Beholding the Light

Colossians 1:24


I now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the affliction of Christ, for the sake of His body which is the church.  NKJV


Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's affliction, for the sake of His body which is the church.  NIV

I would like to point out something about the words' placement of Colossians 1:24.

In many Bibles part of this verse reads: …. and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's affliction, for the sake of His body…..

Many translations read - fill up in my flesh - having placed together - fill up - and - in my flesh -.

The actual Greek (JP Green Sr.) reads: ……and fill up the things lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh on behalf of His body…….

Please notice that the words – in my flesh – are, in the original text, placed after – the afflictions of Christ. Therefore from many Bible versions the reader is led to understand that Christ is lacking in some afflictions and Paul is filling up that which is missing.
But from the original it is clearly understood that Paul is only experiencing what is still lacking, in himself, of the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His Church.
Christ’s work is complete and lacks nothing : it is finished! He exclaimed.  No one can add anything to it or fill in with anything.

In a slightly different context another Bible verse sheds more light on this subject - the participation of

the believers in the suffering of Christ.

1Peter 4:13  ….but according as you share the suffering of Christ rejoice....So you see that the believers share, experience or partake of the suffering of Christ but do not fill up because Christ's work has been fully accomplished.

Of all the Bible translations that I have consulted the King James Version is one of the very few to construct this verse properly.

A pertinent word from the Old Testament by way of typology.
When Moses went up to the mountain, at the giving of the Law, no one was allowed to go up with him. Nobody could even touch the mountain Moses was ascending. No one but Moses had been called by God to do that transaction between God and the Israelites. Moses was alone. The people were at the lower part of Mount Sinai. They saw the lightning, they felt the shaking of the ground and they trembled  for the awesome fear which God had caused on them but they had to stay at a distance lest they would die. Only Moses was with God as the mediator.

So it is with our Lord Jesus, He alone ascended Calvary and the cross. He alone accomplished all that the Father had sent Him to do. We stand at a distance, even as if it were today, but in the spirit, beholding His suffering at the ushering in of God's Grace, as the penalty for our sins got paid.

As Paul and the other Apostles, even today's Christian workers have a taste of the suffering of Christ as they labour in God's vineyard sharing the Gospel with the unbeliever. They also toil with the pain of sacrificial prayer in their efforts to establish the believers on the strong and sure foundation of God's grace.

As to the Colossians so to the Galatians Paul expressed his burden for them:

Gal. 4: 19  My children [for] whom I again travail until Christ be formed in you...

This again takes us back to the Old Testament reminding us of Isaiah 53:11:

He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied.

The travail seems to be the same, but there is a difference. Christ's travail is the one of birthing the Church, Paul's is the one of caring for the Church.

Christ's sufferings are unique and untouchable. No man will ever know or experience the full extent of the anguish and agony He went through during His life and as His the atoning sacrifice was unfolding on the cross of Calvary.  

...so that by [the] grace of God He might taste death for everyone. Heb.2:9