Colossians 1:24

[Pamelasv]

'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.'

Especially that last part. 'In filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.' What is he talking about?

[gdemoss]

From acts we read "For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake."

Thayers lexicon sums it up nicely with:in Col 1:24, the meaning is, 'what is wanting in the afflictions of Christ to be borne by me, that I supply in order to repay the benefits which Christ conferred on me by filling up the measure of the afflictions laid upon me'.

I find these helpful. Paul was appointed to suffer affliction because he must reap what he had sewn. He killed and imprisoned Christians prior to his conversion. He had much to suffer on the reverse for the sake of Christ's name rather.

[Omegaman 3.0]

'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.'

Especially that last part. 'In filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.' What is he talking about?

 

This may or  may not be that helpful to your question, but here is some material from a class on the book of Colossians. It might be helpful for any who are going through the book of Colossians. There you can read an introduction about the book of Colossians, You can listen to the Bible text being read, there are some questions to help you dig out things from the bible, and there are some Bible Study Notes.

 

Quoting the instruction on the Table of Contents page:

 

• Choosing Introduction to the book of Ephesians, brings you the the introduction from the ESV Study Bible. Pastor Lee's Introduction is handed out in class.
• Choosing the link under Read/Listen, will take you to a page displaying the chapter text relating to the study. There is a listen link on the page, that allows for an audio version of the text.
• Choosing the link under Print Version, will bring you to a PDF file, it prints compactly and has room to write in answers to questions.
• Choosing Screen Version, brings you to and easy to read page of questions, where you can type in the answers on your computer, you can then print the results, but it uses more paper than print version.
• Choosing Screen Version w/ popup, is like screen version, except that you can hover your mouse cursor over verse references, to see the verse displayed on screen.
• Choosing Notes, Brings you to the ESV Study Notes for the unit.

[missmuffet]

Paul saw suffering for the Lord a blessing.Paul was totally dedicated to serve the Lord even in his suffering.

[Ezra]

'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.'

Especially that last part. 'In filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.' What is he talking about?

That's not an easy question to answer.  We know that Christ suffered as no man suffered and paid the FULL penalty for all of our sins.  Therefore there really should be nothing lacking of His afflictions.  At the same time, since God views the Church as Christ's Body (and Paul mentions that Body), He has purposed to have the saints suffer also, and regards their sufferings His sufferings. So these are indirectly the afflictions of Christ.  That would tie in with Mt 25:37-40 where Christ regards the sufferings of His "brethren" as His own.

[Deborah_]

The sufferings of Christ served more than one purpose. They achieved our redemption from sin; but they are also held up to us as an example to follow (I Peter 2:21). From His life we can see that the suffering of others, in all its many forms, is to be fought against at all levels. But this very struggle will inevitably mean personal suffering for ourselves, and we must be prepared to embrace and absorb it. A daunting prospect – but He does not ask anything of us that He has not done Himself! Because Jesus was ready and willing to suffer for us, we who have reaped the benefits of that suffering must be ready and willing to suffer for Him.

The pains and sorrows of the present age are labour pains – an essential part of the process through which the new creation will be brought about (John 16:21,22; Mark 13:8). The people of God are not immune from this process; indeed, we are called to embrace it (Romans 8:22,23).

[Your closest friendnt]

'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.'

Especially that last part. 'In filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.' What is he talking about?

.

Paul's mind is clear, he does not exaggerate to impress or to make Jesus suffering the worst than anybody's else's. Paul is sober in evaluations he says what he means, at least this time.

Jesus did not go to jail but I am gone to jail.

If you want to see something, you may say:

Jesus went to the spiritual Hades (jail) for me,

AND I AM IN THE EARTHY JAIL, where he did not go. (John the Baptis went to both).

He says jail was missing from Jesus, but it is part of the believers, if it comes to that.

Jesus detention is not within the meaning of jail.

[Pamelasv]

The last part when Paul says he was filling up in what was lacking in Christ's afflictions. That was really my main point of the question. __your closest friendt__ seems to have something to say regarding that.

[Your closest friendnt]

'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.'

Especially that last part. 'In filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.' What is he talking about?

go with what we know: Yeshua's Perfect, the Perfect Sacrifice, and He died one time, once for all, once for all the sins of mankind, for as many as are called according to His purpose and believe in Him etc etc etc -- don't get hung up on english and other short comings. Yeshua died once for all. He will never die again.

There is no other sacrifice for sin needed nor planned.

so, "THAT" suffering is over , finished, complete.

now, when did/ would/ will/ the apostles, disciples, then and now today suffer ?

whenever a follower of Yeshua stands up for the truth, for the Gospel's sake ,

when they do as Yeshua said in Scripture with what follows,

then

they will necessarily suffer painful persecution for their stand / faith/ claiming to be one with the Messiah.

so, those who are abiding in Yeshua will suffer. they have suffered , and they do suffer. this is all in line with what we can see and know in Yahweh's WORD.

then to what Paul says, as far as we know .... "fill up the suffering" "make up what is lacking" ....

well.... that's a mystery , for now, probably or possibly because english and other languages it's been presented in don't reveal what Yahweh breathed through Paul in writing it.

it's that simple. until Yahweh reveals it, we won't know. (almost too obviously, no one , not clearly yet, has found out / discovered/ revealed accurately what Yahweh means so far.... maybe soon; maybe already but missed... maybe not ever; Yahweh's decision.)

.

Maybe you going to be the first one, then you tell us , all the mysteries,

We don't disagree with your comments about the perfection of Jesus and we don't want to take anything away from him, this is not the intent.

But please make the distinction, ( not every one has a perfect mind, and perhaps no one, but we can grow towards), Paul is saying "I am in jail, Jesus did not go to jail. Jail is part of our afflictions, don't let any one say, because Jesus did not go to jail, then he want let any one go to jail, it is not in his will, it is not part of our faith.

Suggesting I am in jail for my own mistakes, and not for the Gospel,

[Your closest friendnt]

Paul is saying Jesus ask me to accept to go to jail. And I have agree, he wants me here, that's his will, don't pray for me, to be set free, because you love me, I know his will, and I am here that is his work, not the work of the enemies.

Remember in Jerusalem they tried to stop me the breathen of the church, for going there, but I new what is going to happen, Jesus told me, and I said here I am.