Introduction.

This passage deals with Paul's service to the church. He sets an example all servants of Jesus do well to follow.

(1) Paul shares in the suffering of Jesus for his church.

Paul writes: Now I rejoice in what was suffered 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. v24.

This is a puzzling statement because we identify the sufferings of Jesus almost exclusively with his death of the cross. There is nothing lacking when it comes to the sacrifice Jesus made to atone for sin. He was able to cry out in triumph on the cross, "It is finished." It is done - the great transactions done.

We are inclined to forget that Jesus. as head of the body - the church - suffers when it suffers. We shouldn't think that Jesus is immune to suffering just because he sits at the Father's right hand in heaven. He suffers wih his church.

Paul suffers in much the same way when his brothers and sisters in Christ are afflicted. He shares in the same kind of suffering as Jesus.

It should be some consolation to Christians who are being persecuted for Christ's sake that they are not suffering alone, both in the sense that Jesus shares their pain, as do many other members of his body, the church.

(2) Paul was a servant of the church.

Paul affirmed: I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God. v25.

Paul was appointed, especially commissioned, to make God's word known to the Gentiles. This was something the apostle was in no doubt about. Paul testified before King Agrippa how Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and told him: "I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sancitified by faith in me. 'So then King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the wisdom from heaven.'" Act26v16to19.

Paul's appointment by Jesus himself gave the apostle tremendous authority although it wasn't something he was always bringing up in his letters. However, he leaves his readers in no doubt of the truth of what he writes.

Today, when a man or a woman gets a clear call to ministry they will be equipped by the Holy Spirit to declare the word of God. I never received the call and it was only on retirement from Geography teaching that I felt led to create this website. I believe the Holy Spirit has assisted me in my labours.

Paul and others like him should be treated with respect by the members of the church. Sadly this was not always the case with Paul who was disparaged by many Corinthian Christians. Nor do many non-conformist ministers receive the respect their calling warrants. Many have an awkward church member who is a persistent thorn in the flesh.

(3) Paul's message to the church.

Paul was appointed to present the word of God in its fulness - the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. v25to27.

This is by no means written in the clearest style but I think Paul is claiming:

(a) To make known the word of God in all its fullness. No student of Paul's epistles can remain unaware of the breadth and depth and height of Paul's teaching. His letters are very wide ranging. He doesn't avoid difficult subjects. Sometimes he is wonderfully inspired and is capable of thrilling the soul as in 1Corinthians13 and 15.

Christian preachers and teachers today need to declare the whole counsel of God. This was Paul's boast as he took his leave of the Ephesian elders on his way to Jerusalem. The present day preacher shouldn't just stick to a few favourite passages of Scripture but expound the whole of the New Testament. I have yet, a 76 year old church attendee, to hear a sermon on Paul's advice on sex. See exposition on 1Cor7v1to16.

(b) To focus on proclaiming the gospel. He makes four points on the gospel:

• The gospel had remained obscure for centuries. The Jews were not expecting a Messiah to save them from sin. They were expecting a Messiah in the tradition of David, who would deliver them from their enemies, the Romans. The religious leaders certainly did not anticipate that the sacrificial system would be perfectly fulfilled by the Lamb of God come to atone for the sins of the world.

• The gospel was declared to the Gentiles, many of whom received it gladly.

  Jesus died for sinners regardless of whether they were Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. The gospel has universal appeal.

• The gospel held out the possibility that on belief, Jesus would dwell in the heart. Paul refers to this in Eph3v18: He dwells in our hearts by faith. And in Gal2v20: He lives in us.

  This means Jesus has first place in our affections. He is the love of our lives. Jesus is the one we want to please.

• The gospel holds out hope for the future. Christ in our hearts is the hope of glory.

  If we believe in Jesus, if we love him for all he has done for us, if we demonstrate our love by obeying him - Jesus will love us. If he loves us we can never be lost. Death will not separate us from him. One day he will return with and for his own.

(4) Paul's commitment to his calling.

Paul summarises his ministry by writing: We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

In these few words Paul summarises:

(a) What he preached. We proclaim him. Paul preached Christ.

Jesus should be proclaimed in our services. The great apostle wrote to the Corinthians: I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

It might seem strange to concentrate on what appears to be the defeat and failure of Christ. Yet of course, we know, that the cross was the scene of Jesus' greatest triumph. On the cross Jesus atoned for sin. He is mankind's ONLY saviour. Peter testified before the Sanhedrin: "Salvation is found in no-one else." Acts4v12. Salvation is not found in ritual, saints, angels, images, pictures or works of righteousness. Jesus is an all sufficient saviour. He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him. Heb7v25.

(b) How he preached.

• By admonishing. If I admonished a class of children I would highlight their deficiencies. If, for example, they performed badly in a test, I would admonish them for their lack of revision.

  All men need to be admonished for their attitude to God their creator. Men may worship idols in the sense that there are things men put before God: their career, business, family, interests and leisure pursuits. It is pretty insulting to God when a round of golf stops a man or woman attending church.

• With wisdom. A wise classroom teacher would not just berate his pupils for performing badly. It is easy to inveigh against them, to chasten them and to leave them demoralised. The wise teacher would advise on how to prepare for tests an exams - giving his pupils hope of a better performance in the future.

  Paul did not just point out the deficiencies of the Colossian Christians but provided guidance on how to make progress in the Faith. We have many examples of Paul's wise teaching in most of his letters. See for example: 1Tim6v7to21.

• With energy. Paul was able to affirm: To this end I labour, struggling with all his energy which so powerfully works in one.

  The best classroom teachers need to teach their subject with energy and commitment if they are to motivate their pupils. It might be a struggle at times. Preparation takes a long time. Some pupils remain switched off however keen you are. Nevertheless, in the long term it is the conscientious, committed, enthusiastic teachers who enjoy most success.

  Paul was highly enthusiastic about what Jesus had done for him. He says: Although I am less than the least of God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Eph3v8. Paul was galvanised by the indwelling Spirit and rejoiced in the assurance of his eternal reward: I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil3v14. See also 2Tim4v6to8. Paul was inspired by the message he had to deliver. See Romans8.

  Every Christian should be enthusiastic about extolling Jesus - in their worship, conversation and private devotions. I am afraid we can be rather half-hearted at times. Nobody could accuse us of being zealots or extremists. We should remember that if we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit we have the most powerful ally when it comes to extolling Jesus.

(c) Why he preached. So that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

The Greek word translated in the NIV, 'perfect', was used by the the Gnostics to mean 'complete - the finished article'. William Barclay comments: So Paul sets down his great aim: to present EVERY man complete in Christ.

The Jews would never agree that God had any use for EVERY man. The Gnostics would never agree that EVERY man could be presented complete to God. The Gnostics believed that knowledge necessary for salvation was so involved and difficult that it could only be the possession of the chosen few.

So how can any man be presented perfect? It is foolish to suppose that any Christian is without fault. Their behaviour can be very imperfect! One only has to read Paul's letters to the Corinthians to know that the apostle was very aware of that fact.

We are perfect in Christ in the sense that his righteousness, his perfection, is imputed to us. Paul deals with this great and heartening truth in Romans4v23to25. God will credit or impute righteousness to those who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

I love Von Zinzendorf's great hymn:

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness
Thy beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

This spotless robe the same appears,
When ruined nature sinks in years!
No age can change its glorious hue;
The robe of Christ is ever new.

O let the dead now hear Thy voice,
Bid Lord, Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
Jesus the Lord our righteousness.

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