Colossians 1:24-29
A truck driver was hauling 500 penguins to a local zoo. Unfortunately, his truck broke down on the way so he waved down another truck and offered the driver $500 to take the penguins to the zoo for him.
On the next day the first driver finally got his truck fixed and drove into town. To his amazement he saw the second truck driver crossing the road with the 500 penguins waddling single file behind him. He jumped out of his truck, ran up to the guy and said, “What is going on? I gave you $500 to take these penguins to the zoo!” To which the man responded, “I did take them to the zoo. But I had enough money left over so now we’re going to the movies.”
Clearly, the man didn’t understand his purpose or the purpose of the penguins themselves. In Colossians 1:24-29, Paul gives us insight into his purpose as defined by God. From this we can learn important truths about our own purpose and how God intends for us to function in our service to Him.
There are at least five things that should define our purpose that come from this portion of Colossians.
God wants us to be…
1. Joyful in our suffering.
As Paul is writing these words, not only is he under arrest in Rome, he has also suffered much during the years of his ministry.
22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:22-28)
And, yet, out of all his pain Paul still wrote that he rejoiced (Colossians 1:24) in his suffering for Christ and His church.
It’s impossible to think of all that Paul endured as a servant of Christ without considering his response when he and Silas were beaten and thrown into prison in Philippi.
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:22-25)
Paul understood that his suffering enabled him not only to draw close to Christ, it also was a tool to advance the Gospel to others.
The phrase in 1:24 (...and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…) has often been misunderstood and volumes of material have been written about it. Of one thing we can be absolutely certain...there is no possibility that Paul is saying his own suffering in any way completed something Christ supposedly left unfinished on the cross (John 19:30). Nor is he saying that he was in any measure a co-redeemer with Christ (2:13-15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; cf. 1 Corinthians 1:13).
Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary paid mankind’s sin debt in full for all time. When He sat down at Father’s right hand He demonstrated that His work was complete and that the Father accepted His payment for our sins.
Then how do we understand this phrase as Paul applied it to his own suffering (and ultimately our suffering)? Paul meant that as a follower of Christ, His servants will sometimes suffer as He did; suffering is an integral part of service to God, as it was for Christ Himself. When His servants suffer, so does Christ (cf. Acts 9:5). Paul “filled up” what was “lacking” in Christ’s suffering in that while Christ is not physically here to be persecuted, He is still being persecuted/rejected every time “His body” (believers/church) suffers on His behalf. In other words, what Jesus suffered in persecution and rejection, we as believers complete as His representative body.
For the Gospel to go to the uttermost parts of the earth, it will inevitably be accompanied by difficulty, persecution and rejection.
On this occasion, Paul was suffering “for the sake of His body” to spare the church from heretics (who wanted to create division between the Jews/Gentiles, those that have special knowledge/those that don’t, those that have reached a higher spiritual plane/those that haven’t, etc.) that were trying to confuse the believers with false teaching. On other occasions, Paul suffered for the Gospel in the process of taking it to those that needed its transforming power. One author said, “Christ’s cross was for propitiation; ours for propagation. Christ suffered to accomplish salvation. We suffer to spread salvation.” (John Piper, Called to Suffer and Rejoice, 9/30/92).
To further clarify that Paul is not indicating that the atoning work of Christ is somehow deficient, listen to the words of scholar/pastor Dr. M. R. Vincent, “These afflictions (1:24) do not include Christ’s vicarious sufferings, which are never denoted by θλίψεις tribulations. That which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ signifies that portion of Christ’s ministerial sufferings which was not endured by Him in person, but is endured in the suffering of Christians in all generations in carrying out Christ’s work.” (Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 477). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.)
We have to accept that suffering is an inevitable part of being a follower of Jesus and learn to rejoice in it, rather than bemoan it. He told the disciples, 20Remember 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 keep yours also. (John 15:20)
The question is, how far are you willing to go in suffering for the Gospel, as well as in serving His church?
