THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NE S S
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the Lord Jesus loved and gave Himself for, and which Christ would present ,“ holy and without blemish and unre- provable before Him.” How many of us rejoice in suffering for the church? Paul tells us further how he regarded his sufferings, “ I 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 church.'" “ The afflictions of Christ” do not refer to His death as an atonement for sin. The Holy Spirit has carefully guarded against such false interpretation as that by using for “ afflictions” a word (in the Greek) that is used in no other place in the New Testament of the sufferings of Christ, and that even when used of the suffer ings of others does not ordinarily refer to the pain of death but to the pressure and anguish of persecution. Jesus Christ by His death on the cross made a full atonement for sin (cf. 2 Cor. 5: 21; Gal. 3:13; 1 Pet. 2:'24; Rom. 3: 25, 26; Isa. 53:6), there is no need of adding to it or filling it up. It is already full. Jesus Christ stood abso lutely alone in bearing and exhausting tne penalty of sin, in meeting the demands of God’s holiness (1 John 2: 2; Rom. 8:33, 34). But if men are to be saved other men must suffer, though not as an atonement. The afflictions of others beside Jesus Christ are neces sary in the working out of God’s plan of redemption. Everyone who would be used in the salvation of others must expect not only to teach and preach and work, but to suffer. Quesnel has well said: “ A pastor should always regard himself as the representative of the love of Jesus Christ towards his church not only for teaching, but also for suffering.” So should every soul win ner, every disciple of Christ. In this sense, Paul says, “ I fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ.” - There was a need of more affliction. Over against this need (that is the force, of the double compound Greek word used and translated in the R. V. “ fill up on my part) Paul sup plied the requisite suffering. He did it in his flesh, i. e., in his body with its pains. He did it gladly. Why? Because it was “ for (more exactly, in behalf of) His body” (cf. 2 Tim. 2:10). Paul loved Christ, and, therefore, Christ’s body, “ the church,” was dear to him, and he was glad to suffer anything or all things for it. ~ Do we love Christ and therefore His body, the church?
TUESDAY, Nov. 19th. Col. 1:25, 26. Speaking further of the church Paul adds, “ whereof I was made a minister.” His being made a minister was “ accord ing to the dispensation (stewardship) of God.” God had entrusted this stew ardship to him (cf. Eph. 3:2, R. V. Marg.; 1 Cor. 4:1, 2; 9:17; 1 Pet. 4: 10). The thought of the minister of the word being a “ steward” which occurs so often in the N. T. is that God entrusts the food for the household to him, and that it is his duty to provide the household of God with their food in due season (cf. Matt. 24:45). It is a solemn thought. This steawardship was given to Paul toward the Colos- sians and other Gentiles ( “ to you ward,” cf. Gal. 2 :7). The purpose of God in entrusting this stewardship to Paul was that he might “ fulfill the word of God,” i. e., that he might bring to fulfillment God’s promises regard ing the Gentiles. This purpose of God regarding the Gentiles was a “ mystery (i. e. something once hidden hut now revealed) which had been hidden from all ages and generations; but had now been manifested to his saints,” (cf. Eph. 3:4-8 and Notes thereon). WEDNESDAY, Nov. 20th. Col. 1:27. Of the saints to whom the mystery of God’s purpose regarding the Gentiles hath been revealed Paul says, “ to whom God was pleased (literally, “ willed” ), to make .known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among (rather, in) the Gentiles (i. e., the riches of the glory involved in God’s purpose regarding the Gentiles, which from all ages had been hidden but now was made known in the Gospel).” It had been thought until this mystery was revealed that “ the riches of the glory” was to be realized only in Jews, but now God disclosed it to the saints that it was also to be realized “ in the Gentiles.” In the remainder of v. 27 Paul sums up the whole heart and sub stances of this glorious revealed pur pose of God in one wondrous phrase, “ which is Christ to you” (cf. Eph. 3: 17; Rom. 8:10; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 4: 19; also Gal. 1:16; 2:20). “ Christ in us” includes all there is of blessings and glory for time and eternity that God has for us, for Jew or for Gentile. And now Paul adds that “ Christ in us” is “ the hope of glory,” i. e. Christ in us now is the guarantee of and indeed is the very substance of the glory that is
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