The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 70

Vere. 23-29.-The ministry of the mystery. In these words the apostle dwells on his own part in carrying out Christ's work of reconciling men to God. That he rloes this in no boastful spirit goes without Baying; but that he does so without any affecta- tion of reserve or of modesty is equally plain. Indeed, he sets forth with unusual emphasis the glory of the Word the apostle has to proclaim, and the greatness of the work that proclamation involves: that Word, he shows, is a sublime mystery; that work a manifold ministry. !. THE WORK OF TRE MINISTRY IS THE PilOCLAU/llNG OF A BLESSED MYSTERY. The term "mystery," as P,tt1l here twice uses it, and often in this Epistle, does not describe what is essentially incomprehensible, but rather what was bidden but is now revealed. The gospel is a mystery, but a mystery that is to be preached fully, as Bishop Lightfoot renders the word" fulfil;" a mystery that is made manifest, a mystery into which (as the word borrowed from the ancient mysteries, in ver. 28, suggests) every man may be initiated. 1. The gospel a mystery. All religion deals with mystery. Genuine mystery is the stamp of a religious divinity; false mystery is the counterfeit superstition stamps. In its aspect towards the vast, the infinite, the Divine, religion must always have some mystery to man. 2. The gospel a mystery that was long secret from man. «Hidden things belong to God." 'l'here are hidden facts and laws in nature that science has only gradually discovered or is now only gradually discovering; hidden moral meanings in nature and history that poet's sight only can descry and poet's sonn- only describe. There were hidden things in religion that only holy men of old moved by the Holy Ghost could reveal. 3. The gospel is a mystery that is now fully rei·ealecl. ,vhatever may have been the guesses of nobler pagans, or the anticipations of patriarchs, or the predictions of prophets, all was only the pale light of very early dawn upon the bills of ancient time. It was noon when Christ lived, taught, died. The seal was broken, the secret was revealed. What secret? 4-. The gospel is the revealed secret of GoO:s.'IJITl,iversal redeeming love. Christ is fully proclaimed. And Christ is the Mystery. In him are all the treasures, all the wealth, of God stored away. (1) .All the mystery i~ revealed in Christ. As the rainbow has all possible colours in its wondrous arc, as the fabled music of the spheres has all possible tones in its chord, so in Christ is all the wisdom, all the righteousness, all the love, of God. (2) .All men may receive the bless- ings of this mystery. Christ, and Christ freely given to the Gentiles, and Christ freely given to be an indwelling Power in them, is the great Mystery, which, as Paul dwelt on it, made him proclaim it with newer and deepening joy. "Now," when I see the full extent of God's mercy-" now," when I ponder his mighty, all-sufficient, all-embracing love, I rejoice, not only to proclaim, but to suffer untold sacrifices in proclaiming it to men. Anything, Paul felt and said, was worth doing, anything was worth suffering, if he might but preach the whole gospel without reserve, to all men without restriction. This leads us to notice- II. THIS WORK INVOLVES COMPLETE CONSECRATION ON THE PART OF ITS MThTJ:STERS, 'rhis consecration may, indeed often does, involve: 1. Intensity of suffering. Very bold does tbo assertion of the apostle seem about "filling up what is behind of the sufferings of Christ." Were his sufferings incomplete, then? No and yes. Yes; for he left work to be done that involves suffering. There must be suffering sympathy, suffer- in"' self-denial, sometimes suffering death, in carrying on the work of bringing men to G;d, This consecration will involve: 2. Mnnifoldness of labour. There is the three- fold function of the Christian worker denoted here. This consecration is the result of: 3. The highest constraint.-U. R. T. Vera. 1, 2.-The sal11tation. We propose to offer brief l1ints towards a consecutive exposition of this invaluable E11istle, taking the Revised Version as our text. In this  6! THE EPISTLE TO 'l'HE COLOSSIANS. [ Cll. I, 1-20,