Colossians 1.24a-Paul Rejoiced Because of His Undeserved Suffering on Behalf of the Church
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday July 5, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 1:24a-Paul Rejoiced Because of His Undeserved Suffering on Behalf of the Church
Lesson # 31
Colossians 1:24 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. (NASB95)
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake” is emphasizing the circumstances of the apostle Paul at the time he penned Colossians.
It expresses Paul’s response to experiencing this undeserved suffering during his first Roman imprisonment.
“In my sufferings” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (4) noun pathēma (πάθημα), “my sufferings.”
The noun pathēma is also the object of the preposition en which means “because of” since it functions as a marker of cause indicating that Paul was in a state of rejoicing “because of” his sufferings.
Colossians 1:24 I am presently rejoicing because of my sufferings on behalf of each and every one of you. In fact, I am supplementing that which remains of the one and only Christ’s intense sufferings by means of my physical body on behalf of His body which is, as an eternal spiritual truth, the church. (My translation)
In Colossians 1:21-23, Paul spoke to the faithful Christians in Colossae regarding the importance of their remaining faithful to the gospel which would result in their being presented at the Bema Seat as holy, uncensurable and unaccusable.
Now, here in Colossians 1:24, Paul instructs the Colossians regarding the relationship between his undeserved suffering and Jesus Christ’s undeserved suffering and that this suffering benefits the body of Christ, the church.
Therefore, we have a transition from a discussion regarding the Colossians’ walk with the Lord to Paul’s walk with the Lord.
Specifically, Paul is emphasizing here in verse 24 his circumstances at the time he penned Colossians.
He was imprisoned in Rome unjustly.
This was his first Roman imprisonment which lasted from 60-62 A.D.
He wrote Philippians, Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon during his first Roman imprisonment while he was awaiting his appeal before Caesar.
During this first imprisonment in Rome he was actually permitted to have his own rented quarters in Rome with a Roman soldier guarding him (See Acts 28).
Despite this incarceration, he informs the Colossians that he was rejoicing because of this undeserved suffering.
He was rejoicing that he was undergoing undeserved suffering because he knew it would produce more Christ-like character and result in rewards for him at the Bema Seat (cf. James 1:2, 12).
He also knew that this suffering was benefitting the church.
The Holy Spirit produces joy in the Christian when they obey the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.
The believer experiences this Spirit produced joy by experiencing fellowship with the Spirit, which is accomplished by exercising faith in the Spirit’s teaching in the Word that they have died with Christ and have been raised with Him.
This results in obedience to the Spirit inspired commands and prohibitions in the Word of God.
This in turn enables the Holy Spirit to produce a joy that is divine in quality and character and is not based upon outward circumstances or what one possesses.
The believer is commanded to rejoice (1 Thessalonians 5:16).
The Holy Spirit produces the joy of the Lord (Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 14:17; 15:13).
This is called the fruit of the Spirit, which is the production of Christ-like character in the believer who experiences fellowship with God by being obedient to the Father’s will, which the Holy Spirit reveals to the believer through the communication of the Word of God.
The fruit of the Spirit can only take place in the life of the believer who is influenced by means of the Spirit, which takes place when the believer obeys the Spirit who reveals the Father’s will through the communication of the Word of God.
Since the Holy Spirit reveals the Father’s will through the teaching of the Word of God and inspired the Scriptures, the joy of the Lord is the direct result of obeying the Word of God (Psalm 19:8; 119:14, 16, 111, 162; Jeremiah 15:16).
The joy of the Lord is the direct result of trusting in the promises of God (Psalm 28:7) and is the direct result of experiencing fellowship with God (Psalm 16:11; 89:15-16; 64:10; 63:5-7; 1 Chronicles 16:27; John 15:1-17).
The believer is to serve the Lord with joy (Psalm 100:1-5) and is related to unity (2 Corinthians 13:11).
The joy produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer enables them to experience joy, happiness and contentment in the midst of adverse circumstances and situations (Philippians 4:10-13).
The propaganda of Satan’s cosmic system has promoted the lie that wealth, good environment, marriage, having children, approbation from men will produce happiness.
Satan’s propaganda machine promotes the lie that good circumstances and people are the basis for happiness, but God’s Word states that true happiness is based upon a relationship and fellowship with God for the purpose of doing the Father’s will.
In Colossians 1:24, Paul describes his experience during this first Roman imprisonments as “sufferings” which is a reference to undeserved suffering.
He was unjustly arrested in Jerusalem and accused of taking a Gentile into the Jewish section of the temple.
He was not released by the Roman authorities in Judea despite his innocence which prompted Paul to appeal his case to Caesar since he had that right as a Roman citizen.
Amazingly, he tells the Colossians that this undeserved suffering was the reason why he was rejoicing.
This suffering caused him to rejoice because he knew it would benefit the body of Christ, develop more Christ-like character in him and result in rewards at the Bema Seat (cf. James 1:2, 12).
He emphasizes with the Colossians that his imprisonment was for the benefit of each member of this community without exception.
These faithful believers in Colossae benefitted from his undeserved suffering.
Each and every one of these believers benefited from his undeserved suffering he was enduring during his first Roman imprisonment because it provided them all an example to follow when enduring undeserved suffering.
The Bible teaches that God uses undeserved suffering to advance His children to greater spiritual growth.
The believer must experience undeserved suffering since it is through undeserved suffering that the believer is conformed to the image of Christ.
The power of God in our lives is never more noticeable or conspicuous as when we are suffering, going through adversities and even going through the process of dying.
When self has been crucified then the life of Jesus can be manifested in the believer.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 illustrates this Biblical principle that divine power is manifested in human weakness.
The believer who is executing the plan of God and learning Bible doctrine will go through suffering which is undeserved (1 Thess. 3:4) and it is called undeserved because they did not bring this suffering upon themselves (1 Pet. 2:19-20; 2 Cor. 1:6).
It is a privilege to suffer undeservedly for Christ’s sake according to Philippians 1:29.
Just as the Father’s plan for the Lord Jesus Christ involved undeserved suffering so the plan of God for our lives involves undeserved suffering.
In 2 Corinthians 3:17-4:18, Paul writes to the Corinthians regarding his experience with undeserved suffering and his attitude regarding it.
Paul’s states in Philippians 3:10-11 that his sole ambition in life was to become like Christ by experiencing identification with Christ in His death and resurrection.
Undeserved suffering gives the believer an opportunity to appropriate by faith his union and identification with Christ where all the believer’s spiritual blessings and infinite wealth reside and which wealth is superior to “temporal” wealth and riches.
It is also the means by which God employs so that the believer might gain rewards that will be given to the believer at the Bema Seat Evaluation of the church, which will be conducted by the Lord Jesus Christ subsequent to the Rapture of the church (2 Corinthians 4:5-18).
Advancement, promotion, spiritual growth and prosperity in the spiritual life can only be achieved through undeserved suffering, which is experiencing identification with Christ in His death (1 Pet. 4:12-13).
Adversity is the means that God employs to enable the believer to experience his union and identification with Christ and all the spiritual assets and provisions and privileges that are the result of this union and identification with Christ.
The believer who appropriates by faith his union and identification with Christ in His death, resurrection and session will enable the Holy Spirit to develop more of the character of Christ in his life.
