{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-3442","native_reference":{"book_number":580,"chapter_from":1,"chapter_to":1,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":24,"verse_to":24},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Ambrosiaster</b>: He confesses that he rejoices in the tribulations he suffered, because he sees his progress in the faith of the believers. For tribulation is not empty when it is endured for the one for whom it is endured; it acquires for life. The sufferings that Christ speaks of are inflicted, of which they certainly pursue the teaching; so that he may burden the treacherous with the credulity of their impiety, and may proclaim the charity of God to the faithful, whose Son now suffers injuries for us. Therefore, he now wants to be understood for what reason he writes to them, when he says: If indeed you persevere in the founded faith, so that they may know then that the passion of Christ would benefit them if they were to remain in the received faith.<br/><i>— Commentary on Colossians</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: And hence the same Apostle, even when he was still Saul, heard: \"Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?\" because the body is joined to the head; and when already the preacher of Christ suffered from others the things which he himself had done as a persecutor: \"To make up,\" he said, \"what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ in my flesh,\" showing that what he suffered pertained to the afflictions of Christ. This cannot be understood concerning the head, which now in heaven suffers nothing of the sort, but concerning the body, that is, the Church, which body with its head is one Christ.<br/><i>— Sermon 341</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: Of the same character is what this very apostle said in another place: \"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh.\" He said not, of my afflictions, but \"of Christ's;\" for he was a member of Christ, and in his persecutions, such as it behoved Christ to suffer in the whole of His body, he also was filling up his own share of His afflictions.<br/><i>— Tractates on John 108</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: \"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body's sake, which is the Church.\" And what is the connection of this? It seems indeed not to be connected, but it is even closely so. And \"minister,\" he says, that is, bringing in nothing from myself, but announcing what is from another. I so believe, that I suffer even for His sake, and not suffer only, but even rejoice in suffering, looking unto the hope which is to come, and I suffer not for myself, but for you. \"And fill up,\" he saith, \"that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh.\" It seems indeed to be a great thing he has said; but it is not of arrogancy, far be it, but even of much tender love towards Christ; for he will not have the sufferings to be his own, but His, through desire of conciliating these persons to Him. And what things I suffer, I suffer, he saith, on His account: not to me, therefore, express your gratitude, but to him, for it is He Himself who suffers. Just as if one, when sent to a person, should make request to another, saying, I beseech thee, go for me to this person, then the other should say, \"it is on his account I am doing it.\" So that He is not ashamed to call these sufferings also his own. For He did not only die for us, but even after His death He is ready to be afflicted for your sakes. He is eagerly and vehemently set upon showing that He is even now exposed to peril in His own Body for the Church's sake, and he aims at this point, namely, ye are not brought unto God by us, but by Him, even though we do these things, for we have not undertaken a work of our own, but His. And it is the same as if there were a band which had its allotted leader to protect it, and it should stand in battle, and then when he was gone, his lieutenant should succeed to his wounds until the battle were brought to a close.<br/><i>— Homily on Colossians 4</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Next, that for His sake also he doeth these things, hearken: \"For His Body's sake,\" he saith, assuredly meaning to say this: \"I pleasure not you, but Christ: for what things He should have suffered, I suffer instead of Him.\" See how many things he establishes. Great, he shows, is the claim upon their love. As in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, he wrote, saying, \"he committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation\"; and again, \"We are ambassadors on behalf of Christ; as though God were entreating by us.\" So also here he saith, \"For his sake I suffer,\" that he may the more draw them to Him. That is, though He who is your debtor is gone away, yet I repay. For, on this account he also said, \"that which is lacking,\" to show that not even yet does he consider Him to have suffered all. \"For your sake,\" he saith, and even after His death He suffers; seeing that still there remains a deficiency. The same thing he doeth in another way in the Epistle to the Romans, saying, \"Who also maketh intercession for us,\" showing that He was not satisfied with His death alone, but even afterwards He doeth countless things.<br/><i>— Homily on Colossians 4</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: He does not then say this to exalt himself, but through a desire to show that Christ is even yet caring for them. And he shows what he says to be credible, by adding, \"for His Body's sake.\" For that so it is, and that there is no unlikelihood in it, is plain from these things being done for His body's sake. Look how He hath knitted us unto Himself. Why then introduce Angels between? \"Whereof I was made,\" he saith, \"a minister.\" Why introduce Angels besides? \"I am a minister.\"<br/><i>— Homily on Colossians 4</i></p><p><b>Severian of Gabala</b>: I fulfill what is lacking in the tribulations of Christ through my suffering, which is on your behalf. How so? Because in order to preach to you, I have had to suffer. Since Christ is the head of the body, tribulation will be generated through the word of truth for those who are in the church. These are naturally called the sufferings of Christ. .</p><p><b>Tertullian</b>: As, however, he says elsewhere, that the Church is the body of Christ, so here also (the apostle) declares that he \"fills up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh for His body's sake, which is the Church.\" But you must not on this account suppose that on every mention of His body the term is only a metaphor, instead of meaning real flesh.<br/><i>— Against Marcion Book V</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"a1a2e59e2f75d5ebd62a8265266569c4e5579a79c46a5239332aac8f1d1ea4d6","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":3442,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"01070396670736d00b285dc236b29e70c139ca03339fd3ff0b1a70b62a05f531","translator":null,"work":null}