 Thessalonians 3:2-4; 1 Peter 2:20; 3:14-17; 1 Peter 4:19; Revelation 2:10). If I’m not suffering sometimes for the sake of Christ, I am no Christian. Suffering comes at the hands of the world, when I oppose their views/values. If I’m never opposing these things, I’m no friend of Christ (1 John 2:15,16)!
Grace in Trials
Father of mercies,
Hear me for Jesus’ sake.
I am sinful even in my closest walk with thee;
it is of thy mercy I died not long ago;
Thy grace has given me faith in the cross
by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me and me to thee,
drawing me by thy great love,
reckoning me as innocent in Christ though guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces,
I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me,
for it is hard to practice what I believe.
Strengthen me against temptations.
My heart is an unexhausted fountain of sin,
a river of corruption since childhood days,
flowing on in every pattern of behavior;
Thou hast disarmed me of the means in which I trusted,
and I have no strength but in thee.
Thou alone canst hold back my evil ways,
but without thy grace to sustain me I fall.
Satan’s darts quickly inflame me,
and the shield that should quench them easily drops from my hand:
Empower me against his wiles and assaults.
Keep me sensible of my weakness,
and of my dependence upon thy strength.
Let every trial teach me more of thy peace, more of thy love.
Thy Holy Spirit is given to increase thy graces,
and I cannot preserve or improve them unless he works continually in me.
May he confirm my trust in thy promised help,
and let me walk humbly in dependence upon thee, for Jesus’ sake.
posted by Frank Bob at 7:40 PM
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