What is lacking in Christ's afflictions?
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C
Hello
I'd appreciate if someone could explain to me the meaning of 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"
Thanks
I'd appreciate if someone could explain to me the meaning of 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"
Thanks
So, I would say that Paul is expressing his willingness to suffer as Christ did in order to minister to and disciple the church.
Hello
I'd appreciate if someone could explain to me the meaning of 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"
Thanks
I'd appreciate if someone could explain to me the meaning of 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"
Thanks
As Christ has suffered for us in His sacrifice, so when He calls on a member to suffer for Him, it is His suffering also. Until that day, when we see Him with these eyes, and when we know even as we have been know, the body still suffers His afflictions.
S
Hello
I'd appreciate if someone could explain to me the meaning of 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"
Thanks
I'd appreciate if someone could explain to me the meaning of 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"
Thanks
This in no way should be interpreted as a lack of completeness in the finished work at calvary, but rather a depiction of the union that is shared between Christ and His people. The church has already been redeemed and the sin debt has been paid, however the fulfillment of the afflictions of the Church, which are also the afflictions of Christ,( as we are the body of Christ), have yet to be fulfilled.
The term 'filling up' could also be interpreted as 'fulfilling'. Any suffering for the sake of the gospel, or in another word, persecution, is the 'fulfilling' of what is lacking in Christ's afflictions. Christ suffered, and His people have yet to fill up the total measure of their own sufferings.
Few will be required to endure suffering to the level that Paul did, but it may be interesting to know that in the 20th century alone, more people were persecuted for their faith than at any other time in all of history, and it is reported that 150,000 die each year for their faith. Other Christians are restricted from living out their Christianity in freedom and are severly punished or imprisoned.
We should hope that our own countries have not grown so complacent, that such testing is allowed in order to purge the church of lukewarmness and false brethren.
II Timothy 3:12
... all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution...
Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm still not sure that I understand it.
Can I Just clarify.....
So is Paul saying, that in his own life, by his own suffering he is enduring more and more of the same suffering that Christ suffered, and Paul is now undergoing levels of suffering that he hasn't yet undergone, that Christ has, and he is being 'filled up' with additional suffering, or the suffering that he lacks at that point in time? Or am I way off.....
Can I Just clarify.....
So is Paul saying, that in his own life, by his own suffering he is enduring more and more of the same suffering that Christ suffered, and Paul is now undergoing levels of suffering that he hasn't yet undergone, that Christ has, and he is being 'filled up' with additional suffering, or the suffering that he lacks at that point in time? Or am I way off.....
M
In a way, I see it as Paul taking on the sufferings necessary to start the worldwide church of the gentiles. Most Christians at this point are new believers, and have their blessing and life in Christ because of Paul's sacrifice of necessary suffering to spread the gospel of the Kingdom "for the sake of his body, that is, the church" Paul faced intense persecution and resistance from the Jews of his day, and always seemed to have an uphill battle to get the gospel out and sustained in it's original form. In essence Paul was paying the price to start the Gentile church. This is why I think he said: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake...for the sake of his body, that is, the church"
When you put it all together ""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" it seems to be that Paul is willingly and single-handedly taking on the brunt of the beating, comparing his sufferings to that which the whole church should be suffering, to evangelize and expand the church, so that the rest of the new church can focus on being reinforced and grow in Christ until they are ready to do the same. Since most of the church at this point are new believers, they probably would not be as equipped as Paul who spent around ten years making sense of his encounter with Jesus on the road, or the 12 disciples who spent a lot of time with Jesus, to spread the gospel.
When you put it all together ""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" it seems to be that Paul is willingly and single-handedly taking on the brunt of the beating, comparing his sufferings to that which the whole church should be suffering, to evangelize and expand the church, so that the rest of the new church can focus on being reinforced and grow in Christ until they are ready to do the same. Since most of the church at this point are new believers, they probably would not be as equipped as Paul who spent around ten years making sense of his encounter with Jesus on the road, or the 12 disciples who spent a lot of time with Jesus, to spread the gospel.
S
"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"
Paul's sufferings + The sufferings of the Church = The total of Christ's afflictions
Paul was not the only one in history to suffer for the advancement/creation of the gentile church.
