The great theme of Paul’s epistle to the Colossians is found in chapter one, verse eighteen, “He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” The Lord Jesus Christ, the One who was placed in a manger on the night of His birth, the One who lived a faithful and sinless life, and the One who died on Calvary’s cross and rose again on the third day; that Jesus is to have first place, supremacy, and preeminence in everything. In absolute truth, the Bible tells us that Jesus created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them and that all things have been created for Him. Because of His supremacy, in John’s Gospel, Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). In that same gospel, Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself” (John 12:32). Jesus is the Creator of all things and He is the only Savior and the only One who can grant everlasting life.
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus told His disciples that He would create something new. He told them “I will build My church” (Matthew 16:18). This idea of the church was new. After the Lord’s resurrection and ascension, He sent the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost and on that day, the church officially began. Beginning with only one hundred and twenty people, on the Day of Pentecost, thousands received Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and all of them were reconciled to God through the blood of His cross. Every person who has been granted God’s gift of eternal life has been redeemed in the same way, through believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation, all who are born-again are made part of the Savior’s church.
The Lord gave the church a mission. The gospel must be “proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23), and God called gifted believers to take the truth of the gospel “in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). In our text today, Paul affirms that he was “made a minister” in order to be one of those God used to proclaim the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. Paul did not become a minister by his own choice, but was made a minister by God’s choice. He saw himself as an ambassador for Jesus Christ and gave his life to spread the good news that Jesus Christ came “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). In his ministry, Paul saw many people come to receive Christ as their Savior and he established many local churches. He also suffered and was persecuted as he lived in obedience to God’s command.
In the verses we will study today, we will consider how Paul, an apostle-missionary-pastor, established the authority and credibility of his apostolic ministry. We will discover the extent of church ministry, the focus of church ministry, the practice of church ministry, and the intensity of church ministry. We begin with the extent of church ministry.
THE EXTENT OF CHURCH MINISTRY. Colossians 1:24-25
Suffering for the Church. At the end of verse twenty-three, Paul said he “was made a minister” of the gospel and from that beginning continued to elaborate on the nature of the ministry in the church. He first points to his sufferings. In Second Corinthians 11:23-25, Paul catalogued some of his sufferings: He had been “in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.” Many of these struggles came through persecutions, simply because Paul preached the good news about Jesus.
Verse twenty-four (Colossians 1) tells us that those sufferings were for others, “for your sake.” During his missionary journeys, Paul had been continuously persecuted because he insisted on taking the gospel to the Gentiles. He was, therefore, suffering because of the Gentiles, including those of the Colossian church. As he wrote these words, he was a prisoner in Rome because of his love for the Gentiles and his willingness to give his life to tell them about salvation in Jesus Christ.
How did Paul fill “up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions”? Was the Lord’s death on the cross insufficient to provide the forgiveness of sins? Does salvation require more suffering? Absolutely not! Paul has just told us in verse twenty that Jesus has “reconciled all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.” Through our Lord’s atonement, all believers in Jesus are eternally reconciled and redeemed. Paul was not suffering additional pain for his salvation in order to fill up Christ’s afflictions. On His way to the cross, the ruthless and wicked leaders beat, humiliated and scourged Jesus. They poured their hatred on Him and then crucified Him. Even after His death they were not finished with their anger and hatred. But Jesus left and He was out of their reach. So, they persecuted and afflicted those who believed in Jesus instead. In this, through persecution, the Lord’s afflictions continue to be placed on His followers.
The Stewardship from God. In verse twenty-five, Paul defines his pastoral role as a stewardship. This ministry was not something for which Paul volunteered, but a responsibility given to him from God. In First Timothy 1:12, Paul wrote, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful putting me into service.” By using the word “stewardship” Paul gives us insight into how he viewed his ministry. He served in local churches and went on extensive missionary journeys because he knew the Lord had called him and assigned these tasks to him. So as a faithful servant, he did what he did in obedience to God’s command and calling.
The Preaching of the Word. He also tells us that the main purpose of his stewardship is to preach the word of God. Paul viewed his ministry as proclaiming the Word of God, both to reach the lost for Christ and to bring Christians to spiritual maturity in Christ. Clearly the Bible, the Word of God, is vital to the local church in general and specifically to Christians. Only through God’s Word, guided by the Holy Spirit, can the church be empowered to function as God has designed. Paul was committed to the will of God to enable Christians to be committed to God’s will.
THE FOCUS OF CHURCH MINISTRY. Colossians 1:26-27
The Hidden Mystery. Having told us that God’s will is for the church to be committed to the Word of God, Paul now moves to the content of his preaching and in this he introduces us to “the mystery.” To those of us in the twenty-first century, a mystery is something sinister and potentially alarming. But that is not what it meant in the first century. To Paul, a mystery was a “sacred secret” from the Lord, that had been hidden in the past but now revealed by the Holy Spirit.
Our text tells us that this mystery “had been hidden from the past ages and generations.” That means this is God’s new revelation given to His new creation, the church, but not given in previous dispensations. The mystery is a significant truth that no person in the Old Testament knew about. Noah did not know about it. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not know it. Moses, David, Isaiah and Daniel did not know it. God revealed this mystery only to the church and not to Israel.
The revelation of mysteries is known throughout the Bible. Moses wrote, “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this Law” (Deuteronomy 29:29). David wrote, “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him, and He will make then know His covenant” (Psalm 25:14). We are told God revealed the mystery of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream to Daniel (Daniel 2:19). And Jesus spoke of “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 13:11).
