I can still remember the feeling I had that day as I looked around, saw that my classmates had been taking notes, and felt a sinking feeling in my heart. I was sitting in lab for physical science at Union. These were the classes I dreaded most for a couple of reasons. For one, I have never found myself to be really proficient at making things, which is often what we were doing in labs. I’m not a guy that gravitates toward doing experiments. But the bigger reason I dreaded labs is that they lasted a long time and were typically held in the afternoon. So, you’d walk across campus where your friends were throwing the Frisbee in the seventy degree weather, the birds were singing, and it felt like all of creation was singing, “What a day to be outside,” while you were on your way to do some experiment that ended with you drawing an arc on some graph paper. It was brutal.
But on this particular day, all was different – at least at the start – because David Ward was leading the lab, and he was one of my favorite professors. Sitting in Dr. Ward’s class felt like watching some really fun science show on television because he would always demonstrate what he was teaching us with some cool little trick, and I loved it. So, this lab started with Dr. Ward showing us how he went about doing something, or walking through an experiment, or constructing something. I can’t remember exactly. I just enjoyed watching him do whatever it was, waiting for him to get to the part where he flipped off the lights and shown a black light on something so that it looked like it was moving in slow motion – or something like that, which he always did. But on this occasion, he ended by saying, “And that’s what I want you all to do today.”
That’s when my heart sank, and I realized that I wasn’t in class with Dr. Ward where I enjoyed listening to him lecture and demonstrate truths. I was in lab, where we had to do experiments and build things ourselves. And worse yet, apparently I was the only one who had just sat there watching and listening to him because as I turned around, all of my peers had been taking notes, writing down step by step how to do things, what he did when he ran into certain problems, etc. I had just been listening to Dr. Ward tell us what he was doing. They realized that he was telling us what he was doing so that we might see what this needed to look like when we sat ourselves to the task of doing the same thing.
As we come to Colossians 1:24-2:5 today, I think we need to listen to Paul the same way that my classmates listened to Dr. Ward that day. And the reason is because the text does simply give us an autobiographical sketch of Paul’s ministry. That is, Paul uses these verses to tell the Colossians what he does in his own ministry and why. And I think the reason he’s telling them this is to let them know why they need listen to what he’s proclaiming. Consider, after all what’s probably going on with the Colossians. It seems, from what Paul says in this letter, that they’re facing some pretty convincing arguments from others that is tempting them from missing the truth of the gospel. We see this in our own text, where in 2:4, Paul writes, “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” And we’ll see it again in our text next week, as Paul writes in 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” And Paul is telling them, “Don’t listen to these plausible arguments, listen to me – a man whom you’ve never seen face-to-face.”
I think that’s why Paul goes into an autobiographical account here of sorts concerning his ministry. At least in part, it seems that it serves to tell the Colossians why they need to listen to him and what qualifies him to speak into their lives.
But at the same time, as Paul reminds them (and us) of his ministry and his labors, I think it enables us to consider these same realities in our own lives and in our own attempts to minister and build up the body of Christ. Therefore, this morning, I want us to walk through the details of Paul’s ministry – what he did and why – but I also want to pause at each point to ask how it is that this truth concerning Paul should instruct us in our own lives.
So, with that, let’s begin by looking at what it is that Paul had done and been willing to do in his life of ministry. And first, we see in verse 24, that . . .
This is how Paul begins this section, by noting his sufferings for the sake of the Colossians and all the church. He writes in verse 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.”
Now, this text might be more confusing than instructive to us at first glance. That is, if you read this verse in your private devotional life, you might find yourself more confused than encouraged or challenged. After all, what in the world does Paul mean when he says that he is “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” in his flesh?
First, we should note that Paul does not mean here that something was lacking in Christ’s redemptive work. When Jesus died on the cross, taking the penalty that we deserved as our substitute, he proclaimed, “It is finished,” making clear that there was no more suffering necessary for our penalty to be paid. So, Paul is not envisioning Christ’s redemptive suffering lacking in any way. So, what does he mean then?
Well, there are two mainly two options we should consider. A number suggest that Paul is making reference to the “Messianic woes.” You see, especially in Jewish literature there was an understanding that there were a certain amount of tribulations that the people must undergo before the Messiah comes. Now Paul, understanding that Christ had already come and yet would return again, would have known that there was a certain quantity of tribulations that Christ’s people would go through before Christ’s return, and so Paul is saying that he’s taking his fair share of these to do his part in “filling up” the full number of these afflictions so that the rest of Christ’s people might suffer less. That indeed could be what’s going on, but I think it is probably something a bit simpler, namely, option two.
The second option, and the one I think best makes sense of our text, is simply that Paul is saying that he recognizes that suffering is required in order to bring the gospel to all of those who will believe, and Paul is doing what is necessary to do that. He’s willing to undergo suffering in order to bring the gospel to individuals and make sure they hold fast to the faith.