God wants us to be…
2. Faithful in our calling.
Twice in the first chapter Paul refers to himself as a “minister.” The first time he says he is a minister of “the Gospel” in 1:23. Then he refers to himself as a “minister” of the church in 1:25. Paul recognized he had a calling to the Gospel and to Christ’s church.
His calling involved a “stewardship” (1:25) that had been committed to his trust. The word “stewardship” (Gk. oikonomia) means a management, administration, or trusteeship. One writer says, “Paul was a steward in God’s economy; a trustee in God’s household; and an administrator of God’s business.” (Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary. Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
As part of his call, Paul must bring the “Good News” to the Gentiles, as well as announce to them that they are equally included in God’s redemptive plan. The fact is that “Christ in [them]” is just as much “the hope of glory” as it was for Jewish believers. And that is the essence of the “mystery” to which he refers as being entrusted to him.
From the very beginning God promised a universal Savior (cf. Genesis 3:14-21). Therefore, the heart of the “mystery” to be revealed through Paul was not that God would save Gentiles. It was that Gentiles would have equal footing with the Jews through their association with Christ (Ephesians 3:5–6).
In addition, Paul declared that “Christ in you” is a promise for ALL believers, no matter their ethnicity. This fact alone highlights a major distinction between Christianity and the heresy that was encroaching upon the Colossian church. The heretics taught that only those with the “secret knowledge” (gnōsis) could comprehend the mysteries of God. But, Paul declares their position to be false. The “mystery” that was once hidden is now plain for ALL to see and experience. The “mystery” now revealed is that Gentiles will be fellow-heirs with Jews in God’s salvation (cf. Ephesians 3:6). God does not have different classes of people in His Kingdom.
3 ...He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. (Ephesians 3:3-7)
Paul’s commission to proclaim the “mystery” is something to which he had been faithful. He must not...he did not fail in carrying out this service to his Master!
To each of us God has given a calling from Him. Certainly, every believer is called to share the Gospel with others, but we are also called to serve as “ministers” in His church. The calling is unique to each believer, but it is nevertheless a divine appointment (administration, trusteeship) that we cannot...we must not fail to fulfill. We must be willing to endure whatever suffering it may take to finish what God has given us to do.
Paul indicates that he had “to fulfill the word of God” (1:25). “The verb πληρόω (“fulfill”) covers a wide range of meanings: ‘to fill, make full, fulfill, complete or finish’ (BAG, 670–72). Here it carries the sense of ‘doing fully,’ or ‘carrying to completion’ the divine commission…” (O’Brien, P. T. (1998). Word Biblical Commentary: Colossians, Philemon, Vol. 44, p. 82)
Is it any wonder that Paul came to his last letter just prior to his martyrdom and said:
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)
What has Christ given/called you to do that you will give account for at the Judgment Seat of Christ? Don’t squander your days to be “ministers” of the Gospel and Christ’s church.
God wants us to be…
3. United in our purpose.
Paul was not content to win people to Christ and leave them to fend for themselves. He knew that the task of every Great Commission saint is to assist any/all believers to come to full maturity in the faith.
We might even say that Paul was a “perfectionist” in this matter, but not in the traditional sense of the word. Most translations understand the word “perfect” (1:28) in the sense of maturity or completeness in Christ. But, neither of these two words: “perfect” or “mature” completely express the full intent of the Greek thought.
