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Colossians 1:24 Again: The Apocalyptic Motif

Recent articles in the QUARTERLY by Mr. R. Yates and Dr. L. P. Trudinger have shown that there is still much room for discussion about the meaning of this crux interpretum. I venture to enter the fray because, while I share Dr. Trudinger’s misgivings about interpretations in terms of corporate personality, I nevertheless find that his own exegesis in the light of Phil. 3: 10 leaves much to be desired. Paul there speaks of his own striving to be fully conformed to the sufferings of Christ: the reference is individual and (3: 15 ff.) exemplary. If this then is the thought in Col. 1: 24, it is hard to see how Dr. Trudinger succeeds in extending a clear reference to Paul’s individual suffering into a wider reference to “the Church’s suffering”. If the deficiency is in the Church’s conformity to the sufferings of Christ, then in what sense do Paul’s personal sufferings supply the deficiency? On Dr. Trudinger’s interpretation, surely not vicariously. We can suppose that Paul rejoices in personally taking a large share of suffering on the Church’s behalf only if we accept the interpretations by which the Church supplements, complements or completes the sufferings of Christ, not if we insist that the reference is to no more than participation in those sufferings. The latter, in Philippians, is the duty of every Christian, but it would strain our text unbearably to import the teaching of Phil. 3 about the exemplary value of Paul’s suffering. We are therefore left only with the unsatisfactory sense that Paul is “doing his bit” (and no indication in the letter that the Colossians are doing theirs).