“But,” we might ask, “if that’s what he’s saying, then why does call his sufferings ‘Christ’s afflictions,’ why does he think that suffering is required to fulfill this task of taking the gospel to God’s people, and what does he see lacking? We can answer the first two questions by looking back at Paul’s conversion in Acts 9. Why does Paul consider the sufferings of Christ’s people to be the sufferings of Christ himself? It is because when the risen Christ appeared to Paul in a bright light in the sky as Paul had been persecuting Christians, the Lord said to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4). That is, the Lord made clear to Paul that Christ was united with his people in such perfect union that their sufferings were his own. That answers our first question.
But why then did Paul think that suffering would be required to fulfill his mission of taking the gospel to Christ’s people so that they might believe and hold fast to the gospel? Again, this comes back to Paul’s conversion. After Paul saw the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he led Paul to a disciple named Ananias who would help Paul. And Ananias was a bit hesitant, having heard of Paul’s reputation of persecuting Christians. But the Lord assured him that it would be alright, saying to him in Acts 9:15-16, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So, Paul knew from the beginning that this task of taking the gospel to the people of God meant walking the road of suffering which could be considered the very afflictions of Christ.
What then does Paul mean was lacking in these sufferings? I think Paul simply means here that if suffering is the vehicle the Lord will use to bring his message to others, and these sufferings are Christ’s own afflictions, then until all of Christ’s people come to faith in him and endure faithfully in that faith, there are (by necessity of logic) more sufferings that need to be walked through and endured. Thus, Paul is saying that he has been willing and indeed had endured in his own flesh these afflictions in order that the Colossians might hear, believe, and hold fast to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“So,” we might ask, “I’m glad Paul did it, but how what should I learn from Paul’s example here?” Well, Paul helpfully reminds us that suffering is a powerful tool that God has ordered to serve as a vehicle to minister to Christ’s people, doesn’t he? Jesus told us this when he said that we would come after him, we must take up our crosses and follow him. That is, we must be willing to suffer. Perhaps nothing should be more expected in the lives of Christians than suffering.
And I don’t say that in order that we might all run out and pursue suffering. That is not the picture. But nor should we think that suffering means that somehow there is something wrong in our lives. After all, isn’t this the temptation that we face? Don’t we sometimes say to our Lord, “Why is this happening? What am I doing wrong? What do I need to learn?” And the reason we ask these questions is that we think that our suffering must point to some problem in our lives. Perhaps, however, the answer is that the Lord is using our suffering as a vehicle to point others to him. After all, when through suffering we serve and care for and hold up the gospel for others, it is a reminder to us of Christ’s love for us, isn’t it? To minister in the midst of suffering and do it joyfully is one of the most powerful ways that we show what a treasure Christ is to us and should be to others.
Also, sometimes we see suffering not only as meaning we’re doing something wrong but as a hindrance to ministry, don’t we? Isn’t it common to think, “If only this suffering were removed, I could really minister”? We even avoid things where there is a risk of suffering because we don’t want to bring something into our lives that might hinder our ministry. Yet, consider Nathan Young, for example, he has chosen a life that involves suffering in order to minister the gospel to homeless women and children, and yet his ministry to us is only enhanced by his willingness to endure suffering for the good of God’s people, isn’t it?
So, I think from Paul’s example, we learn not to run after suffering but nor to think of it as an obstacle to ministry but as a vehicle through which we can minister to others. Paul not only willingly endured suffering, but …
Starting in verse 25 Paul talks about God calling him to proclaim something that was a “mystery.” He writes, “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, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints” (vv. 25-26). What is this mystery? What was God’s hidden plan that has now been revealed? Paul answers in verse 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.” The mystery is Christ. He confirms this again in 2:2 as he talks about “the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ.”
You see, how God would gather a people for himself isn’t as clear in the Old Testament as it is in the new. It is clear that man is justified by faith alone. We see that all the way back in Genesis 15:6. What is less clear, however, is how God would gather a people for himself from Jews and Gentiles. And the answer is that he would gather a people for himself “in Christ.” That is, God’s people would be all who would place their faith in Christ and be united with him by faith. Paul, therefore, understood that the place of preeminence in God’s plan belonged to Christ.
Christ is central to everything. As we said a few weeks back, Christ is not the hoop we jump through to be saved but salvation is the benefit of placing one’s faith in and bowing the knee to Christ. Everything is about him.
This is why Paul says that he preaches Christ. That’s what he says in verse 28, and he begins, “Him we proclaim.” If the Colossians were tempted to add something to Christ for salvation or to think that they needed something that could not be found through faith in Christ, Paul tells them, “No.” Everything we long for and hope for and need is found in Christ. He mentions this explicitly in 2:3, saying that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
If there’s any clear message to this point in Colossians that we should see, it is that salvation is found in having Christ. If you are not found in Christ, you will not be saved. And if you have Christ, then you have everything.
And so in a world that wants to press against Christ or make him simply equal to a number of others gods or ways of thinking, the Christian message is that either our hope is in Christ alone or we will stand in judgment before him and know God’s wrath on that final day. Paul proclaimed Christ, and so must we.
But we also see that . . .
Paul devoted himself to doing everything necessary to make sure everyone God brought under his care would be found mature in Christ on that final day. He writes in verses 28-29, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.”
