Lecture 6 — Paul’s labor for Christ

^1:23^ If you so continue in the faith, grounded and stable, and immoveable from the hope of the Gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven, [n. 57] whereof I Paul am made a minister. [n. 58]

^1:24^ Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up those things that are wanting in the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the Church: [n. 60]

^1:25^ Whereof I am made a minister according to the dispensation of God, which is given me towards you, that I may fulfill the word of God: [n. 62]

^1:26^ The mystery which has been hidden from ages and generations, but now is manifested to his saints, [n. 66]

^1:27^ To whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles, which is Christ, in you the hope of glory, [n. 69]

^1:28^ Whom we preach, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: [n. 70]

^1:29^ Wherein also I labor, striving according to his working which he works in me in power. [n. 73]

58. After Paul commended Christ in relation to God, to all creation, to the entire Church, and to the Colossians themselves, he now commends him in relation to himself, showing that he is Christ’s minister.

First, he mentions his ministry;

second, he shows his faithfulness in it, at who now rejoice;

and third, its greatness, at whereof I am made a minister.

59. He says: I say that the Gospel has been preached to all, the Gospel whereof I Paul am made a minister; to preach it, not on my own authority, but only as a minister: this is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God (1 Cor 4:1).

60. He is a faithful minister. This is obvious, because he does not run away from the dangers involved in his preaching. First, he shows his attitude toward his sufferings; second, the fruit of his suffering.

His attitude was one of joy, because who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, that is, for your benefit: if we are afflicted it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer (2 Cor 1:6).

He also rejoices because of the joy of eternal life which he expects from them, and which is the fruit of his ministry: count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials, for you know that the testimony of your faith produces steadfastness (Jas 1:2); even if I am to be poured as a libation upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all (Phil 2:17).

61. And indeed by this fruit, so that I should fill up those things that are wanting in the sufferings of Christ.

At first glance these words can be misunderstood to mean that the passion of Christ was not sufficient for our redemption, and that the sufferings of the saints were added to complete it. But this is heretical, because the blood of Christ is sufficient to redeem many worlds: he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2).

Rather, we should understand that Christ and the Church are one mystical person, whose head is Christ, and whose body is all the just, for every just person is a member of this head: individually members (1 Cor 12:27). Now God in his predestination has arranged how much merit will exist throughout the entire Church, both in the head and in the members, just as he has predestined the number of the elect. And among these merits, the sufferings of the holy martyrs occupy a prominent place. For while the merits of Christ, the head, are infinite, each saint displays some merits in a limited degree.

This is why he says,** fill up those things that are wanting in the sufferings of Christ, that is, what is lacking in the afflictions of the whole Church, of which Christ is the head. I fill up**, that is, I add my own amount; and I do this in my flesh, that is, it is I myself who am suffering. Or, we could say that Paul was completing the sufferings that were lacking in his own flesh. For what was lacking was that, just as Christ had suffered in his own body, so he should also suffer in Paul, his member, and in similar ways in others.

And Paul does this **for his body, which is the Church **that was to be redeemed by Christ: that he might present the Church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle (Eph 5:27). In the same way all the saints suffer for the Church, which receives strength from their example. The Gloss says: afflictions are still lacking, because the treasure house of the Church’s merits is not full, and it will not be full until the end of the world.

62. Then when he says,** whereof I Paul**, he shows the greatness of his ministry in three ways:

first, from its origin;

in the second place, from the end to which it is directed, at that I may fulfill;

and third, from its purpose.

63. But someone could say: is his a great ministry? He answers: yes, because I became a minister because it was given to me according to the dispensation.

This can be explained in two ways. First in an active sense, and then the meaning is that I became a minister so that I could dispense divine things to you, faithfully passing them on; and this power has been given to me.

Second, it can be explained in a passive sense, and then the meaning is that Paul became a minister in so far as he was appointed by God. And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers (Eph 4:11); set apart for me Barnabas and Paul for the work to which I have called them (Acts 13:2).

64. What is the end of his ministry? Certainly, not money, or his own glory. Rather, he has received it for a great purpose, that is, that I may fulfill the word of God. First, he shows the greatness of that for which he has received this ministry; second, he shows what this is, that is, which is Christ.

He shows its greatness because it has been widely proclaimed, both in an obscure form and openly.

