Below is a short piece from a dear friend in the UK, a man who has been ministering the grace of Jesus for many decades whom I had the privilege of meeting a number of years at a home gathering in Pennsylvania. The anointing and presence he carried was palpable. Peter sent this short piece giving some interesting perspective on a difficult verse in one of my favorite books in scripture.

– Nick

Colossians 1:24:

I, Paul, now rejoice in my sufferings (pathos means pain, hardship, affliction) for you, and now fill up (antanapleroo means supplement, complete, fulfill) that which is behind (husterema means deficit, lacking, penury) of the afflictions (thlisemo means anguish, burdens, trouble) of Christ in my flesh for His Body the Church.

Clearly, this verse cannot mean there was a deficiency in the atoning sacrifice of Christ for sin, but that Paul suffered afflictions because he was experiencing added sufferings necessary to carry the good news to others. It was a costly business leaving home, family, comforts, etc. for the uncertainty and danger of travel.

The Jerusalem Bible translates it well: “It makes me happy to suffer for you as I am now in my own body to do what I can to make up all that still has to be undergone by Christ for the sake of His Body the Church.”

That said, there is another explanation for Paul’s meaning that is in conjunction with 1 Peter 4:13 and 1 Thessalonians 3:10… The Messiah suffered six hours on the cross. Before He died, He asked the disciples to watch with Him for one hour. This one hour together with his six hours of trial on the cross would have “made up His sufferings” on the cross to fill up the perfection of seven. 

Thus, Jesus completely atoned for our sins, but God has foreseen our involvement and participation with Jesus in the place of prayer and action, which is what the disciples were invited to in the garden. Though he did all the work, we are invited to fellowship with him in releasing that work through intercession and declaration, which is what Paul went on to model so well.