Col 1:29 | KingComments | STEP | In Paul started to say something about his ministry. He talked about his ministry of the gospel that he preached in all creation under heaven. Now he talks about his other ministry, his ministry to the church. This ministry has the same two sides as the headship of Christ and the reconciliation through Christ. And this ministry is also connected on the one hand with the creation and on the other with the resurrection. So there is a double headship of Christ: 1. Head over the creation and 2. Head of the body, and a double reconciliation through Christ: 1. of all things, later, and 2. of people, now. In addition there is a double ministry of Paul: 1. of the gospel and 2. of the church. . For Paul, the service to the body – the church – is associated with sufferings. He suffered to make known the truth of the church. He was imprisoned because of that. He says to the Colossians that these sufferings are for them, “for your sake”. His sufferings for the global church meant the sufferings for the local church. What applies to the local church applies to the global church. This form of suffering, Paul says, is in addition to the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His body, which is the church. Here he does not speak about the afflictions for Christ, but of Christ. His sufferings had the same character as the sufferings of Christ. This does not mean that he suffered to the same extent, and certainly not because of reconciliation. Reconciliation lacks nothing; it is complete in itself. God purchased the church through the blood of His own Son through His sufferings on the cross ( ). No, it is all about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ as a Witness on earth. In His being a Witness the Lord Jesus revealed God. This brought enormous afflictions on Him because men did not like to break with their sinful ways and deeds. The Lord Jesus Christ in His life on earth revealed God but not all the eternal purposes of God ( ). Only when the Holy Spirit came on earth, the believers were given insight into the purposes of God through the apostle Paul ( ). Witnessing to this truth brought abundant sufferings to Paul. These were not vicarious sufferings but additional sufferings. On the earth the Lord Jesus could not suffer for this truth because He did not reveal it then. Paul did not view his suffering for the church as a necessary evil. He rejoiced in it. He saw the church as the body of Christ, as a community of people who had a special bond with Christ. He saw what the church meant for the heart of Christ. Therefore he did not shrink from suffering, he is committed to it. . He desired that all those who belonged to the church both then and in the future, would know how unique the church is in her relationship to Christ. That was his ministry. As he made this fact known he completed the Word of God. Completing or making the Word of God fully known does not mean that Paul wrote the last words of the Scriptures. John did that. It is not about the Bible books, but it is about the themes, about the things God wanted to make known to men. The communication of the mystery, which was not known earlier, means that he communicated the last thing which God wanted to reveal. All other themes that God wanted to communicate were already known. Think of such things as the law, the kingdom, the redemption, the Person of Christ, and the ways of God. After he revealed this mystery about Christ and the church, no truth was left to be added to all God had revealed. . This mystery was unknown in previous ages and in previous generations. Now it is revealed, certainly not to all people, but only to the church, His saints. It relates to Christ and the church, and especially the fact that believers from the nations and the believers from the Jews together form one body ( ). The church does not exist from Adam; for it was hidden in all previous ages and it has only now been revealed. . The special characteristic of the church is that it is connected to a Head in heaven; that was unimaginable in the times of the Old Testament. The coming of Christ to the earth, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, His ascension and His return to the earth to establish His kingdom in glory, power and majesty were not mysteries; they were already revealed. But a Christ Who is glorified as Man in heaven, as the Head of His body formed by the saved Jews and Gentiles, is found only in the New Testament. The mystery here, exactly as in the letter to the Ephesians, is the union of Christ with His church. Paul’s emphasis here however is different from that in the letter to the Ephesians. To the Ephesians He presents the church of Christ in heaven; to the Colossians He speaks about ‘Christ in you’. This means that Christ is seen here in His church on earth. This means that the glory of this mystery is only visible in faith. Another special feature is Christ ‘in you’. In exactly the same way as Paul uses the phrase “for your sake” in , he says that this is not about the global church but about the believers in Colossae. What is true of the global church is seen in miniature in the local church. And another thing: the ‘you’ denotes those who were originally Gentiles. To find Christ with the Gentiles is completely new. God used to dwell with His people. When the Lord Jesus came He stayed with His people. But now to find Christ with the pagans sets aside the privileged position of the Jews. . It is all about Christ. Paul and other preachers proclaimed Him, a Person, and not a doctrine or a philosophy. The essence of Christendom is a Person and not a better doctrine. Christ was the substance of his proclaiming, admonishing and teaching. In doing so, he has “every man” in mind. This is strongly emphasized by using the word “every” three times. Every difference had disappeared. It is about every man personally and not in mass. Paul not only saw the church as a whole but everyone individually. It was a ministry of one to one. The unconverted man he warns of the wrath to come. The converted man he teaches the great truths of the Christian faith. His ambition was that every person should reflect the power of the Word and the Spirit of Christ and grow toward perfection. This is real follow-up and after-care. Paul is not satisfied that someone only accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior. He is concerned that every person, including you, is presented complete in Christ. He desires that you reach the stage of spiritual adulthood and that is the meaning of the word “complete” ( ; ). It is that you grow up to the point where nothing else is important in your life but Christ alone. Then you know not only your standing before God in Christ and that God sees you in Him, but living in God’s presence means everything to you. That is the meaning of life; a life that has no room for anything from men. Christ is all. It is all about a father in Christ ( ). For this it is necessary that you understand Who Christ is, and that your character is formed by this knowledge. . This lofty goal – God’s goal for every man – which the apostle had before his eyes, demanded the use of all his vigor and energy. This also entailed much struggle and resistance, but Christ worked in him and gave him the strength. The servant who has the passion to reach the goal as mentioned in – that Christ is everything for the soul – will find all the power for this ministry in Christ. Now read Colossians 1:24-29 again. Reflection: See if Christ is everything in all the spheres of your life.

