The Mystery Revealed: Colossians 1:24-2:5

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

Paul glanced at his chains. Suffering. But rejoicing in it.

What is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions. Not that Christ's atonement was incomplete—that work was finished. But the church still suffered. Christ's body still experienced affliction. And Paul's sufferings contributed to that quota.

For the sake of his body, which is the church. The suffering had purpose. The chains had meaning.

I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness.

Servant again. Diakonos. By commission—not self-appointed. God gave me. The calling came from outside, from above.

To present to you the word of God in its fullness. Complete, whole, not truncated. The full counsel of God.

The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people.

The mystery. Musterion. Hidden for ages and generations. The long concealment—through patriarchs, prophets, kings. Now disclosed. The veil lifted.

To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God has chosen. Divine initiative. To make known among the Gentiles. The mystery wasn't just revealed—it was revealed to outsiders, to those who had been far off.

The glorious riches of this mystery. Not a thin secret but glorious riches. Abundant, weighty, magnificent.

Which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

There it was. The mystery summarized in four words.

Christ in you.

Not just Christ for you—that was true. Not just Christ among you—that too. But Christ in you. Indwelling. Internal. Resident.

The hope of glory. Christ within was the guarantee of glory to come. The presence now was the promise of fullness later.

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.

We proclaim. Not ourselves but him. Christ. Admonishing—warning, correcting. Teaching—instructing, explaining. Everyone—no exceptions, no elite. With all wisdom—skillfully, appropriately.

The goal: present everyone fully mature. Teleios—complete, whole, grown up. In Christ. Maturity wasn't self-improvement but Christ-formation.

To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.

Strenuously contend. Agonizomai—the word for athletic competition, for struggle, for agonizing effort. Paul wasn't passive.

With all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me. The source of the striving. Christ's energy. Powerfully at work. Paul labored, but Christ empowered.

I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.

How hard. The intensity was real. For you—Colossians. For those at Laodicea—the nearby church. For all who have not met me personally. Churches Paul had never visited. People who knew his letters but not his face.

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ.

The goal spelled out. Encouraged in heart. United in love. Full riches of complete understanding. Know the mystery of God.

Namely, Christ. The mystery was a person. Not an idea, not a doctrine, not a system—Christ himself.

In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

In Christ. Hidden—not missing but stored. All the treasures. Wisdom and knowledge. Everything worth knowing, everything worth having—in him.

I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

The warning emerged. False teachers had fine-sounding arguments. Persuasive rhetoric. Plausible philosophy. But deception underneath.

Paul was arming them.

For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Absent in body. The distance was real. Present in spirit. The connection remained. Delight. Paul found joy in their report.

How disciplined you are. Taxis—order, arrangement, military formation. How firm your faith. Solid, steadfast, unshaken.

So far, so good. The Colossians were standing.

But danger was approaching. Philosophy was threatening. And Paul would address it.

Christ in you—the hope of glory.

Hold fast to that.

The mystery revealed is Christ.

All treasures hidden in him.

Don't let fine-sounding arguments steal what you have been given.