Paul’s proclaiming Christ included warning and teaching everyone under his care. Paul envisioned being able to present to Christ a group of individuals complete in him. It’s as if Paul sees himself as a steward of God’s people, left with the charge of one day presenting them as mature believers in Christ. And he was committed to everything necessary to make that happen. That meant that he taught and warned.
Laboring for the good of others means both of these things, doesn’t it? Parenting, for example, requires that I teach my children. I instruct them in how they are to behave, think, act, speak, etc. And it requires that I warn them. Should they walk out into the street without hearing a warning from me, then it doesn’t matter how much I’ve taught them, I am failing to do the one thing necessary in that moment for their good. So, with one another, we remind others of God’s will – of his Word – and teach them what they should know and to obey Christ’s commands. And we also warn them should they find themselves not wanting to obey Christ’s commands.
Now, I think this is an expectation that especially falls to pastors. I see the charge given to Tom, Ray, Nate, and me to be doing everything necessary to make sure that we can present you all before Christ on that final day as those who have endured, whose faith is genuine, and who have not shrunk back from hope in the gospel. So, I think there is a special weight this text has on us. However, pastors will only successfully carry out this charge where there is cultivated a congregation that takes up this commitment to watch out for their brothers and sisters and does everything necessary to make sure they will be found standing on the day of judgment.
So, let’s simply ask ourselves what it looks like to love our neighbors as ourselves. After all, that’s what the Lord tells us is the second greatest commandment, only behind loving the Lord will all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Is it anything less than doing what we can to make sure that our brothers and sisters are standing strong and growing and will be found faithful on that final day? Sometimes we’re in a setting where someone tells you to look to your right and left and recognize one of them will not make it. This is the kind of thing I heard at the beginning of the Ph.D. program. They said, if statistics hold, a number of you in this room will never finish when I was at orientation. Now, instead of telling you to look at the people around you and recognize that the person on your right or left might not be found holding fast to the gospel on that final day, I want to ask you to look to your right and left and pray for God’s strength to do everything necessary to ensure that those individuals will be found standing strong right alongside you on that final day.
I think that’s the commitment that Paul had, a commitment he knew he only could carry out by the power of God (v. 29), and a commitment demanded of us who have joined ourselves with brothers and sisters in a local church.
So, Paul was willing to suffer, he proclaimed Christ, he did everything necessary to make sure Christ’s people would stand on that final day, and finally . . .
What I mean is that Paul understood that we’ll never arrive at Paul’s goal in verse 28 to stand complete in Christ on that final day unless there is a strong, unifying, corporate love among God’s people. Listen to what he says in our remaining verses. He first reminds them of how he has labored over them in 2:1, writing, “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face.” Then, he tells them why he is struggling for them. It is so “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (2:2-3).
You see, it is only when our hearts are knit together in love with our brothers and sisters in Christ that we reach all the riches of the full assurance of knowing Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. That is to say, you will not know Christ and understand God’s Word as you should apart from being united with other believers in love. A fundamental element for knowing and understanding Christ and his will as we should is a present and growing corporate love among God’s people. N. T. Wright I think rightly notes, “Living in a loving and forgiving community will assist growth in understanding, and vice versa, as truth is confirmed in practice and practice enables truth to be seen in action and so to be fully grasped.1
There is simply an understanding of the gospel and a love for it that is only fully realized in a community that loves one another. And I think we can experientially affirm that. It’s good to listen to sermons by yourself or read good books by yourself, but there is something qualitatively different about learning and experiencing these things among a community of believers that is knit together by love. You can understand, for example, that Paul is passionate that the Galatians understand the freedom from conversation that comes through faith in the crucified and risen Christ on your own, but you cannot understand it fully until you find yourself in anguish because you want your brothers and sisters to see it and delight in it so badly. You can know of Paul’s joy to hear the Colossians are standing firm in faith in Colossians 2:5, but not like you know that reality when you are knit together in love with brothers and sisters and find such deep joy at seeing their delight and growth in the gospel. Truths are meant to be learned and experienced among a community of believers knit together in love. That’s what Paul is laboring for.
And Paul knows that if you are learning and growing in this kind of a community knit together by love, then you will not be as easily swayed by false doctrine. That’s why Paul says in 2:4, “I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” In fact, so fundamental to Paul was the need for a people unified by being knit together by love, that he wants them to know of his love for them and presence with them in Spirit. That is, Paul wanted them to know that as they grow in love for one another and delight in one another as expressions of God’s grace, he was present with them in the sense that he was in Christ with them. That’s what I think he means when he ends by saying, “For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and firmness of your faith in Christ.”
So, as Paul shows us what he ministry is made of and what his goals are, we are helpfully reminded of a number of things. We are reminded of the role of suffering in ministry, of the need to proclaim Christ, of the need to labor to make sure others are mature in Christ on that final day, and finally of the need for a community being knit together in love. And it’s my prayer that Christ would strengthen us to live these realities out in this community. And I trust that he will. So, let us now proclaim our faith in the one who has called us together in him as we come to the table. Amen.