‏ Colossians 1:29

Christ in You – Perfect in Christ

In Col 1:23 Paul started to say something about his ministry. He talked about his ministry of the gospel that he preached in all creation under heaven. Now he talks about his other ministry, his ministry to the church. This ministry has the same two sides as the headship of Christ and the reconciliation through Christ. And this ministry is also connected on the one hand with the creation and on the other with the resurrection. So there is

a double headship of Christ:

1. Head over the creation and

2. Head of the body,

and a double reconciliation through Christ:

1. of all things, later, and

2. of people, now.

In addition there is a double ministry of Paul:

1. of the gospel and

2. of the church.

Col 1:24. For Paul, the service to the body – the church – is associated with sufferings. He suffered to make known the truth of the church. He was imprisoned because of that. He says to the Colossians that these sufferings are for them, “for your sake”. His sufferings for the global church meant the sufferings for the local church. What applies to the local church applies to the global church.

This form of suffering, Paul says, is in addition to the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His body, which is the church. Here he does not speak about the afflictions for Christ, but of Christ. His sufferings had the same character as the sufferings of Christ. This does not mean that he suffered to the same extent, and certainly not because of reconciliation. Reconciliation lacks nothing; it is complete in itself. God purchased the church through the blood of His own Son through His sufferings on the cross (Acts 20:28).

No, it is all about the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ as a Witness on earth. In His being a Witness the Lord Jesus revealed God. This brought enormous afflictions on Him because men did not like to break with their sinful ways and deeds. The Lord Jesus Christ in His life on earth revealed God but not all the eternal purposes of God (Jn 16:12). Only when the Holy Spirit came on earth, the believers were given insight into the purposes of God through the apostle Paul (Acts 20:27). Witnessing to this truth brought abundant sufferings to Paul. These were not vicarious sufferings but additional sufferings. On the earth the Lord Jesus could not suffer for this truth because He did not reveal it then.

Paul did not view his suffering for the church as a necessary evil. He rejoiced in it. He saw the church as the body of Christ, as a community of people who had a special bond with Christ. He saw what the church meant for the heart of Christ. Therefore he did not shrink from suffering, he is committed to it.

