Colossians 1:24-29
New American Standard Bible
24 (A)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh (B)I am supplementing what is lacking [a]in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of (C)His body, which is the church. 25 (D)I [b]was made a minister of this church according to the (E)commission from God granted to me for your benefit, so that I might [c]fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, (F)the mystery which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but now has been revealed to His [d]saints, 27 to whom (G)God willed to make known what (H)the wealth of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is, the mystery that is (I)Christ in you, the (J)hope of glory. 28 We proclaim Him, (K)admonishing every person and teaching every person [e]with all (L)wisdom, so that we may (M)present every person [f](N)complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose I also (O)labor, (P)striving (Q)according to His [g]power which [h]works mightily within me.
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- Colossians 1:24 Lit of
- Colossians 1:25 Lit became
- Colossians 1:25 Lit make full the word of God
- Colossians 1:26 Lit holy ones; i.e., God’s people
- Colossians 1:28 Lit in
- Colossians 1:28 Or perfect
- Colossians 1:29 Lit working
- Colossians 1:29 Lit in power
Colossians 1:24-29
Amplified Bible
24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf. And with my own body I [a]supplement whatever is lacking [on our part] of Christ’s afflictions, on behalf of His body, which is the church. 25 In this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship which God entrusted to me for your sake, so that I might make the word of God fully known [among you]— 26 that is, [b]the mystery which was hidden [from angels and mankind] for ages and generations, but has now been revealed to His saints (God’s people). 27 God [in His eternal plan] chose to make known to them how great for the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in and among you, the hope and guarantee of [realizing the] glory. 28 We proclaim Him, warning and instructing everyone in all wisdom [that is, with comprehensive insight into the word and purposes of God], so that we may present every person complete in Christ [mature, fully trained, and perfect in Him—the Anointed]. 29 For this I labor [often to the point of exhaustion], striving with His power and energy, which so greatly works within me.
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- Colossians 1:24 I.e. since the church is Christ’s body, figuratively speaking, whatever the church suffers can be considered additional sufferings by Christ Himself, and all such suffering was ordained and destined by God; what is left to suffer in God’s plan is what is “lacking of Christ’s afflictions.” Paul, as a member of the church, was destined to suffer through persecution etc., thereby taking his share of the church body’s divinely-ordained suffering.
- Colossians 1:26 I.e. that believing Gentiles would be united with believing Jews into one body of believers.
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