Colossians 1:24-29 is a profound portion of the Word. In this message we need to look into the depths of this portion of the Word.
In Colossians 1:24 Paul said, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is lacking of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church” (Gk.). Here we see that Paul was rejoicing in his sufferings, for his sufferings were making up what was lacking of the sufferings of Christ for the building up of His Body. The Lord Jesus had two kinds of sufferings: the suffering for redemption and the suffering for producing and building the Body, the church. Not many Christians realize that the Lord’s sufferings are of these two categories. None of us can have any share in His suffering for redemption. To say that we can participate in this suffering is to speak blasphemy. No, He only is the Redeemer, and His suffering for redemption was accomplished uniquely by Him. We are neither qualified nor positioned to share in the Lord’s suffering for the accomplishment of redemption. In typology, on the day of atonement, only the high priest, who made atonement for the people, was allowed to enter into the Holy of Holies. The high priest was a prefigure of Christ as the unique One capable and qualified to accomplish redemption.
Although we cannot participate in Christ’s suffering for redemption, if we are faithful to Him, we must share in His suffering for the producing and building up of His Body. Paul was a pattern for us in this matter. Immediately after his conversion, he began to share in this suffering of Christ, partaking of the suffering of Christ for the sake of His Body.
This is against the theological concept that nothing related to Christ can be lacking. According to this concept, whatever Christ is and does is fully complete. But here is a word telling us that at least one thing related to Christ is lacking—His suffering for the producing and building up of His Body. For the producing of His Body, Christ suffered a great deal. Because this suffering has not been completed by Christ Himself, there is the need for His faithful ones to make up this shortage. Paul did not suffer for redemption; he suffered for the producing and building up of the Body of Christ.
The apostle Paul was a pattern for the believers to follow (1 Tim. 1:16). We must consider Paul as a pattern, not as someone who was so high that no one else can be like he was. Because Paul was set up by the Lord’s mercy to be a pattern for us, whatever he was we can be also. We must believe in the Lord’s mercy. If the mercy of the Lord made Paul a pattern, then His mercy can accomplish in us the same thing that it did in Paul. Thus, we all can attain to the same standard.
What is our goal in preaching the gospel? It is not simply to save sinners from hell. Our goal is to obtain material for the building up of the Body of Christ. When I was in Christianity, I heard many messages encouraging us to preach the gospel. We were always asked to consider God’s love, pity, and sympathy for the pitiful sinners, and were told to have the same feeling toward them. Sometimes preachers would say, “Thousands are going to hell every day. Isn’t your heart touched by this?” Some would be inspired by this preaching and, with tears, respond to the altar call to become preachers and ministers of the gospel. The term “soul winning” is very common in today’s Christianity. But what is the purpose of soul winning? It is very rare to hear that soul winning is for Body building. Paul’s goal in preaching the gospel was the building up of the Body.
If you only preach the gospel for the sake of winning souls and rescuing people from hell, you probably will not suffer very much. In fact, you may find yourself welcomed in many places. However, if you take the building up of the Body as the goal of your gospel preaching, you must be prepared to suffer, especially at the hands of religion. Religion does not agree with the building up of the Body.
Were not the Jews during the time of the Lord Jesus and the apostles the people of God? Did they not daily offer up sacrifices to God? Did they not have the temple which was built according to God’s revelation and instruction? The answer to all these questions is, “Yes.” But suddenly, Jesus came. He did not care for the temple like the Jewish religionists did. When His disciples were admiring the buildings of the temple, He said, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down” (Matt. 24:2). Who could have dared to say this? If you had been there and had spoken these words, the Jews would have killed you. This was the reason they persecuted the Lord Jesus. In the book of Acts we see that those in the Jewish synagogues accused the apostle Paul of being a “pestilent fellow” (Acts 24:5). Wherever Paul went, he caused trouble and division. Wherever he went, there was no peace; he was opposed by the religious people, by the so-called people of God.
It is the same today. If we only preach the gospel for soul winning, for saving souls out of hell, we shall be welcomed everywhere. Some Christians have even lied about us, classifying us with those in cults and evil, blasphemous movements. In today’s Christianity there is no conscience or moral standard. In 2 Corinthians 6:8 Paul said that he had both evil report and good report. If, as you serve the Lord, you only receive a good report, I would question your faithfulness to the Lord. If you are faithful to the Lord, today’s Christianity will give you a bad name. Apparently, religion is for God; actually, it is wholly against His economy. Nothing is more subtle and damaging to God’s economy than religion. Winning souls does not affect religion; rather, it helps it a great deal. But whenever you talk about the building up of the Body, religion will be cut into pieces.
Consider what Paul did when he was Saul of Tarsus. He was a leader in his religion, laboring and doing everything possible to derive benefit from that religion. However, on the way to Damascus he was caught by the Lord. After his conversion, whatever he did amounted to a tearing down of religion. Paul was bold. The Lord Jesus had annulled the Sabbath day, but Paul was bold to annul something more important to Judaism—circumcision. In the Jewish religion nothing is more vital than circumcision. According to the record in Acts, the Jews condemned Paul for teaching people to discontinue the practice of circumcision. If Paul had only been concerned for soul winning, he would not have offended people. Paul did not say, “I must keep the doors open for so many others. I shouldn’t say a word about circumcision or the Sabbath. I should not say anything against the Jewish religion. For the sake of soul winning, I must maintain a good relationship with the Jewish people.” If he had only been concerned for soul winning, he could have practiced this. But since he was for the building up of the Body, there was no way for him to do this. Therefore, for the purpose of producing and building up the Body of Christ, Paul shared in the sufferings of Christ.