Laboring for Christ (Colossians 1:24-25)

²⁴ Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. ²⁵ I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—

This passage is linked to the previous one by the use of the first person and continues the idea of Paul as servant/slave. The “now” tells us that he’s discussing his current situation in prison. In Pauline thought, suffering is a sign that one is truly following in Christ’s footsteps as well as a sign of a true apostle (as opposed to the false teachers in Colossae). Of course, this does not mean that we should all seek pain, that in and of itself, it is something good.

The second part of verse 24, from “and I fill up…” is extremely difficult to interpret and has caused long debates. For one thing, the verb that means “to fill up” can also mean to “complete” and suggests something is lacking. At first sight, the author seems to imply that Paul was completing the incomplete sacrifice of Christ. This clearly cannot be the meaning for it goes against everything in the New Testament and even the rest of the letter to the Colossians: complete reconciliation has been already obtained through Christ’s sacrifice, and humans can add nothing to it. The term for “Christ’s afflictions” here is never used in reference to the Passion anywhere in the New Testament. However, it is frequently used by Paul to talk about the suffering of those who preach the gospel. In this case, the term would be used metaphorically, the idea that the author is sharing in Christ’s suffering through his own.

Of course, Christ did not bring salvation through his suffering but through his death and resurrection. Throughout Christian history, some have over focused on the torture of the way of the cross. We refer to the Passion of Christ, and passion means suffering. Marcus Maxwell suggests we should view this in relation to the Jewish idea of “Messianic woes”, that before the coming of the Messiah, there would be a period of great suffering for God’s people. However, this suffering would be limited so that they could survive. The author may be applying this idea to Christianity and so what the suffering Christians were experiencing then was part of the birth of the new age of the Messiah (see chapter eight of Romans).

Indeed, the verse is completed by a reference to Christ’s body, the Church. This supports the interpretation that the author is writing about his own suffering and reinforces the idea of the close connection between all members of the body of Christ: the suffering of any Christian is felt by Christ. Remember that on the road to Damascus, Jesus said to Saul “why are you persecuting me?” Christ shares in all the Church’s suffering and joy. In the same way, when one part of a human body hurts, all the body shares in that pain.

Note that, unlike in the undisputed letters of Paul, there is no direct reference in the end times in Colossians or even to the future. This is a sign that this letter dates from a later period than Paul. In verse 25, the author says that he has become a servant or minister (diakonos) of the church. The term “minister of the church” is not found in any of the undisputed letters and once again suggests a later date. Paul normally says “minister of the gospel”. Diakonos is a title in Colossians and an important one. This title provides authority to Paul and his fellow missionaries. Note too that the word translated as “stewardship” or “commission” only appears here. God gave him the commission to be an apostle. Verse 25 ends by talking about “the word of God in its fullness”. Margaret MacDonald explains that in the New Testament “the verb is often employed for the fulfillment of a promise announced in Scripture.” The idea is that God has given the author a commission to fully preach the good news that God had promised.