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And even as the cross was before the creation, so the suffering of Christ is eternal, a vital part of He who was and who is and who is to come. And we, as poorly prepared and as of such a poor mind about this, must share in His sufferings. Not something we want to think about. But true nonetheless. And those who are called upon to serve the bride by seeing her become what she must be in that day, they bear a lion's share of this suffering. May we seek those out, and help in some small way to make this more endurable.
In His peace,
In His peace,
And you are correct, that there is nothing in His afflictions which He has not experienced, but as we are still in time, we must fill that which has not been accomplished in this life, that which He has known from the beginning. It could be said that lacking is from our point of view. But can we say that He does not share in whatever we experience? Can we think that He is not sharing all that we feel and all that comes to us, in His great love for us? The mystery of His love for and in us is too great for us to fully understand.
In His peace,
In His peace,
Well, there appear to be 2 different explanations here.
1. What is lacking in Christ's afflictions is evangelism - the spreading of the news and meaning of Christ's afflictions to the world.
2. Paul is undergoing additional suffering such that he is now experiencing more of the afflictions Christ suffered which were lacking in Paul's own life, and by his suffering he is filling himself up with more afflictions.
1. What is lacking in Christ's afflictions is evangelism - the spreading of the news and meaning of Christ's afflictions to the world.
2. Paul is undergoing additional suffering such that he is now experiencing more of the afflictions Christ suffered which were lacking in Paul's own life, and by his suffering he is filling himself up with more afflictions.
I like this explanation by Barnes:
And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ - That which I lack of coming up to the sufferings which Christ endured in the cause of the church. The apostle seems to mean:
(1) that be suffered in the same cause as that for which Christ suffered;
(2) that he endured the same kind of sufferings, to some extent, in reproaches, persecutions, and opposition from the world;
(3) that he had not yet suffered as much as Christ did in this cause, and, though be had suffered greatly, yet there was much that was lacking to make him equal in this respect to the Saviour; and,
(4) that he felt that it was an object to be earnestly desired to be made in all respects just like Christ, and that in his present circumstances he was fast filling up that which was lacking, so that he would have a more complete resemblance to him.
What he says here is based on the leading desire of his soul - the great principle of his life - to be just like Christ; alike in moral character, in suffering, and in destiny; see the notes at Phi_3:10. Having this strong wish, he had been led to pursue a course of life which conducted him through trials strongly resembling those which Christ himself endured; and, as fast as possible, he was filling up that in which he now fell short. He does not mean that there was anything lacking or deficient in the sufferings which Christ endured in making an atonement which was to be supplied by his followers, so that their merits might be added to his in order to secure the salvation of men, as the Romanists seem to suppose; but that there was still much lacking on his part before he should be entirely conformed to the Saviour in his sufferings, and that his present condition was such as rapidly to fill that up. This seems to me to be the fair meaning of this expressions though not the one commonly given. The usual interpretation is, "that which remains to me of affliction to be endured in the cause of Christ." But this seems to me to be cold and tame, and not to suit the genius of Paul.
And fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ - That which I lack of coming up to the sufferings which Christ endured in the cause of the church. The apostle seems to mean:
(1) that be suffered in the same cause as that for which Christ suffered;
(2) that he endured the same kind of sufferings, to some extent, in reproaches, persecutions, and opposition from the world;
(3) that he had not yet suffered as much as Christ did in this cause, and, though be had suffered greatly, yet there was much that was lacking to make him equal in this respect to the Saviour; and,
(4) that he felt that it was an object to be earnestly desired to be made in all respects just like Christ, and that in his present circumstances he was fast filling up that which was lacking, so that he would have a more complete resemblance to him.
What he says here is based on the leading desire of his soul - the great principle of his life - to be just like Christ; alike in moral character, in suffering, and in destiny; see the notes at Phi_3:10. Having this strong wish, he had been led to pursue a course of life which conducted him through trials strongly resembling those which Christ himself endured; and, as fast as possible, he was filling up that in which he now fell short. He does not mean that there was anything lacking or deficient in the sufferings which Christ endured in making an atonement which was to be supplied by his followers, so that their merits might be added to his in order to secure the salvation of men, as the Romanists seem to suppose; but that there was still much lacking on his part before he should be entirely conformed to the Saviour in his sufferings, and that his present condition was such as rapidly to fill that up. This seems to me to be the fair meaning of this expressions though not the one commonly given. The usual interpretation is, "that which remains to me of affliction to be endured in the cause of Christ." But this seems to me to be cold and tame, and not to suit the genius of Paul.
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