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What Is The Christ, and What Is Lacking of His Afflictions?

Posted on January 8, 2009
Hi C____,

Thank you for your question. Here is what Strong's Concordance has for the words "behind:"

husterēma
hoos-ter'-ay-mah
From G5302; a deficit; specifically poverty: - that which is behind, (that which was) lack (-ing), penury, want.

And here are all the entries for this Greek word 'husterema:'

G5303
ὑστέρημα
husterēma
Total KJV Occurrences: 9
lacking, 3
1Co_16:17, 2Co_11:9, 1Th_3:10
want, 3
2Co_8:14 (2), 2Co_9:12
behind, 1
Col_1:24
lack, 1
Phi_2:30
penury, 1
Luk_21:4

In the interlinear, the word 'of' has no number with it. What this means is this word was added by the translators. But it is worth noting that all the translations I have include this word 'of.'

Let's look at that complete verse in the King James Version:
Col 1:24  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:
Now let's look at this verse in a few of the literal versions:
Col 1:24  I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly, (YLT)

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in the sufferings on behalf of you, and I fill up the wants of the afflictions of the Anointed one in the flesh of me on behalf of the body of him, which is the congregation; (EDT)

Col 1:24  I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and do fill up the things lacking of the tribulations of the Christ in my flesh for his body, which is the assembly,
I have emboldened and underlined the words 'lacking' and 'wants' to demonstrate that something is 'lacking of the afflictions of the Christ." I have also underlined and emboldened that words 'the Christ' to make the point Paul is making in these verses. This phrase in found in the New Testament many times in the Greek. It is hidden from our view in most of the English translations. But the doctrine of 'the Christ' is one of the most important doctrines of the New Testament, because as Paul demonstrates in this verse, the Christ is "in my flesh..."

'The Christ' is in the flesh of all in whom He dwells, and the significance of this Truth is this:
Mat 10:40  He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

Luk 10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

Joh 20:21  Then said Jesus to them again, Peace [be] unto you: as [my] Father hath sent me, even so send I you.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Look at the significance of this truth:
Act 4:26  The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.

Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become [the kingdoms] of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev 12:10  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Christ is "our God' under His and our Father:
1Co 8:6  But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
"We by Him" makes Christ our Father, just as He is of His Father:
Psa 22:30  A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
So Christ, under His Father, is "the mighty God, the everlasting Father," and we are His children, and His Christ, "the Christ" of Christ, and "as He is so are we in this world."

I hope all of this helps you to see what is meant by Col 1:24.
Col 1:24  Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of [the] Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
"The Christ" is in the flesh of every member of His body in every generation of mankind. It is through "the Christ" that the afflictions of "the Christ" are still being fulfilled in every generation. Christ did not die to sin so we could live in it. The doctrine of His "substitutionary death is a false doctrine of enormous proportions. Christ died to sin not to keep us from having to die, rather He died to sin so that He could come and live His life of dying to sin within our flesh:
2Co 4:7  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
Only three verses after Col 1:24 we are told this:
Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
It is through Him that we can do all things:
Php 4:13  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Your brother in Christ,

Mike