Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, which is the church.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly;
- KJV Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
- NKJV I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
- NASB Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am supplementing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the church.
- NLT I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul rejoices in his sufferings for the church, filling up what is lacking of Christ's afflictions. He gladly endures hardship for the sake of Christ's body.
Overview
Paul does not mean Christ's atoning work was incomplete, which Colossians elsewhere affirms is finished. Rather, he shares in the ongoing afflictions the church endures as it carries Christ's gospel into the world, suffering 'for his body's sake, which is the assembly.' His joy in suffering models a Christlike, self-giving ministry.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Rom 5:3Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;
- 2 Tim 1:8So do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, His prisoner. Instead, join me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
- 2 Cor 1:5–8For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.
- Phil 3:10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death,
- 2 Tim 2:9–10for which I suffer to the extent of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained!
- 2 Cor 7:4Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows.
- Eph 3:13So I ask you not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
- Matt 5:11–12Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
- Jas 1:2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
- Acts 5:41The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
- 2 Cor 4:8–12We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
- 2 Cor 11:23–27Are they servants of Christ? I am speaking like I am out of my mind, but I am so much more: in harder labor, in more imprisonments, in worse beatings, in frequent danger of death.
- Col 1:18And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.
- Phil 2:17–18But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
- Eph 3:1For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles...
- Eph 1:23which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
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The image of the invisible God, firstborn over creation, in whom all things hold together and all the fullness of God dwells bodily — supreme over every power.
How Colossians 1:24 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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