Dr. Douglas Moo writes, “Neither quite captures the sense of the word. ‘Perfect’ is too strong, ‘mature’ too weak. Rarely does the word in the New Testament have the sense of our English ‘perfect,’ with its connotations of absoluteness (though see, perhaps, Rom. 12:2; Jas. 1:17, 25; 1 John 4:18). ‘Mature,’ on the other hand, is too relative, inviting us to think that we are teleios as long as we are doing a bit better than some other Christians we could name…teleios connotes the quality of being so wholehearted in one’s devotion to the Lord that one can be said to be blameless in conduct (see esp. Matt. 5:48; 19:21; Eph. 4:13; Heb. 5:14; Jas. 1:4b). …[it] is the ‘complete and undivided way in which a person, with all one’s positive and negative attributes, is oriented toward God or toward Christ.’” (Moo, D. J. (2008), Pillar Commentary: The letters to the Colossians and to Philemon, p. 161)
As part of our introduction to church membership we tell people that our church exists “to give people the best possible opportunity to become fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.” Paul was seeking the same for everyone to whom he ministered.
Notice that three times in 1:28 he uses the phrase “every man.” He was not content to have some believers reach maturity and others miss the mark. He worked tirelessly to bring “every man (person)” to a life fully oriented toward Christ.
There are two characteristics that were part of this process of helping people grow in grace. The first is “warning” and the second is “teaching.” The first of these has the idea of admonishing or correcting for the purpose of setting a person’s mind/life in order. The second has to do with the clear communication of God’s Word applied to people’s lives.
In the Great Commission Jesus taught that we are to make disciples of all the nations and “[teach] them [disciples] to observe all things that I have commanded…” (Matthew 28:20)
This section of the passage is Discipleship 101. Who is mentoring you and whom are you mentoring in the faith?
Illustration of bringing someone into the light.
God wants us to be…
4. Confident in our Helper.
Paul “laid himself out” to the fullest extent in the work of God. He described it as “labor” that left him so weary it was as if he had been severely beaten and/or left totally exhausted.
To the aforementioned he added that he was also “striving,” which is a sports term referring to the agonizing effort expended in an athletic event (our word “agony” comes from this Greek word). These words used together describe a man giving his all in the effort of his ministry. Paul held nothing back and gave his all to the cause and call of Christ.
But, he didn’t do it alone. He says that he did it all while trusting his Helper that worked in him “mightily” (δύναμις/powerfully). Paul was linked to a source of strength that enabled him to rise above his natural limitations.
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)
28 “...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:20)
Are you relying on the Lord to accomplish His purposes through you?
God wants us to be…
5. Focused in our message.
The Greek is emphatic in 1:28 that the center/heart of our message is Christ Himself (“Him we preach”). Paul is expressing the personal character of the message. It is Jesus that is our message...not the church, a system of theology, or a theory of knowledge!
The word “preach” suggests a solemn or public proclamation. “Biblical scholars of an earlier period thought there was in it the notion of proclaiming with authority.” Others speak of it as “belonging to the language of mission.” (Curtis Vaughn, Bible Commentary Series, Colossians and Philemon, pgs. 61-62)
Actually, the idea is that of an official proclamation, as when someone speaks on behalf of an emperor or king. Because the term indicates the communication of official business, it had to be a proclamation that was accurate, clear and delivered with authority.
To the divided congregation in the city of Corinth, Paul reminded them that his central message was Christ crucified.
23 ...we preach Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 1:23), which to the Jews was “a stumbling block” and “foolishness” to the Greeks. But, that didn’t change Paul’s message!
Don’t let anyone confuse you about our message...it is Jesus!
Closing:
Henry Blackaby wrote, “God reveals His purposes (His tasks) so you will know what He plans to do... When God came to Noah He did not ask, 'What do you want to do for me?' He came to reveal what He was about to do. It was far more important to know what God was about to do. It really did not matter what Noah had planned to do for God. God was about to destroy the world. He wanted to work through Noah to accomplish His purposes of saving a remnant of people and animals to repopulate the earth." (Experiencing God, p. 99)
God shows us what His purposes are and then we align ourselves with them. God purposes that we will be: Joyful in our suffering, faithful in our calling, united in our purpose, confident in our Helper, and focused in our message.
Will you join God in His purpose for your life or will you be leading penguins single file across the street headed to the movie theatre?
How are you fulfilling your purpose of advancing the Gospel and furthering Christ’s church?