Col 1:25. He desired that all those who belonged to the church both then and in the future, would know how unique the church is in her relationship to Christ. That was his ministry.

As he made this fact known he completed the Word of God. Completing or making the Word of God fully known does not mean that Paul wrote the last words of the Scriptures. John did that. It is not about the Bible books, but it is about the themes, about the things God wanted to make known to men.

The communication of the mystery, which was not known earlier, means that he communicated the last thing which God wanted to reveal. All other themes that God wanted to communicate were already known. Think of such things as the law, the kingdom, the redemption, the Person of Christ, and the ways of God. After he revealed this mystery about Christ and the church, no truth was left to be added to all God had revealed.

Col 1:26. This mystery was unknown in previous ages and in previous generations. Now it is revealed, certainly not to all people, but only to the church, His saints. It relates to Christ and the church, and especially the fact that believers from the nations and the believers from the Jews together form one body (Eph 3:4-6). The church does not exist from Adam; for it was hidden in all previous ages and it has only now been revealed.

Col 1:27. The special characteristic of the church is that it is connected to a Head in heaven; that was unimaginable in the times of the Old Testament. The coming of Christ to the earth, His suffering, His death, His resurrection, His ascension and His return to the earth to establish His kingdom in glory, power and majesty were not mysteries; they were already revealed. But a Christ Who is glorified as Man in heaven, as the Head of His body formed by the saved Jews and Gentiles, is found only in the New Testament.

The mystery here, exactly as in the letter to the Ephesians, is the union of Christ with His church. Paul’s emphasis here however is different from that in the letter to the Ephesians. To the Ephesians He presents the church of Christ in heaven; to the Colossians He speaks about ‘Christ in you’. This means that Christ is seen here in His church on earth. This means that the glory of this mystery is only visible in faith.

Another special feature is Christ ‘in you’. In exactly the same way as Paul uses the phrase “for your sake” in Col 1:24, he says that this is not about the global church but about the believers in Colossae. What is true of the global church is seen in miniature in the local church. And another thing: the ‘you’ denotes those who were originally Gentiles. To find Christ with the Gentiles is completely new. God used to dwell with His people. When the Lord Jesus came He stayed with His people. But now to find Christ with the pagans sets aside the privileged position of the Jews.

Col 1:28. It is all about Christ. Paul and other preachers proclaimed Him, a Person, and not a doctrine or a philosophy. The essence of Christendom is a Person and not a better doctrine. Christ was the substance of his proclaiming, admonishing and teaching. In doing so, he has “every man” in mind. This is strongly emphasized by using the word “every” three times. Every difference had disappeared. It is about every man personally and not in mass.

Paul not only saw the church as a whole but everyone individually. It was a ministry of one to one. The unconverted man he warns of the wrath to come. The converted man he teaches the great truths of the Christian faith. His ambition was that every person should reflect the power of the Word and the Spirit of Christ and grow toward perfection. This is real follow-up and after-care.

Paul is not satisfied that someone only accepts the Lord Jesus as Savior. He is concerned that every person, including you, is presented complete in Christ. He desires that you reach the stage of spiritual adulthood and that is the meaning of the word “complete” (Phil 3:15; Heb 5:14). It is that you grow up to the point where nothing else is important in your life but Christ alone. Then you know not only your standing before God in Christ and that God sees you in Him, but living in God’s presence means everything to you.

That is the meaning of life; a life that has no room for anything from men. Christ is all. It is all about a father in Christ (1Jn 2:13). For this it is necessary that you understand Who Christ is, and that your character is formed by this knowledge.

Col 1:29. This lofty goal – God’s goal for every man – which the apostle had before his eyes, demanded the use of all his vigor and energy. This also entailed much struggle and resistance, but Christ worked in him and gave him the strength. The servant who has the passion to reach the goal as mentioned in Col 1:28 – that Christ is everything for the soul – will find all the power for this ministry in Christ.

Now read Colossians 1:24-29 again.

Reflection: See if Christ is everything in all the spheres of your life.