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either the Prize or the Crown as their goal, and so harmonize with the Old
Testament teaching concerning the 'first three'.
The apostle repudiated the remotest idea that his sufferings could in
any sense be likened to those of Christ as the Redeemer and as the
Propitiation for sin; but seeing that in the freewill offerings the offerer
poured out a drink -offering corresponding in value to the offering itself,
he seized upon the figure to describe his own voluntary spending of himself
in the blessed service of the Lord.
The Afflictions of Christ (Col. 1:24)
We have seen Paul's reference to the drink -offering in Philippians
2:17 as a symbol of service. Let us look at Colossians, for there once again
he associates suffering with his distinctive ministry:
'The hope of the gospel ... whereof I Paul am made a minister; who now
rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of
the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His body's sake, which is the
Church: whereof I am made a minister' (Col. 1:23 -25).
The reference to sufferings here is twofold.
(1)
These sufferings, Paul said to the Gentiles were 'for you'. We
must examine this statement so that we may appreciate its
intention.
(2)
These sufferings were called 'the afflictions of Christ', and
said to 'fill up that which was behind' in those afflictions, and
were particularly associated with the Church, the Body of Christ.
In the epistle to the Ephesians this close association of suffering
with the distinctive ministry of the Mystery is also made known. The section
that deals with this peculiar ministry begins and ends with this reference to
suffering.
It commences at Ephesians 3:1, and the opening and closing members of
the structure are:
A
3:1. Prisoner for you (huper humon).
A
3:13. Afflictions for you (huper humon),
the intervening members being devoted to the dispensation of the Mystery
(Eph. 3:2 -12).
This suffering kept pace with the apostle's ministry until it ended in
his death for Christ's sake. His last epistle is full of references to
suffering, yet full as it is, there is no morbid self -pity; there is an
exalted joy that no suffering can dim.
'Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me
His prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel
according to the power of God ... for the which cause I also suffer
these things ... wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer, even unto
bonds ... persecutions, afflictions, which came upon me at Antioch ...
what persecution I endured ... endure afflictions, do the work of an
evangelist' (2 Tim. 1:8,12; 2:9; 3:11; 4:5).