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:
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;
- BSB 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.
- 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 5:3And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
- 2 Tim 1:8Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
- 2 Cor 1:5–8For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
- Phil 3:10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
- 2 Tim 2:9–10Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound.
- 2 Cor 7:4Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
- Eph 3:13Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.
- Matt 5:11–12Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
- Jas 1:2My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
- Acts 5:41And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
- 2 Cor 4:8–12We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
- 2 Cor 11:23–27Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
- Col 1:18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
- Phil 2:17–18Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.
- Eph 3:1For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
- Eph 1:23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth 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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