God’s Word Translation
Colossians 1:24
24I am happy to suffer for you now. In my body I am completing whatever remains of Christ’s sufferings. I am doing this on behalf of his body, the church.
Colossians 1:24 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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:
- New International Version (NIV)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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church,
- New King James Version (NKJV)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,
Context of Colossians 1:24
22But now Christ has brought you back to God by dying in his physical body. He did this so that you could come into God’s presence without sin, fault, or blame. 23This is on the condition that you continue in faith without being moved from the solid foundation of the hope that the Good News contains. You’ve heard this Good News of which I, Paul, became a servant. It has been spread throughout all creation under heaven. I am happy to suffer for you now. In my body I am completing whatever remains of Christ’s sufferings. I am doing this on behalf of his body, the church. 25I became a servant of the church when God gave me the work of telling you his entire message. 26In the past God hid this mystery, but now he has revealed it to his people.
Read all of Colossians 1Colossians 1:24 word by word
Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία·Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Whoὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
- nowνῦνnun · nowG3568
- rejoiceχαίρωchairō · to rejoiceG5463
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- myἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- sufferingsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- sufferingsπάθημαpathēma · sufferingG3804
- forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
- youσύsu · youG4771
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- fill upἀνταναπληρόωantanaplēroō · to fill againG466
- that which is behindὑστέρημαhusterēma · deficiencyG5303
- of the afflictionsθλῖψιςthlipsis · pressureG2347
- of ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- fleshσάρξsarx · fleshG4561
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- body’sσῶμαsōma · bodyG4983
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
Cross-references for Colossians 1:24
- Matthew 5:11“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you because of me.
- Acts 5:41The apostles left the council room. They were happy to have been considered worthy to suffer dishonor for speaking about Jesus.
- Romans 5:3But that’s not all. We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering creates endurance,
- 2 Corinthians 7:4I have great confidence in you, and I have a lot of reasons to be proud of you. Even as we suffer, I’m encouraged and feel very happy.
- Ephesians 3:1This is the reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus for those of you who are not Jewish.
- Philippians 2:17My life is being poured out as a part of the sacrifice and service ⌞I offer to God⌟ for your faith. Yet, I am filled with joy, and I share that joy with all of you.
- James 1:2My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways.
- 2 Corinthians 1:5Because Christ suffered so much for us, we can receive so much comfort from him.
- 2 Corinthians 4:8In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.
- 2 Corinthians 11:23Are they Christ’s servants? It’s insane to say it, but I’m a far better one. I’ve done much more work, been in prison many more times, been beaten more severely, and have faced death more often.
- Philippians 3:10that knows Christ. Faith knows the power that his coming back to life gives and what it means to share his suffering. In this way I’m becoming like him in his death,
- 2 Timothy 1:8So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord or be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Instead, by God’s power, join me in suffering for the sake of the Good News.
- 2 Timothy 2:9I’m suffering disgrace for spreading this Good News. I have even been put into prison like a criminal. However, God’s word is not imprisoned.
- Colossians 1:18He is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, the first to come back to life so that he would have first place in everything.
- Ephesians 1:23The church is Christ’s body and completes him as he fills everything in every way.
Commentaries on Colossians 1:24
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Rejoice in my sufferings for you - St. Paul always considers his persecutions, as far as the Jews were concerned in them, as arising from this simple circumstance - his asserting that God had chosen the Gentiles, and called them to enjoy the very same privileges with the Jews, and to constitute one Church with them. It was on this account that the Jews attempted his life at Jerusalem, when, in order to save it, he was obliged to appeal to Caesar; the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you - For you as a part of the Gentile world. It was not for the Colossians alone, but he regarded himself as suffering on account of his labors in preaching to the pagan at large. His trials at Rome had come upon him because he had maintained that the wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles was broken down, and that the gospel was to be preached indiscriminately to all mankind; see this illustrated in the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-29Verses 24-29 Both the sufferings of the Head and of the members are called the sufferings of Christ, and make up, as it were, one body of sufferings. But He suffered for the redemption of the church; we suffer on other accounts; for we do but slightly taste that cup of afflictions of which Christ first drank deeply. A Christian may be said to fill up that which remains of the sufferings of Christ, when he takes up his cross, and after the pattern of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24I fill up in my flesh what is lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions: Christ's suffering for redemption is unique and fully accomplished. Yet, he continues to suffer through his followers in a world opposed to the message of redemption. Christ and his church will keep suffering until God completes his purposes for this world (see also Mark 13:19–23; Romans 8:17–18; 1 Thessalonians 3:3).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2424. Who--The oldest manuscripts omit "who"; then translate, "Now I rejoice." Some very old manuscripts, and the best of the Latin versions, and Vulgate, read as English Version. To enhance the glory of Christ as paramount to all, he mentions his own sufferings for the Church of Christ. "Now" stands in contrast to "I was made," in the past time (Col 1:23). for you--"on your behalf," that ye may be confirmed in resting solely on Christ (to the exclusion of…Read the comment
Topics related to Colossians 1:24
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Colossians 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries