Colossians 1:24
Who now nrejoice in my sufferings for you, oand fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his pbody's sake, which is the church:
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
Ὃς νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί μου ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία·
Textual key: no entry
n:
Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
2 Corinthians 7:4 Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
Philippians 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
Ephesians 3:13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
2 Corinthians 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Matthew 5:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
o:
2 Corinthians 1:5-1:8 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 6. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 7. And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. 8. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
2 Corinthians 4:8-4:12 8. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9. Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10. Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.
2 Corinthians 11:23-11:27 23. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26. In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
1 Corinthians 4:9-4:13 9. For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. 10. We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. 11. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; 12. And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13. Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
2 Timothy 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
2 Timothy 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
2 Timothy 3:11 Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.
p:
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Ephesians 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
he confirms his call to the ministry of the gospel from his cheerfulness in his present sufferings, so that they should not be discenraged, being it highly contented him to witness and seal his doctrine by bearing his cross for them, Rev 5:2,3 2Co 7:4: see Php 1:14,20 2:17. The Jews hated him and persecuted him because of his communion with the Greeks and other Gentiles, which occasioned his imprisonment at Rome, Col 2:1 4:3,18 Ac 21:28,29 26:17,18 Eph 3:1; yet this did not deter him from his office, but he took pleasure in doing his duty. Act 5:41 2Ti 2:10, gladly spending himself and being spent for their souls, 2Co 12:15, for their edification and consolation, 2Co 1:6,7 Php 1:13,14.
and, the copulative, is used as causal; fill up, not simply, but in one’s turn, implying a contradistinction between what Christ suffered for the apostle, and what the apostle suffered for Christ. Christ in his rank suffered what was necessary for my redemption; now I, in my turn, (by his gift, Php 1:29), undergo what afflictions are useful for his glory. He purchased salvation by his cross, I advance his kingdom and cause by my combats.
one learned man renders this clause, what remains concerning the afflictions for Christ in my flesh; however, if we conceive of things distinctly, we may retain our own translation, considering Paul’s filling up is either:
1. With respect to Christ; so he doth not mean what Christ suffered in his own proper person during his tabernacling here; for neither Paul nor any other penman of the New Testament doth use the term affliction, to express the sufferings of Christ whereby he appeased God’s wrath and satisfied his justice: that he finished in his own person when he gave up the ghost, Joh 19:30, he perfected all completely, Col 1:14,22; nothing will be required from any believer upon that account, Rom 6:9,10 Heb 10:14; there be no remains upon that account, all was filled up by Christ himself. All can be imagined that Paul should mean in this respect, would be only from Christ’s leaving an example, 1Pe 2:21: q.d. As Christ hath suffered for my salvation, so in like manner, following him, I bear his cross, suffering for his gospel and glory. Or:
2. With respect to Paul himself: the sense is, q.d. As I have borne a great part of afflictions for the name of Christ, and in his glorious communion, 2Co 1:5 Gal 6:17 2Ti 1:8,10; so in like manner I fill up the remains of them assigned to me a member of the mystical body, in conformity to the image of him who is the Head, Rom 8:18 1Pe 4:13. I do by little and little accomplish in my present sufferings (which make a part of it) the portion allotted to me in the same afflictions, which are accomplished and accomplishing in our brethren that are in the world, 1Pe 5:9, in time and degree according to God’s counsel, (whereby the Head was preordained to suffer, Act 4:28 1Pe 1:20), which apportioned to every member what share it is to bear, till it be perfectly confirmed to Christ, Php 3:10,12,21. These sufferings as Christians, 1Pe 4:13,14,16, (which the members undergo in their causes), may be said to be the afflictions of Christ:
(1.) Being for his cause and glory, the troubles they receive upon his account may be called his, the badges of his family and followers, Gal 6:17 Heb 11:26.
(2.) Because of the union between Head and members, 1Co 12:12; they being give, to the whole body, the wounds of his members are his, Act 9:4,16, he doth sympathize with them; but as he finished his work of proper sufferings while in the flesh, so the apostle’s expression intimates here, their sufferings shall not last longer than they are in the body, they need not fear any purgatory afterwards.
and while Paul suffered here, he adds another reason for the supporting and cheering of him, viz. the usefulness of his sufferings for the whole church, the mystical body of Christ, as Col 1:18; which consideration might sweeten his bitterest afflictions, not only because it was in their service, to further their faith, that he was so persecuted, but for their edification and consolation; this was the scope of his patience, Php 1:12-14, to encourage those who knew his testimony to embrace the truth, 2Ti 2:10. What the Rhemists and other papists infer hence, that the apostle satisfied for the sins of other believers by his sufferings, contributing to the church’s treasury of satisfactions for temporary punishments, is altogether groundless.
It is brutish to conclude, because he sustained afflictions for the edification of the church, that therefore he satisfied for the sins of the church; because he was spent for the Corinthians, that he answered for their faults, 2Co 12:15: he was not crucified for any, 1Co 1:13. To take Paul’s sufferings satisfactory is to derogate from Christ’s merit; none is without sin as Christ was, and as it is necessary for him that satisfieth, Pro 20:9. Christ’s sacrifice became expiatory, being offered by the eternal Spirit, Heb 9:14; he having borne the sins of believers in his own natural body upon the cross, and that by himself, there needs no supplements (could any be found) from others, Joh 1:29 Heb 1:3,8 1Pe 2:24 1Jn 2:2. To conceit there is any need of human satisfactions as supplies to Christ’s sufferings, is to cross the apostle’s main drift here, Col 1:12-14,20-22; he was far from satisfying for himself, Php 3:9,12, and shows that every man shall bear his own burden. Gal 6:5, however he should endeavour to honour Christ, and edify his church, 2Co 12:10.