AM Bible Study Group; February 20, 2013
Colossians 1:24-27
Theme: The great ‘mystery’—“Christ in you, the hope of glory”—should motivate us to love and service.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
This morning’s portion of Paul’s letter to the Colossians is about ‘a mystery’. This kind of ‘mystery’, however, is different from what we typically think of from literature— a ‘who dunnit’ that’s fun to figure out. Rather, a ‘mystery’ in the biblical sense is something that cannot be known or understood except that God graciously revealing it to us—something that, “in other ages was not known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (Ephesians 3:5). Many things in Scripture are referred to as a ‘mystery’ in this sense (see Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians 15:51; Ephesians 3:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:16; Revelation 17:5, 7). Paul often viewed the preaching of the gospel as “the revelation of the mystery” (Romans 16:25), or “making known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19; see also Colossians 2:2).
The mystery Paul speaks of in our passage this morning is a marvelous one; and it’s expressed at the end of the passage as “Christ in you, the hope of glory”. It’s the ‘mystery’ that the eternal Son of God has taken up residence in those He saves; and that His residence in them is the guarantee that they will, one day, be brought into full conformity to His own heavenly glory. This ‘mystery’—and Paul’s experience of it—was the single most important and motivating principle in his life.
Note that . . .
I. PAUL GLADLY SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THIS MYSTERY (v. 24).
A. He wrote, “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 . . .” (v. 24). Paul was not suggesting that, somehow, Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross was insufficient; and that the apostle had to finish off what was deficient in the atoning work of Jesus. As verses 21-22 make clear—and indeed, as is stressed throughout this letter—the atoning work of Jesus is absolutely sufficient and complete in itself. The Greek word that Paul uses is one that means “distressing circumstances”. It’s often translated in the Scripture as “tribulations” or “troubles”. We could contribute nothing to our Lord’s atoning sacrifice for us. But the Lord Himself clearly warned that we would share in the troubles and tribulations that the world would have directed at Him if He were still on this earth (John 15:18-19). If we are identified with Christ—and if Christ dwells in us—then we will suffer the trouble and persecution He suffered (2 Timothy 3:12).
B. Paul truly suffered for his identification with Christ. He bore the marks of it (Galatians 6:17). He suffered in chains for it (Colossians 4:3-4). Jesus even called Paul as a “chosen vessel”; and said, “I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake” (Acts 9:15- 16). But even so, Paul rejoiced and was glad to suffer whatever Christ called him to suffer for the benefit of those the Lord called to Himself—including the Colossian believers. He was glad to “fill up” in his flesh what was lacking of the tribulations that were meant for His Lord. He was glad to do so, because he was doing so in the name of Jesus and for the sake of that gathering of people in whom Jesus Christ dwelt—that gathering of people destined for glory; the Body of Christ; the church! We ourselves will grow increasingly to be ready to serve the body of Christ—even to the point of suffering shame and trouble gladly for His name’s sake—if we become gripped as Paul had become with the depth of that great mystery, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”.
II. PAUL FAITHFULLY MINISTERED BECAUSE OF THIS MYSTERY (v. 25).
A. Paul spoke further of the church; “of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God . . .” (v. 25).
1. When he calls himself a ‘minister’, he uses the Greek word diakonos (the same word from which we get the English word “deacon”). It refers simply to ‘someone who serves or assists under the command of someone else. That’s all Paul considered himself to be; just a diakonos—a servant of the church, hard at work; faithfully laboring under the authority of another.
2. What’s more, he says that he received this role as a “stewardship” (or “dispensation”) from God. It was as if he had been given a “project” to manage, a commission to administrate on the behalf of someone else. He had been commissioned by God with a “stewardship”; and he fulfilled that stewardship as a faithful minister.
3. And notice carefully for whose benefit was he ministering. It was for the precious believers at Colossae. He spoke similarly in Ephesians 3:2-7 of “the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery . . . that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promises in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power (Ephesians 3:2-7).
B. Paul didn’t claim this role on the basis of his own initiative. It had been given to him. He was commissioned to it by a greater authority. He felt honored and humbled to have received it. He went on to say, “To me, who am less than the least of all saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery . . .” (vv. 8-9a). He earnestly seized hold of it once he had received it. He served with all his energies. And so will we, in the place that God has placed us in His service, if we will allow ourselves to be gripped together by the glory of this mystery!
III. PAUL DILIGENTLY PREACHED BECAUSE OF THIS MYSTERY (vv. 26-27).
A. It wasn’t just the beneficiaries of this great mystery that motivated Paul. It was the mystery itself. He went on to call it, “the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (vv. 26-27). You almost get the feeling that Paul was working hard to dig up enough adjectives to describe the wonder of this mystery!—“the riches” of “the glory” of “this mystery”. There is no greater, more blessed message than this one; because there isn’t a message that gives more eternal riches and more heavenly glory to those who believe it! No wonder he was so thrilled to preach it!
B. Notice also that it was a message that was formerly hidden; but one that God now wills to be revealed to a people who could have, in no way, expected to have heard it except by God’s grace—that is, the Gentiles. Paul was the apostle who had been uniquely called of God to proclaim this mystery to the non-Jewish people groups—those who formerly were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise”; but who now “have been brought near by the blood of Jesus” (Ephesians 2:12-13). He said that “He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:8). We too will consider it a great privilege to share—as if it’s the greatest message the people of the world could ever hear—if we are gripped by the ‘mystery’..
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To the level that this same mystery grips hold of our hearts—that “Christ in you” truly is “the hope of glory”, then to that same level we’ll also be moved to action as the apostle Paul was. We need to sink our teeth into this great mystery. We need to pray and ask God to help us take it to heart. We need to study the Scriptures diligently so that we can understand the significance of it better. We need to grow in an ever-increasing fellowship with the Christ who this mystery says indwells us through His Spirit. We need to grow in our rejoicing and thankfulness for the hope of glory that His indwelling guarantees to us.
To the degree we do, we will—like Paul—be motivated to suffer for it, serve in it, and proclaim it to others.