Yesterday, at the end of the reflection, I mentioned that I would like to highlight one more sentence from St. Paul to examine more closely. For it is a profound statement that the Apostle to the Gentiles entrusted to the church in Colossae. Here it is:
“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister…” (Col 1:24-25a)
Paul is the great apostle to the Gentiles. We remember that, on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, he experienced his conversion through an encounter with the Lord.
Scripture describes it this way: “Now as he journeyed he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed about him. And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 9:3–5).
The Lord made it clear to Saul—who was still ignorant and misguided—that by persecuting the Christians, he was persecuting Him, the Messiah, the Son of God, as Saul was then able to recognize in the light of God.
This is true because Christ lives in His believers, and what they do is done in His name. Thus, the Lord told Ananias to go to Saul, lay his hands on him, and restore his sight.
“Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15–16).
Let us add another passage from the Sermon on the Mount:
“Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:11-12).
As we reflect on these biblical words, the message of the Apostle Paul to the church in Colossae becomes clear. He acts on a mission. Everything he does bears this mark. The Lord Himself acts through him, just as God acted through the prophets in the past.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20a).
The apostle is now honored to bear the sufferings for the sake of the Lord’s church. God has entrusted this mission to him, and he joyfully accepts the suffering that comes with it, as he himself testifies. Just as Paul needs the light of God to proclaim the gospel truthfully, he can also bear and endure all that his mission entails only through God’s power. We need only consider the so-called “foolish message,” (2Cor (11:23-29) which gives us a glimpse of all that happened to Paul as he endured these sufferings for Christ’s sake. Christ’s suffering is present in His apostle. Since Paul embraces it, he is permitted to cooperate in ensuring that the Lord’s suffering is made present in His servants during the age of the Church and bears fruit.
Later in the letter, Paul encourages the congregation again before addressing the dangerous heresy that concerns him greatly. This heresy is already indirectly mentioned in the text.
“I want you to know how greatly I strive for you, and for those at La-odice′a, and for all who have not seen my face” (Col 2:1) This is meant to comfort them. They are to hold fast to one another in love so that they may attain a deep and rich understanding and come to know the divine mystery that is Christ. In Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with beguiling speech.”
Paul does not hesitate to tell the congregation about his struggles on behalf of the believers. He does this not to highlight his own contribution in any special way, but to comfort them and make clear his inner connection with them. This will help them grow in love for one another and better grasp the great mystery of Christ through this loving bond. Then, with the false teachers in mind, Paul emphasizes once more that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
When taken to heart, this statement alone serves as a guiding principle for the church in Colossae and for us today. When we apply it, we examine whether the philosophies we encounter or the insights presented to us align with Christ’s teachings. This is the standard! If we realize they do not, then there is no point in engaging with them. We can take this a step further. Engaging with such things can even harm us and cause us to stray from God’s path. This is why the apostle explicitly warned that no one in the church should be deceived. Persevering in Christ and rejecting false teachings are not signs of closed-mindedness or inflexibility. Rather, they reflect the spiritual purity necessary to distinguish truth from falsehood.
We will continue addressing the dangers of heresy tomorrow.
Meditation on the day’s reading: https://en.elijamission.net/sources-of-true-joy/
Meditation on the day’s Gospel: https://en.elijamission.net/only-the-lord/