by Kevin DeYoung
When we speak of the perfection of the atonement, we mean that nothing was lacking in Christ’s sacrifice for sin and no one can contribute in any way to his work of satisfaction. The precious blood of Christ is without spot or blemish (1 Pet. 1:19). To think any angelic or human intermediary could contribute to the efficacy of the atonement is a perversion of the gospel. We cannot admit Mary to be a coredemptrix or comediatrix, even if her mediatorial role is said to be subordinate to Christ’s. There is only one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). Christ’s atoning sacrifice was once for all, never to be repeated, as unique and perfect as the Son of God is unique and perfect (Heb. 9:25–26; 10:1–14).
The perfection of the atonement, however, seems to be at odds with Paul’s contention that he was “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” (Col. 1:24). Surely Paul does not mean that the atonement was inadequate in some way, for the whole chapter is about the preeminence of Christ’s person and work. When Christ said on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), we can take him at his word. The “lacking” must be referring to something other than the work of atonement itself. One option is to consider that the church has a definite measure of suffering to fill up, a kind of quota appointed by God that must be completed for Christ’s suffering to be considered complete. After all, it seems that there is a fixed number of martyrs waiting to be filled up (Rev. 6:11). Moreover, we know that persecution against the church is also persecution against Christ (Acts 9:4). So Paul may be saying in Colossians 1:24 that his suffering is one part of contributing to the appointed whole.
And yet Paul doesn’t say that the body of Christ fills up an appointed number of afflictions. Rather, Paul says he is filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of Christ’s body (i.e., the church). The option detailed in the last paragraph is not wrong, but it may be too broad if we take “affliction” to be a generic kind of suffering. The “filling up what is lacking” refers specifically to the personal presentation of the gospel in the midst of suffering for the gospel. Indeed, the rest of Colossians 1 puts verse 24 in a missions context. Paul has a stewardship from God to make the word of God fully known (1:25) and is struggling with all his energy as he powerfully proclaims the gospel (1:28–29). Just as Epaphroditus filled up by his personal presence what was lacking in the Macedonian gift, so Paul fills up the afflictions of Christ by suffering for the cause of the gospel among the Colossians.
In short, the work of Christ is not lacking in quality or quantity. Afflictions in Colossians 1:24 are not used of redemptive atonement, but of suffering more broadly, and of suffering as a messenger of the gospel more specifically. There is no imperfection in the atonement. What is lacking are people to present the afflictions of Christ to the world—no matter the cost.
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From Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung