*

Complete in Christ
Paul's Ministry--Part 1 - To Fulfill the Word of God
by

John MacArthur
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&olossians 1)*+-*% .ntroduction A/ The &ircu"stances of the &olossian 0etter

Ta!e G& *1,-

The little book of Colossians (only four chapters) was written by the Apostle Paul to a group of believers in a city called Colosse. Colosse was not a city of tremendous importance, but it had some significance as one in a triad of cities ( aodicea, !ierapolis, and Colosse) in the ycus "alley##a little valley where the ycus $iver branches off from the %aeander $iver. The Apostle Paul wrote to this little church (which had been founded and initially pastored by a man named &paphras) because they were undergoing some problems##they were being confronted by men teaching false doctrine about the Person of the ord 'esus Christ. (o, the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to straighten them out. 1/ The &onsideration of Paul's Ministry )otice that Colossians *+,- ends with the word .minister.. /ell, this term triggers Paul0s thoughts for the ne1t section, because in verses ,2#,3 he describes his ministry. !e says, .4 am made a minister,. and then launches into a description of what that ministry involved##proclaiming the ord 'esus Christ. 5re6uently in Paul0s letters, he stops to discuss the style, type, and approach of his ministry. !e does this for many reasons. 5or e1ample, he does this... *. T7 &(TA8 4(! !4( A9T!7$4T: Paul often defended his right to speak for ;od. &very time he said, .4 am an Apostle,. he was saying, .4 am a sent one from ;od.. At the end of Colossians *+,- he says, ....4, Paul, am "ade a minister.. 4n other words, he didn0t choose to become a minister, ;od made him a minister. That fact gave him credibility and punch in speaking to the Colossians. /hen Paul referred back to his ministry, then, he was defending his right to speak for ;od##to establish his authority. !e also did it... ,. T7 &<P$&(( !4( /7)=&$ Paul was always in awe that ;od called him into the ministry. !e continually reiterates the truth of his ministry because it was such a thrill to him. (o, it was more than >ust a defense of his rights as an Apostle, it was also something that was e1citing to him.

, Paul wanted the people to hear him as the spokesman for ;od##not as a self#styled, self# appointed, noncredentialed teacher like so many that e1isted in the world. (o, he repeatedly accredited his ministry. Colossians *+,2#,3 is simply a detailed look at Paul0s ministry. 4n these verses, Paul presents eight different aspects of the ministry of a servant of ;od##eight different aspects that should characteri?e the life of anybody who serves the ord 'esus Christ, whether it0s teaching, preaching, or ministering in any capacity within the framework of Christianity. )ow to begin with, let0s look at point one+ ./ T2' 345R&' 4F T2' M.6.3TR7 (vv. ,-b, ,@a) As Paul looks at his ministry, the first thing he wants to talk about is its source. This is seen both in verse ,- where Paul says, ....of which 4, Paul, am made a minister,. and in verse ,@ where he again says, .7f which 4 am made a minister..... The word .minister. is not a highfalutin, elevated term. 4t0s the ;reek word diakinos, which means .servant.. )ow, how was Paul made a minister or servantA A/ The &alling 4f God *. ACT( ,B+*-#*C 4n relating his personal testimony to Ding Agrippa, Paul says, .At midday, 7 king, 4 saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them who >ourneyed with me. And when we were all fallen to the earth, 4 heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the !ebrew tongue, (aul, (aul, why persecutest thou %eA 4t is hard for thee to kick against the goads.. 4n order to keep an o1 from kicking while he was being steered in the right direction, pointed goads (or thorns) were put right up against the heels of the o1. (o if the o1 kicked, the goads caused great pain. &ventually, the o1 learned not to kick. The ord, then, was saying to Paul, .4t0s hard for you to fight against %e, to resist %e, to kick against %e.. Continuing on in verse *@, Paul says, .And 4 said, /ho art Thou, ordA And !e said, 4 am 'esus, whom thou persecutest. 8ut rise, and stand upon thy feetE for 4 have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to "a8e thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which 4 will appear unto theeE delivering thee from the people, and from the ;entiles, unto whom now 4 send thee.. )ow, that0s a strong statement, isn0t itA The ord says, .Paul, 4 have chosen you to go to the ;entiles. :ou are now hereby made a minister.. The ord makes ministers. !is ministers are those who are called. !e did it throughout the 7ld Testament. $ead the stories of the prophets. There weren0t any self#styled, self# appointed prophets. They were all called of ;od. ,. $7%A)( *@+*@#*Ba Throughout Paul0s writings, he makes it clear that he was put into the ministry by ;od. 4n $omans *@ he says, .)evertheless, brethren, 4 have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of ;od, that 4 should be the minister of 'esus Christ to the ;entiles..... 4n other words, .The

reason 40m so bold in writing to you ;entiles is that the ord has made me a servant to you. 40m only carrying out my ministry and doing that which ;od has called me to do.. -. , C7$4)T!4A)( -+2#Ba Again we read, .And such trust have we through Christ toward ;odE not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of ;od, who also hath made us able ministers..... Paul says, .%y confidence and my trust come because my sufficiency comes from ;od. ;od has called me into this ministry, so !e has e6uipped me for this.. :ou don0t choose your own ministry##;od chooses it. Then you either obey or disobey !im. 2. * T4%7T!: *+*, 4n * Timothy *+*, Paul says, .And 4 thank Christ 'esus, our ord, who hath enabled me, in that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.. Paul says, .40m here because !e put me hereF. @. * T4%7T!: ,+@#C 4n * Timothy , Paul says, .5or there is one ;od, and one mediator between ;od and men, the man, Christ 'esus, who gave !imself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 5or this 4 am ordained a preacher, and an apostle...a teacher of the ;entiles..... !is ministry was ordained of ;od##not something whimsically chosen. B. , T4%7T!: *+** 4n , Timothy *+** Paul says, .9nto which 4 am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the ;entiles.. /ho, then, made Paul a ministerA ;od. /ho, then, is the source of ministryA ;od. /ho gave you the gifts you have received to operate within the body of ChristA /ell, according to * Corinthians *,+**, the !oly (pirit gives .to every man severally as !e will.. The (pirit of ;od manifests !imself in the gifts of the (pirit so that we might minister. 4t is ;od who calls us and puts us in the ministryE it isn0t something we choose. 1/ The &o""it"ent To God *. PA9 0( (T&/A$=(!4P 4n Colossians *+,@ Paul says, .7f which 4 am made a minister, according to the dispensation Gor Hthe stewardship0I of ;od which is given to me for you, to fulfill the word of ;od.. The word .dispensation. in the ;reek is oikonomia (nomosJlaw or ruleE oikosJhouse). iterally, then, it means .to rule a house,. or .to be a steward of somebody else0s possessions.. A steward didn0t own anything, he >ust managed something for somebody else. 4n those days, a homeowner with a large estate would have a steward who would manage his whole house. !e would take care of everything## employment, wages, supplies##and make sure everything was carried out. 4t was a very great responsibility. /ell, ;od owns the churchE it0s !is house...!is temple. (o, when Paul says, .7f which 4 am made a minister, according to the dispensation of ;od which is given to me...,. he is saying, .;od appointed me to rule in !is church on !is behalf.. The wording in this verse also suggests that ;od gave him a great estate to manage. 4t was a ;od#given

2 responsibility##a divine office. Paul says, .4t0s ;od0s plan, ;od0s church, ;od0s gospel, ;od0s Christ, ;od0s message, ;od0s truth, and ;od0s /ord. And ;od wants me to manage it for !im. 40m in the ministry because ;od has put me here. 40m a steward.. a. 1 &orinthians +)*##.%oreover, it is re6uired in stewards, that a man be found faithful.. (o Paul says, .;od has given me a task##a divine responsibility. 40m obligated to fulfill it. ;od is the source of my ministry.. b. 1 &orinthians 9)1:-1-##.5or though 4 preach the gospel, 4 have nothing to glory ofE for necessity is laid upon meE yea, woe is unto me, if 4 preach not the gospelF. Paul says, . ook, don0t come up to me and say, H7h Paul, you0re a minister. /hat a self# sacrificing, wonderful human you are.0. 4f someone had said that, Paul would have simply said, .4 was going down the =amascus $oad minding my own business when 4 got thrown into this deal. (o, don0t pat me on the back. 4 didn0t ask for it. 4n fact, if 4 don0t fulfill what 40ve been called to do, 40m in a lot of trouble. (o don0t pat me on the back about it. 4 had nothing to do with it.. Then in verse *C he says, .5or if 4 do this thing willingly, 4 have a rewardE but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.. 4n other words, Paul says, .4f 4 had entered the ministry willingly, 4 could be commended. 8ut 4 did it against my will. 4t is strictly a responsibility that was committed to me, that0s all. 4 didn0t ask for it, but 40m in a lot of trouble if 4 don0t fulfill it. (o don0t pat me on the back## pray for meF. c. Galatians *)-##Paul says, .8ut, on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel GtoI the uncircumcision was committed unto me..... The gospel to the ;entiles was committed to Paul. !e didn0t have any choice. d. '!hesians ,)1-,; -##.5or this cause 4, Paul, the prisoner of 'esus Christ for you ;entiles##if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of ;od which is given me toward you, how that by revelation !e made known unto me the mystery...of which 4 was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of ;od given unto me..... 4n other words, Paul says, .;od has called me and made me a prisoner of Christ. 40m chained to ChristE 4 can0t get away. 4 have this tremendous responsibility to dispense the mysteries that ;od has given me##the truths of ;od0s /ord.. (o, Paul was made a minister. ,. C!$4(T4A) (T&/A$=(!4P ;od has given each one of us a tremendous responsibility. )o matter who you are as a Christian, the (pirit of ;od has given you certain gifts and called you to minister those gifts to the body of Christ. 4t0s a serious responsibility. /hen you possess a gift of the (pirit, you possess something that belongs to ;od. And as a steward, you are to minister that gift and dispense it to those in need of it. a. 1 Peter +)1$-11##Peter writes, .As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of ;od.. &very Christian has received a spiritual gift, so every Christian should be ministering. As a steward, you hold that giftE but it isn0t your own. :ou are to use it and manage it for ;od0s glory. According to verse **, if you have a speaking gift, you0re to .speak as the oracles of ;od... 4f you have a serving gift, you0re to serve .as of the ability which ;od giveth.. /hyA ....that ;od in all things may be glorified..... The source of all ministry is

@ ;od. /e don0t choose it. (o you had better e1amine your own heart to see what ;od has called you to do. (earch your own heart to see >ust what your spiritual gifts are. b. 1 &orinthians 1*)+-:##.)ow there are diversities of gifts, but the same (pirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same ord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same ;od who worketh all in all.. &verybody has been given a different gift by ;od, but we0ve all been given a stewardship. !e is the source of our calling and our gift, so we0d better use it and be good stewards of it. (omeday when you face 'esus Christ, the record of your stewardship is going to be based upon what you did with the gifts you were given. Are you going to be like the servant who buried what was given to him, or are you going to be like the servant who used good principles of stewardship and multiplied what was given to himA (o, whatever the ministry, ;od calls us, e6uips us, and assigns us. %aybe it won0t be as dramatic as Paul0s e1perience on the road to =amascus, but it will be >ust as true. (o, the source of the ministry is ;od. Paul says in verse ,-, ....4, Paul, am made a minister,. and then in verse ,@, ....4 am made a minister, according to the dispensation of ;od..... (econd, Paul not only talks about the source of the ministry, he talks about... ../ T2' 3P.R.T 4F T2' M.6.3TR7 (v. ,2a) As we serve the ord 'esus Christ with the recognition that ;od has called us, what kind of attitude should we haveA /hat spirit should we haveA Paul answers this in the first three words of verse ,2+ ./ho now re>oice..... /hat0s the spirit of the ministryA 'oy. The spirit of the ministry is >oy. /hatever ministry you have been given is to be en>oyed. A/ The Attitude 4f Joy *. 4T( C&((AT47) 4t0s a sad reality that many ministering Christians don0t have the right attitude. There >ust aren0t enough >oyous, happy Christians. 4t0s like the little girl who saw a mule and said, ./ith a long face like that, it must be a wonderful Christian.. There are a lot of people who have been given a tremendous responsibility by ;od, but grudgingly carry it out. 4n fact, many pastors have lost the >oy of the ministry. They don0t have the right attitude. They become like 'onah, who, even when his ministry was going good, was hesitant, angry, reluctant, bitter, and resentful. :ou say, ./ell, 40ve got it tough in my ministry. 4t0s hard to have >oy.. 7h, reallyA 4f you ever think you0ve got it tough in your ministry and you can0t find >oy, >ust read these words+ ....and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto 'esus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the >oy that was set before !im endured the cross, despising the shame.... (!eb. *,+*b#,a). /hy did !e endure the crossA ....for the >oy that was set before !im..... 'esus never lost the >oy, why should youA 5urther, in verse 2 it says, .:e have not yet resisted unto blood..... 4n other words, .:ou haven0t died in your service, have youA. 7ftentimes, 40ll talk to somebody, even another pastor, who0ll say, .7h, 40ve lost the >oy of the ministry.. /ell, do you know what that meansA That doesn0t mean they have bad circumstances, it means they have bad connections. :ou see, a Christian doesn0t lose his >oy unless he loses touch with the ord. There0s to be >oy in the ministryF ,. 4T( C7)(TA)C:

B 7h, it0s easy to get discouraged with circumstances. 4t happened to Paul. $eferring to 4srael, Paul said, ....4 have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. ($om. 3+,). 8ut he never lost the internal >oy. The element of personal >oy was the spirit of his ministry. !e was re>oicing everywhere he went. 5or e1ample+ a. Phili!!ians +)+##=o you reali?e that when Paul wrote Philippians, he was re>oicing...even though he was in >ailA )ot an ordinary >ail, but a hole in the ground called the %amertine prison. 4n this particular prison, once a ma1imum of forty prisoners had been accumulated, the sewers were opened to drown all the prisoners. The water was then drained out (along with the drowned prisoners) and the process would be repeated. /ell, Paul was in this place when he wrote, .$e>oice in the ord alwaysE and again 4 say, $e>oice.. (omeone might say, .This guy was out of his mindF /hat was he so happy aboutA. 7ne thing is for sure, it had nothing to do with his circumstances, did itA !e had a relationship with the living ;od that was perpendicular## transcending all circumstances. !ave you lost your >oyA 'oy is the deep#down confidence that ;od is in control of your life. That doesn0t change. /henever 4 encounter a Christian who has lost his >oy, 4 don0t want to talk about his circumstances, 4 want to talk about his relationship with the ord. /hyA 8ecause >oy is generated from a recognition of what Christ has done in a person0s life. And 40ll tell you something else+ !umility also generates >oy. 5or e1ample, Paul always thought of himself as so unworthy, that the thought of dying for 'esus Christ gave him great >oy. /hyA 8ecause he didn0t even think he was worthy of that. :ou lose the >oy when you start to think that you0re too good to be suffering what you0re suffering. 8ut that0s the wrong perspective. An attitude of humility generates >oy. b. &olossians *)%##Paul was imprisoned in $ome chained to a $oman soldier when he wrote, .5or though 4 am absent in the flesh, yet am 4 with you in the spirit, >oying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.. Paul was absolutely undaunted by his circumstances because his >oy was always based on his perpendicular relationship with Christ. c. 1 Thessalonians *)19-*$##Paul writes to the Thessalonians and says, .5or what is our hope, or >oy, or crown of re>oicingA Are not even ye in the presence of our ord 'esus Christ at !is comingA 5or ye are our glory and >oy.. Paul re>oiced about ;od and about everybody else. /hat happened to him didn0t matter. /hat he0s saying here is this+ .4 don0t care what 4 go through. /hen 4 see that you know the ord 'esus Christ and that you0re going to be there at the (econd Coming, 40m so happy, 4 couldn0t care less about me.. d. Phile"on -##/hen Paul wrote this little letter of Philemon, he was a prisoner. 4n fact, he always talked about >oy when he was in >ail. 4n verse C he writes, .5or we have great >oy and consolation in thy love, because the hearts of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.. 4n other words, ./hen 4 hear about you, Philemon, 40m so happy about you.. Paul always had >oy in his relationship to the ord and in his relationships with people. 4t didn0t matter what happened to him because he was totally, absolutely unselfish. /hen you see somebody without >oy in the ministry, it0s because they0re selfish and they think they deserve better than what they have. 4n actuality, though, they don0t

C deserve what they have, do theyA Paul was able to keep his >oy because anything that came to him##even suffering##was something more than he felt worthy to receive. et me also say that once the >oy is gone, you0re in a lot of trouble, because everything you try to do is going to be done out of legalism and will have little effect. 1/ The Thieves 4f Joy /hat are some of the thieves that rob us of >oyA *. C4$C9%(TA)C&( ,. P&7P & -. P7((&((47)( 2. /7$$: &/ The Guardians 4f Joy /hat are some of the things that protect our >oyA *. !9%4 4T: ,. =&"7T47) T7 C!$4(T -. T$9(T 4) ;7= /e0ve seen the source of the ministry and the spirit of the ministry. et0s look, now, at... .../ T2' 35FF'R.6G 4F T2' M.6.3TR7 (v. ,2b) 4n Colossians *+,2 Paul says, ./ho now re>oice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for !is body0s sake, which is the church.. A/ The Misunderstanding 4f 3uffering This verse has been severely misunderstood. There are some people who say that Christ0s death on the cross didn0t finali?e all !is suffering. Therefore, we have to continue to suffer and suffer in order to e1piate sin. That can0t be what Paul is sayingF That would be a fatal blow to what he said earlier in the chapter. !e said that Christ, ....through the blood of !is cross....in the body of !is flesh through death, Ghas presentedI you holy and unblamable and unreprovable in !is sight. (Col. *+,Kb, ,,). Paul is not going to unsay everything that he has >ust said. !e is dealing with a heresy in Colosse that taught that Christ0s life and death had to be supplemented by asceticism and human works. (o, he0s certainly not going to say that we have to suffer to add to the atoning work of Christ. 4n fact, the word translated .afflictions. here (;k. thlipsis) is never used to describe the atoning suffering of Christ. :ou say, ./ell, what is he sayingA. et0s look at it. 1/ The Matter 4f 3uffering 4n verse ,2 when Paul says, ./ho now re>oice in my sufferings for you,. he was referring directly to his imprisonment. 5rom references that Paul makes in chapter 2 of

L this &pistle about his situation (vv. *K, *L), we can ascertain, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Paul was a prisoner at this time. *. T!& P&$(P&CT4"& 75 PA9 0( 4%P$4(7)%&)T &ven though Paul was imprisoned at $ome, he never saw himself as a prisoner of $ome. !e constantly referred to being a prisoner of 'esus Christ. 5or e1ample, in Philemon he says, .Paul, a prisoner of 'esus Christ.... (v. *a), ....Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of 'esus Christ. (v. 3b), .There greet thee &paphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ 'esus. (v. ,-). (o Paul saw himself not as a prisoner of the $omans or of any man. !e saw himself as a prisoner of Christ. ,. T!& P9$P7(& 75 PA9 0( 4%P$4(7)%&)T At the beginning of Colossians *+,2 Paul says, ....G4I now re>oice in my sufferings for you..... :ou say, ./hy did he re>oiceA. At the end of verse ,2, Paul says that he re>oiced in his sufferings because it was .for !is body0s sake, which is the church.. (o, Paul saw his imprisonment as suffering for their sake and for Christ0s sake. 4n Philippians *+,3 Paul says, .5or unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on !im but also to suffer for !is sake.. 4n other words, Paul tells the Philippians, .4t0s not only my responsibility to suffer for Christ0s sake, it0s yours, too. All of us are to suffer for !is sake##to suffer because of !im.. The early church suffered because of Christ, didn0t theyA They really suffered. And Paul0s perspective of this suffering was to re>oice. :ou say, .!ow can a guy be thrilled about sufferingA. /ell, let me give you five causes for >oy in suffering+ &/ The Merits 4f 3uffering *. 4T 8$4);( 9( )&A$&$ T7 C!$4(T Paul wanted to get as close to Christ as he could. 4n Philippians -+*K he said, .That 4 may know !im, and the power of !is resurrection, and the fellowship of !is sufferings..... :ou see, when the world casts its slurs at us and mocks our Christ, that suffering, in a sense, helps us to understand what 'esus went through, doesn0t itA 4n 'ohn *@ 'esus talks about the fact that since the world hated !im, it would hate us, too ('n. *@+*L). And !e said that since the world persecuted !im, it would also persecute us ('n. *@+,K). (econd Timothy -+*, says, .:ea, and all that will live godly in Christ 'esus shall suffer persecution.. (o, suffering helps us to understand more about !im. !ebrews *-+*- says, . et us go forth, therefore, unto !im outside the camp, bearing !is reproach.. There0s >oy in suffering because it brings us nearer to Christ. A second reason we can re>oice in suffering is... ,. 4T 8$4);( 9( A((9$A)C& 75 (A "AT47) (uffering brings us the assurance of salvation. 4n * Peter 2+*2 it says, .4f ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are yeE for the (pirit of glory and of ;od resteth upon you..... 4n other words, when you suffer you have this tremendous confidence of the presence of the (pirit of ;od. That0s a very assuring thing, isn0t itA

3 (o, suffering brings >oy to the Apostle Paul, and to any Christian, because it identifies him with Christ, and because it brings him a sense of the presence of the (pirit of ;od## assuring him that he belongs to ;od. Third, suffering brings >oy because... -. 4T 8$4);( 9( 59T9$& $&/A$= /hen we0re willing to boldly step out for Christ and speak the truth, regardless of the conse6uences, we are promised a reward. $omans L+*C#*L says, ....if so be that we suffer with !im, that we may be also glorified together. 5or 4 reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.. There is a sense in which the suffering now will be rewarded in the day that we look forward to in the future. 4n fact, in , Corinthians 2+*C Paul says, .5or our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more e1ceeding and eternal weight of glory.. (o, suffering can bring >oy because it identifies us with Christ, because it brings assurance of salvation, and because it brings a future reward. 5ourth... 2. 4T $&(9 T( 4) T!& (A "AT47) 75 7T!&$( 4n Philippians ,+*C Paul says, .:ea, and if 4 be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, 4 >oy, and re>oice with you all.. 4n other words, .4f 4 offer my life and you get saved, that0s cause for >oy. There0s a price to pay, but that0s all right. The results are worth it.. (o, we can re>oice in suffering because it brings us nearer to Christ, it brings assurance of salvation, it brings a future reward, and it results in the salvation of others. A fifth thing is that... @. 4T 5$9(T$AT&( (ATA) /hen we re>oice in suffering, it leads to terrible frustration on the part of (atan. /hen he tries to discourage us and it produces good results, it puts a dent in the kingdom of darkness. 4n Acts 3+*B the ord said, referring to Paul, .5or 4 will show him how great things he must suffer for %y name0s sake.. The way we respond to suffering reflects the glory of Christ. )ow, having given those five reasons why we are to re>oice in suffering, Colossians *+,2 adds another reason##bringing us back to our te1t. </ The Motive 4f 3uffering )ot only does our re>oicing in suffering bring us nearer to Christ, give us assurance of salvation, bring us a future reward, result in the salvation of others, and frustrate (atan, verse ,2 adds another reason for suffering+ to .fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my GPaul0sI flesh..... 4n other words, Paul is saying, .4 am receiving in my body what is intended for Christ.. *. (955&$4); 57$ C!$4(T This verse does not mean that there is anything lacking in the atonement. 4t does not mean that the value of the death of Christ is shortchanged in some way. /hat it does mean is this+ The enemies of Christ were never satisfied with what they did to 'esus. They hated 'esus with an insatiable hate. They wanted to add to !is suffering. (o, as

*K soon as 'esus ascended back into heaven and wasn0t around any more, who did the world attackA The churchF They began to persecute the church##whipping them, burning them at the stake, throwing them to the lions. /hyA /as it because they hated them individuallyA )o, it was because the church stood in the place of Christ. And since Christ wasn0t around to hate, they hated the people who stood in !is place. That0s what it means to .fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ.. Paul is saying, . ook, the world isn0t done persecuting Christ. 8ut since !e0s not here, whatever is lacking in what they want to do to !im, 4 am receiving into my body. And standing in the place of !im who stood in my place is a cause for >oy. To take the blows meant for !im who took the blows meant for me makes me happy. 4f 'esus Christ could hang on the cross and take my sin and the punishment that 4 deserve, 4 think 4 can take a few punches for !is sake.. That0s what Paul is saying. 4n ;alatians B+*C Paul says, ....for 4 bear in my body the marks Gor Hscars0I of the ord 'esus.. 4n other words, .The blows that 40ve received have been taken because the world can0t hit !im.. ,. (955&$4); 57$ T!& C!9$C! According to verse ,2, Paul endured his suffering for the sake of the church##to win people to Christ and then to mature them in Christ. And he certainly paid a price. 5or e1ample+ a. * &orinthians 11)*,-*###Paul says, ....in stripes Gor Hwhippings0I above measure, in prisons more fre6uently, in deaths often. 7f the 'ews five times received 4 forty stripes, save one. Thrice was 4 beaten with rods, once was 4 stoned, thrice 4 suffered shipwreck, a night and a day 4 have been in the deepE in >ourneyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the ;entiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethrenE in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 8eside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.. !e did all that for the sake of the church. 4n fact, the whole time he ministered he worked to earn his own living##supporting himself and those who traveled with him (Ac. ,K+-2).