Colossians 1:24-29 - Suffering for the Glorious Gospel

Summation and Diagnosis

Let us pray.

I invite you to open your Bibles to Colossians 1:24-29 this morning. Last week we saw how the Christ Hymn in Colossians 1:15-20 applies to the Colossians personally. They were dead in sin, alienated from God, BUT God killed the hostility through the work of Christ on the cross - reconciliation. And then we saw the glorious future for those in Christ - Christ, Himself, will bring His redeemed before the Father and say “they are mine. They are holy, blameless, and above reproach.” Not only was that true for the Colossians, but it is true for us!

Today, we will see Paul’s suffering on behalf of the Colossians for the Gospel. He, as an apostle and minister, is called to a life of suffering for the church. He joyfully suffers, toils, and struggles on behalf of the church, those who are in Christ. In doing so, Paul is an example of Christ. He willingly suffers for the Church. He takes the spiritual and physical persecution so the Colossians do not.

Colossians 1:24–29 ESV

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.

Colossians 1:24 - The Sufferings of Paul

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,

Now I rejoice in my sufferings

Rejoice

Or makes me happy

Sufferings

Endured great suffering due to adversity - present reality for Paul

Paul’s life was ordered to be full of suffering

Acts 9:15–16 ESV

15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.”

2 Corinthians 11:21–28 ESV

21 To my shame, I must say, we were too weak for that! But whatever anyone else dares to boast of—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast of that. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they offspring of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

For your sake

Though Paul had not planted the church, nor been to the church, he is happy to be suffering for their 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,

And in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions

Not speaking to the atoning work of Christ

Colossians 1:22 ESV

22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

Hebrews 10:14 ESV

14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

Paul is identifying his ministry as an extension of Christ’s

Paul willingly, joyfully takes on the physical sufferings as an apostle/minister for the church/body as he proclaims the Gospel — even as he writes this epistle in prison

These afflictions speak to the trials and tribulations that come from the “dominion of darkness” warring against the Kingdom of God

Uses

Suffering as a leader for the Church

Suffering as Believers

2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

John 15:18–21 ESV

18 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.

Colossians 1:25-27 - The Mystery Revealed

25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you,

Of which - speaking of the universal church

I became a minister

How can Paul be a minister of the entire church?

Galatians 1:15–16 ESV

15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone;

According to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you

Stewardship = “commission”

To make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints.

To make the word of God fully known

Paul’s mission is to proclaim the Gospel in the whole world

As Paul preaches, the Gospel is heard and produces spiritual life in those who respond in repentance

Romans 15:19 ESV

19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;

The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints

The mystery has finally been revealed, but what is this mystery?

The mystery is also revealed to the saints, not to all

The coming of Christ - life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension springing forth the sent Holy Spirit revealing God’s ultimate redemptive plan

27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery

To them God chose to make known

It is God alone who reveals this mystery to the saints - He alone is sovereign and revealed based upon His own free divine will

How great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery

The riches of the glory of this mystery is not limited to the Jews alone

The riches are also given to the Gentiles

Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The language in Colossians 1:26-27 regarding mystery has a hyperlink back to Daniel 2!

Dream - Image

Head of fine gold - Babylon

Chest and arms of silver - Medo-Persia

Middle and thighs of bronze - Greece

Legs of iron and feet of iron and clay - Rome

Stone, cut by no man, destroys them all - Messianic Kingdom

Daniel 2:44–45 ESV

44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”

Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

Christ in the Gentiles is the mystery that has been revealed!

The mystery being revealed, in this specific passage, is the Gentiles are included in to the Kingdom of God submitted under the end times Messianic Kin

Uses

We are included in the mystery!

Genesis 12:1–3 ESV

1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Galatians 3:29 ESV

29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Our focus is not glorification, but the Christ will will glorify us

Our focus is Christ’s union with us, His indwelling

Colossians 1:28-29 - Paul’s Gospel Ministry

28 Him we proclaim,

The center of Paul’s proclamation is not “going to heaven”, but CHRIST!

Warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,

Warning everyone and teaching everyone

Everyone - both Jews and Gentiles

Warning Christians not to stray from the faith or correcting a doctrinal error

Teaching Christians the essential truths of the Gospel

With all wisdom

Paul desires all wisdom as he proclaims, warns, and teaches fellow Christians

That we may present everyone mature in Christ.

That we may present everyone

End time presentation of the believer at the final judgment before God

Mature in Christ

Goal of proclamation!

God-centered or God-entranced life - God is the beginning, middle, and end of all things as Jonathan Edwards put it

29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

For this I toil

Goal of Paul’s proclaiming the Gospel and maturation of the believers on judgment day

Struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me

Laboring

Paul points all his efforts back to God, not focusing on himself

Uses

Maturation as our goal

Hollowed out tree

Our whole orientation/life is given entirely to Christ in such a way that it becomes actualized as we live our lives both in private and in public