Colossians 1:25, commentary and pictures

Paul was made a minister by God's appointment and stewardship, given for the sake of believers and the church. To fulfil the word of God means to make it fully known and bring it to its full expression by proclaiming it fully and carrying it out. That fulfilling centers on the mystery hidden for ages but now revealed to the saints, which is Christ dwelling in believers as the hope of glory, with its riches extending to the world. It is done by preaching Christ, warning and teaching every person in all wisdom in order to present every person mature and complete in Christ, laboring and striving according to His working which works mightily within. This lays a solemn responsibility on ministers for souls, requiring divine qualification, abiding in Christ, and thorough faithful work by instruction and example rather than mere speaking to please hearers.

Commission to Fulfil Word

Paul was made a minister by God's dispensation, appointment, commission and stewardship. That trust was given to him for the sake of believers, for the church and for others, for their benefit and spiritual good. It was not an office held for self but a work entrusted for those who were to hear.

To fulfil the word of God is to make God's word fully known and to bring it to its full expression. It is to proclaim it fully, to instruct fully, and to carry it out in the work of the ministry. For young churches this means full instruction on all points essential to symmetrical character made perfect in Christ.

Mystery Now Revealed

To fulfil the word is to make fully known the mystery that was hidden from ages and generations but is now made manifest to the saints. That entrusted ministry was given for the benefit of believers, the church and others, to proclaim the gospel and carry out God's word by revealing what had once been hidden through the ages. It belongs to the charge to remain grounded in faith and hope, and to the work of preaching Christ, warning and teaching everyone wisely and laboring through God's power so that each person may become mature and complete in him.

The riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles is Christ dwelling in believers as the hope of glory, Christ in you the hope of glory. Gentiles here means the world, and the ministry includes preaching Christ's unsearchable riches among them. That mystery encompasses God's love, goodness and compassion, which limited spiritual understanding has not fully grasped.

Its center is Christ crucified, whose salvation is full and complete for those who accept him. His saving work remains an inexhaustible subject because he is a living intercessor before the Father and the propitiation for the sins of the world. His sacrifice is proclaimed as the means by which sinners can return to allegiance to God's commandments, to see him as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world and as a compassionate High Priest, a work to be done with humility and a contrite heart. The message for this time is not a new truth but the very same that Paul taught and that Christ taught. It requires lifting up Christ and bringing His infinitely perfect character prominently into view, for He is the power, the might, the sanctification and righteousness of all who believe in Him.

Labor to Present Perfect

To fulfil the word is to preach Christ, warning every person and teaching every person in all wisdom, in order to present every person perfect, mature and complete in Christ. That presenting perfect means fully instructing young churches on all points essential to symmetrical character, so converts are not left with mere theory, carnal hearts and lack of thorough conversion. The charge belongs to remaining grounded in faith and hope and to carrying out God's word by making the gospel's revealed mystery known.

This work is done by laboring and striving according to Christ's working which works mightily within the minister. It is more laborious than merely preaching, requiring the minister to represent Christ in character as a living epistle known and read of all. The power depended on is God's power working in the minister to make people mature in Him.

The verse places a solemn responsibility on ministers for souls, so that if any are lost through unfaithfulness God will hold the minister accountable. It is a labor for people's spiritual good, not merely holding an office or preaching without caring for the churches. