Colossians 1:24-2:3

Colossians 1:24–2:3 CSB

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for his body, that is, the church. 25 I have become its servant, according to God’s commission 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 God wanted to make known among the Gentiles the glorious wealth of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 I labor for this, striving with his strength that works powerfully in me. 1 For I want you to know how greatly I am struggling for you, for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me in person. 2 I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of complete understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ. 3 In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 1:24-2:3

true things

Suffering for the sake of the church is worth it because it continues the work of Christ.

Paul rejoices in his sufferings because he knows it’s continuing the work of Christ to build up the church.

Paul is not saying that Christ’s suffering was insufficient for the atonement of sin.

He has already stated and will state again that Christ’s work is sufficient. (, ; ,)

The use of Christ’s “afflictions” here is never used by Paul to talk about Christ’s atoning work.

We are all given specific assignments in building up the body. (, , )

Paul’s job is to

Romans 10:14–15 CSB

14 How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

God wants to make known to everyone the glorious wealth of Christ.

What is the word of God and how does one make it fully known?

Christ in you is what gives us the hope of glory.

We proclaim Him so that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

When we make this our priority, the church is encouraged and joined together in love.

Ephesians 4:13–16 CSB

13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. 16 From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part.

When the church is encouraged and joined together in love, it can have all the riches of complete understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery - which is Christ.

Ephesians 4:13-16

When we are not joined together in building up the body, we are lacking the riches of complete understanding of Christ.

In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Truth

Christ’s atoning work is sufficient but there’s still work He wants us to do and even though we’re all given different specific assignments, we are all called to proclaim Christ. We do this so that we can reveal to others God’s mystery, which is Christ in us, where all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are found, so we can present everyone mature in Him.

MPT - Paul’s thinks it’s worth it to suffer for the church because it builds up the body, and even though he was given a specific task to the gentiles, we are all called to proclaim him so that we may make known the mystery of God, which is Christ in us