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,  (25)  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, (26) the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.  (27) 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.  (28) Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

The letter to the Colossians was written by the Apostle Paul.  The doctrine argued by Paul was to combat the presence of heretical teaching that threatened the well being of the church at Colosse.  Combining the separate elements of paganism, Judaism and Christianity, the heresy denied the true humanity of Christ Jesus and His role as sole mediator between God and man.  Paul wrote to teach the fuller knowledge of Christ.

The verses we study today are somewhat autobiographical but really concern Paul’s mission as an apostle by the authority of God and that his sufferings were in the interests of the Colossians – indeed for all Christians.  He is in no way saying that Christ’s sufferings and redemptive work was insufficient.  Paul states that those who preach the gospel are servants and they delight to be used by God.  That this usefulness is a privilege in his weakness;  not a burden but an honor. The underlying principal is the believer’s union with Christ.  Paul’s joy was not in suffering but in the fact that he saw in this a necessary part of his ministry.

Also part of this ministry was the proclamation of God’s message – to make clear the true nature of the gospel he preached.  Paul’s message is to clarify truth previously a mystery to man.  This message was “hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed.” – God’s truth that was not fully revealed in the Old Testament and not something that man would have thought of but a fact revealed by God and understood by believers.  The message to Jews and Gentiles is that they are fellow heirs and are to receive God within them through redemptive free grace, not by merit.

The essential part of the mystery which is now revealed as “Christ in you” – “the hope of glory”.   Glory is not an abstraction.  It is in us now and is a future blessedness of believers.   Deliverance from all evil is introduction to all good and is partially enjoyed in this world but will be possessed fully and forever in heaven.  Hope in scripture means absolute certainity of future good – an expectation of obtaining a present desire.  The truth Paul writes is that Christ living in the believer is the ground for certainity of complete salvation.

MacDonald writes of the hope of glory – “We have no other title to heaven than the Savior Himself.  The fact that He indwells us makes heaven as sure as if we were already there.”  Amen