www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Scripture and Patristic Writings colossians 1:24

I think this is a start to understand "lacking"


This is also good.
This is good too

But why refer to what is lacking in Christ's suffering?

BTW This was the first reading in the Latin church yesterday Monday 9/10/2007 but the short sermon was on the Gospel.

This is very good.
What is so important about our suffering that we can say that Christ's suffering lacks something?

I might have it from what you all have said.
Perhaps Paul is talking about the mystical body of Christ and the physical body of Christ at the same time.
The "lacking" was not in the physical body of Christ but the mystical body of Christ and Christ is the head and we (the church) are the rest of the body which needs to suffer along with the head.

It may not be possible to understand "why" the word lacking was used. Modern commentators may claim to have percise understandings, but then their speculation can be so grounded in the speculation of their peers that their confidence blinds the mystery.

In many places Paul uses words to incite action among his readers. Perhaps he wanted to stress this "call to action" in the personal and social lives of the people of Colosse. It may tie in with a theme in Colossians: "If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Setting our minds above this world requires suffering. It's not easy, and sometimes it requires courage. And when that's required, though Paul did not pursue martyrdom and that is not what I mean with required, it may help a believer to see how needful Christ's mission is as they continue it with their faith and lives.

I cannot grasp the answer, I can only frame it within the spirit of Scripture.

melkiteman:

I think you're coming to it, as you say. I detect some of the legalistic approach of the West in your attempts to understand this Mystery. The physical body of Christ is also part of the Mystical Body of Christ so there is an overlap here that allows us who are baptised to be part of the sufferings of Christ Himself and gives our own suffering an eternal value. The whole question of why men suffer in this life is one that has had every civilization and religion trying to come up with an answer. And they all have fallen short until the advent of Christ and the Revelation He brought. I think if you read through this whole thread again and pray about it, you will come to the Church's understanding.

It might help if we think of Christ not only taking on the sin of all mankind, but also taking on Himself all of the suffering of those who were His own and who would become His own in the future--that's us--as He suffered on the Cross, as well as all the suffering of every human being ever created.

Part of the problem in the English-speaking world, as I see it, is that we are so heavily influenced by Protestant approaches to Scripture and the literal understanding that comes from fundamentalism. You may also have heard it said that the work of Christ on the Cross is finished and nothing needs to be added to it, even though St. Paul's words appear in the same Scripture they use. So it seems we have to trust the Church for a complete explanation of the Mystery in such persons as St. John Chrysostom mentioned above.

In Christ,

BOB