Colossians 1:24-29
Paul's Labor for the Church
24Now I rejoice in what was suffered 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. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— 26the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. 29To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
St. Paul's theme throughout all his epistles is Jesus died for us, Jesus died for us, Jesus died for us and our sins...He hammers this home in his letters...His mission and almost complete focus was on spreading the good news about Jesus...He preaches how and why He died for us...St. Paul went mainly to the Gentiles and anyone who would listen to his message of Christ...St. Paul sees his commission is spreading this good news...He is the leading missionary of his time...In terms of spreading the word, St. Paul is probably only second to his Master, Jesus Christ...St. Paul was literally on a mission to spread the Good News to the Gentiles...Day after day, year after year he labored to spread the word to them (the Gentiles)...
Jesus died on the cross through afflictions, we put Him through...These afflictions caused His death...These afflictions were our sins...Our sins caused His death...We are the ones who caused His death...If man was not a sinner, or had there been even one man on earth, that was good, maybe He would not have came...He may not have needed to die..But Jesus tells us, no one is good but God alone (Luke 18:19)...Man sins...He came for our sins...He died for our sins...We did this to Him...
St. Paul tells us he uses all his energy and struggles to get the word out...Jesus works in St. Paul, through the Holy Spirit... St. Paul tries to teach us the Perfect Wisdom, the Perfect Truth...The Perfect Truth will make one perfect when he follows the life and teachings of the One, who came for us...
We must be thankful to God that He has opened up a mystery and given us a miracle hidden for ages and generations... This mystery is that man is destined to sin and die...But the life and gospel of Jesus Christ saves us from this sin and death... St. Paul tells the Gentiles that they too are part of God's plan and they receive the promises of the Jews... God does not show favoritism...Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6)...God wants everyone to know the "truth"...God wants everyone to know the "way" to the truth...God wants everyone to seek the truth to find eternal "life"...His passion saves us...