65. The ministry he received was to convert the gentiles; thus,** that I may fulfill the word of God**, that is, the eternal dispensation of God. In other words, by my preaching I am to show that the word of God has been fulfilled, that is, God’s dispensation and plan and promise concerning the Incarnation of the Word of God. Or, I am to show by my preaching the eternal dispensation of God in which he arranged that the gentiles were to be converted by Christ to a faith in the true God. And this had to be accomplished: does he say and not do? Does he speak and not do what he said? (Num 23:19); my word that goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isa 55:11).

66. But God arranged that this be accomplished by Paul’s ministry, and so Paul says, that I may fulfill the mystery, i.e., it is called a mystery insofar as it is hidden, because this mystery which has been hidden is this word: my secret to myself (Isa 24:16). Which has been hidden from ages, that is, from the beginning of the ages, and it was hidden from all the generations of men, who were unable to know this: the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God (Eph 3:9).

For even though the early philosophers seem to have said something about Christ’s divinity, either as being his own or appropriated (as Augustine found in the works of Plato, such as that in the beginning was the Word, and things like that), yet none could know that the Word was made flesh.

But you ask if this was not known by the prophets? I reply that it was, insofar as it pertained to the Gospel; but it was not known as explicitly as the apostles knew it.

67. Then when he says, but now is manifested, he deals with the revelation of this mystery.

First, he shows to whom it was revealed;

second, why it was revealed to them, at to whom God would make known.

68. He says that this mystery now is manifested, that is, in this time of grace: behold now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). This is the knowledge of the saints: she gave him knowledge of holy things (Wis 10:10); he showed his friend that it belongs to him, and that he can approach it (Job 36:33).

69. It was revealed to his saints not because of their own merits, but because of God’s good pleasure; thus Paul says, to whom God would make known the riches of the glory of this mystery: all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you (John 15:15); yea, Father, for such was your gracious will (Matt 11:26). To make known the riches of the glory of this mystery, because by the fact that such things had been hidden, God now appears superabundantly glorious. For God was formerly known in Judea (Ps 75:2), but through this mystery of the conversion of the gentiles the glory of God is made known to the entire world: I glorified you on earth (John 17:4). And this is to be done among the gentiles, that is, it is to be accomplished among them: let us rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God (Rom 5:2); O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! (Rom 11:33).

This mystery, which is Christ, i.e., which we obtain through Christ, is the hope of glory, which had formerly been promised only to the Jews: the believers from among the circumcised were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the gentiles (Acts 10:45); and let us glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God (Rom 5:2); the root of Jesse, who stands as an ensign of the people, will be called on by the gentiles (Isa 11:10).

So far Paul has indicated the origin and end of his ministry.

70. Now he mentions its function, at whom we preach.

In regard to this he does three things.

First, he indicates its function;

second, its fruit, at that we may present;

and in the third place, the help he was given, at wherein also I labor.

71. Its function is to announce Christ; and he shows this function and the method he used: announce his ways among the gentiles (Ps 9:11); that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you (1 John 1:1).

He states his method when he says, admonishing every man; this is a complete proclamation, because it is to every person, and not just the Jewish people: teach all nations (Matt 28:19). His method is to teach the truth and to refute what is false, and so he says,** admonishing every man**, or unbeliever, in this life: the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every proud obstacle to the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:4); and it also consists in teaching every man in all wisdom, which is the knowledge of God: to know you is complete righteousness, and to know your power is the root of immortality (Wis 15:3); among the mature we do impart wisdom (1 Cor 2:6).

72. The fruit of this in this life is that men are brought to perfection; and so he says, that we may present every man, that is, of any condition, perfect, not in the law, but in Christ. You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48).

But is everyone bound to perfection? No, but it should be the goal of the preacher. Now the perfection of charity is of two kinds. One is from a necessity of precept, that is, that one not allow into his heart anything opposed to God: you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind (Matt 22:37). The other perfection of charity is from a necessity of counsel, which is that one give up even those things that are lawful; and this kind of perfection goes beyond what is required. But for this Paul had God’s help.

73. And so he says, wherein also I labor, striving* against unbelievers and sinners: take your share of suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Tim 2:3); I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7). And Paul does this according to his working, the grace of God is with me (1 Cor 15:10), which he works in me, because God does this in me *in power, i.e., that is, by giving me the might or power: stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).