The Revealed Mystery. The mystery of which Paul speaks of here is designed only for the new dispensation of the church age. Notice, that Paul informs us that this is God’s will. God deliberately hid this mystery, this new biblical truth from previous generations but has now chosen to revealed to the church made up of Gentiles and Jews. This mystery is undiscoverable except by divine revelation. This mystery has now been made clear to Christian believers, and please note, it is given to Gentile believers in Jesus Christ. This mystery did not originate from Paul’s ideas but it is from God, revealed through His will. And the mystery is glorious. When glory is used of God in the New Testament, it is a reference to the display of one or more of His attributes. Here the glory of this mystery is certainly the glory of God which is displayed in it and through it. In this mystery we are allowed to see the great wealth of God’s love, mercy, wisdom, and power. What is this amazing mystery that God has so purposely revealed through Paul to the church?
Christ In You, the Hope of Glory. The Bible tells us that this mystery is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This is the very essence of salvation in this present dispensation–Jesus Christ is in every man or woman, boy or girl who receives Him as their Lord and Savior. It is this profound spiritual truth of Jesus Christ dwelling in the heart of each individual believer in a vital, life-changing relationship that provides the hope of glory. Christ comes to reside in the believer at the very moment of salvation and will remain for eternity.
Jesus Christ, the living hope, supplies each believer with His guarantee and assurance of future glory which is presently reserved in heaven. The mystery is that Gentiles could be equal sharers of the new life in Jesus Christ as fellow members of the same spiritual body. The newly revealed aspect is that Gentiles did not need to adopt Jewish rites and customs but could be saved as Gentiles and still be fellow heirs.
This is a blessed revelation. That the Jewish Messiah would actually live in His redeemed church made up mostly of Gentiles was not previously revealed. That Christ lives in all believers is the hope of glory. What makes the gospel glorious is not just that it promises present joy and help, but that it promises eternal hope, blessing, and honor.
THE PRACTICE OF CHURCH MINISTRY. Colossians 1:28
Proclaiming Christ. Because of this amazing and glorious revelation that the Lord Jesus Christ is continually present in the life of each believer, Paul outlined three responsibilities and one result that were given to those God called to minister to the church. The three responsibilities are proclaim, admonish, and teach. Proclaim means to announce with authority. It has the idea of publicly declaring a completed truth or happening. This proclamation is for everyone, it is not exclusively for only one group of people, all should hear the gospel. It is God’s will that the truth about salvation in Jesus Christ be proclaimed with wisdom and skill.
Admonishing Every Person. Admonish means to warn. Part of the gospel message is that people need to take their sinful condition seriously and understand the consequences of sin is God’s judgment. People should be warned to repent from their sin and turn to God by faith. The message to the lost is that they will be eternally condemned for their sin, but if they turn to Jesus Christ and receive Him as Lord and Savior, God will forgive all their sin and extend His grace, granting to them everlasting life. In the life of the believer who has fallen into sinful behavior, other Christians bear the responsibility to lovingly admonish them to forsake their sin and turn back to the Lord.
Teaching Every Person. The ministry of each local church must include teaching. Teaching in the local church consists of biblical truth. It is the responsibility of church leaders to teach God’s Word with wisdom and practical discernment for the understanding of biblical principles for holy conduct. Paul not only proclaimed salvation in Jesus Christ, but he also taught believers about the Lord Jesus because, as we will find out in the next chapter, “in Christ are “all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). It was not necessary to introduce any new teaching, for all that a believer needs to know is related to Jesus Christ. Teaching “every man in all wisdom” is the concern of the ministry. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge and all true spiritual wisdom is found only in Jesus Christ.
Complete in Christ. So, the ministry of the local church requires proclaiming, admonishing, and teaching. God has designed these three aspects of the ministry to reach the goal of His choosing. He desires that all believers become “complete” in Christ. This is the goal of spiritual maturity.
At the moment a person receives Jesus Christ as their Savior, the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ is instantaneously imputed to them. Their sins are forever forgiven, and they stand perfect before God because of their immediate identification with the Lord Jesus. Paul is speaking here of personal spiritual maturity which believers progressively develop, through the Holy Spirit, as they grow spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ.
THE INTENSITY OF CHURCH MINISTRY. Colossians 1:29
Labor in Ministry. Paul concluded this section by using three words that describe the continuous intensity of church ministry. Church ministry requires labor. This word means “to expend great energy–physical, mental, and spiritual. Paul had spent years teaching and training Christians to grow in their faith and he tells us that it often took wearisome toil.
Striving in Ministry. In the original language, “striving” means to agonize like an athlete competing in the arena. This implies that those involved in the ministry of the local church must give themselves in the greatest effort, with all of the self-discipline required to reach this goal.
Yielded to God’s Power. Yet, there is a balance of thought. Having declared that Christ is in every believer, the hard work of the ministry is balanced by the truth that God is working in and through the minister who is serving the Lord. God’s power makes the ministry effective. This means that our ministry is more effective simply by exerting all kinds of fleshly energy. The Lord promised to meet our needs and challenges in ministry. Paul described the spiritual striving as Gods power at work in his life. With the Holy Spirit at work in our lives, we can serve mightily in the will of God.
In God’s omniscience, wisdom, and grace, He saves the lost soul, grants him or her everlasting life, forgives all their sins forever, and then, comes to dwell in them for eternity. The Lord Jesus is not just near the redeemed believer, nor just around them; He lives inside of them. “Christ in you” is the privilege and unending condition of every person who receives Christ as Savior.
Have you called upon the name of the Lord? Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? The Bible tells us, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10). If you have never trusted in Jesus Christ as your Savior, please allow me to urge you to do that right now.
