Sermon Tone Analysis

If you had to come up with three words that would characterize your day as a parent of children, what would those words be?

Think about a typical day of raising kids.

Now give me three words that encapsulate your day.

In Colossians 1:24-29 we find three words that encapsulate or perfectly describe what it was like for the Apostle Paul to be a disciple-maker.

These words typify his experience of living for the spread and growth of the gospel.

Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you

Whereunto I also labour, striving

You want to know what Paul’s life was like in fulfilling his ministry of the gospel?

Sufferings, Labors, Striving

Sufferings / Misfortunes

Labors- to exert oneself physically, mentally, or spiritually, work hard, toil, strive, struggle

Striving- ἀγωνίζομαι from which we get our English word agonize.

It has the idea of fighting or struggling for something.

Illustration: NBA finals- most people do not enjoy watching the regular season of the NBA.

Most of the games it is as if the players are just “going through the motions.”

There is no heart, or struggle to the game.

This is not the case when you get to the playoffs, and especially when you get to the finals.

Every single player is fighting, they are struggling, they are agonizing with every drop of sweat they have in order to win a championship.

This was Paul’s experience in his ministry of the gospel.

It involved intense misfortunes or sufferings, it involved extreme exertion or labors, and it involved agonizing or striving in order to be an effective disciple-maker.

We could say it this way.

Paul had a passion for making disciples!

Paul wanted these Colossian believers to understand his passion for being a disciple-maker.

Believers, I say to you, you must also develop a passion in you life for being a disciple-maker.

The question is why?

Why would Paul choose to live a life characterized by sufferings, labours, and striving?

I believe Paul gives us two motivations that must drive us if we are to be passionate about being disciple-makers.

Motivation #1- The passion for being a disciple-maker comes from a willingness to bear our part in the sufferings of Christ

A. Paul’s attitude

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,

*24 Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν* ⸆ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν

Now I am rejoicing in my sufferings for your sakes

In Col. 1.3-8 Paul thanked God for the genuineness of the Colossians faith as evidenced by their love.

In Col 1.9-11 Paul prayed for the Colossians that they might obtain Christlike Maturity.

In Col. 1:15-23 Paul turned to dust the idea that someone could grow spiritually apart from Jesus Christ.

Jesus is supreme, he is preeminent.

And Christ must come to have first place in believer’s lives.

Now in Col 1:24-29 Paul wants these Colossians believers to grasp his passion for the gospel- for being a disciple-maker.

And in order to do that Paul describes for them his attitude in his ministry.

Paul was continually rejoicing.

His ministry toward the gospel was a joy for Paul.

But noticed what he rejoiced in.

Paul rejoice in sufferings / misfortunes as we have already talked about.

Why is this Paul’s attitude?

I don’t think it is because Paul enjoyed suffering, or pain, or heartaches.

Why would Paul continually rejoice as he experiences suffering?

“If ever I have been disposed to repine at my lot, if ever I have felt my cross almost too heavy to bear, yet now-now, when I contemplate the lavish wealth of God’s mercy—now when I see all the glory of bearing a part in this magnificient work—my sorrow is turned to joy!” (Lightfoot)

B. Paul’s recognition

24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,

*24 Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν* ⸆ ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν

Now I am rejoicing in my sufferings for your sakes

Paul recognized that his suffering in his ministry of the gospel was for the sake of the believers in the Colossian church.

How can that be?

We know that Paul did not start the church in Colossae.

We also know that the believers have never even seen Paul’s face.

So if Paul had never even been to Colossae, and had never even seen these believer’s face to face how can it be possible for Paul’s suffering to be for their sakes?

C. Paul’s theology

καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ

and I am filling up the lack of what is needed of Christ’s afflictions

The second half of v.24 is a difficult passage of Scripture to understand.

There are a myriad of various viewpoints of what Paul is talking about here.

One of the major sources of confusion is the word that Paul uses here, to “fill up.”

This is the only time this word is used in the NT and it is somewhat difficult to be certain of what Paul meant.

This is a compound Greek word.

ἀνταναπληρόω- is a double compound, made up of two prepositions (anti and ana) plus the verb plēroō (“fill,” “fulfill”)

I believe this word takes on this sense- to take one’s turn in fulling up something, to fill up on one’s part, to supplement.

Translate= I am filling up in order to complete

What is Paul filling upon in order to complete?

KJV- “that which is behind.”

Behind- ὑστέρημα- the lack of what is needed or desirable, freq. in contrast to abundance

So Paul is filling up in order to make complete “that which is lacking”

What is lacking that Paul need to fill up?

The text states it is- “the afflictions of Christ.”

In what sense are the afflictions of Christ lacking something?

First, let’s talking about what it does not mean.

“It is not that there is anything lacking “in” the atoning suffering of Christ.”

(Moo)

“The sufferings of Christ may be considered from two different points of view… They have their sacrificial efficacy, and they have their ministerial utility.”

(Lightfoot)

“The Passion of Christ was the one full perfect and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world.

In this sense there could be no “lacking” of Christ’s sufferings.”

(Lightfoot)

“The difference may even be suggested in the vocabulary that Paul uses, since he shifts from “sufferings” (Gk.

pathēma) to “afflictions” (Gk.

thlipsis), this latter word never being used in the New Testament for Christ’s redemptive sufferings.”

(Moo)

Second, so what does Paul mean when he talks about what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ.

“It is not that there is anything lacking “in” the atoning suffering of Christ but that there is something lacking “in regard to” (TNIV) the tribulations that pertain to Christ as the Messiah as he is proclaimed in the world.”

(Moo)

I like the way J.B. Lightfoot states it (1879).

“The point of the Apostle’s boast is that Christ the sinless Master should have left something for Paul the unworthy servant to suffer.”

take one’s turn in filling up someth.

(for the reciprocal force of ἀντί cp.

Xen., Hell.

2, 4, 11 and 12 ἐμπίπλημι … ἀντεμπίπλημι one group of soldiers fills a road, and a second group forms another line)

So there are two groups of soldiers, and one group takes their turn filling up the road, while the other group forms up an additional life of defense.

Christ has already endured sufferings for our sake.

Paul has already made this point to the Colossians.

Christ has already suffering on our behalf, by shedding His blood, in the body of his flesh through death, in order to reconcile us to God.

In this kind of suffering there is nothing lacking.

Christ’s sacrifice was sufficient to wash away all of our sins.

He alone made it possible for us, who were God’s enemies, to have peace.

When Christ gave His life on the cross of Calvary, before He gave up His spirit, He cried out, “It is finished.”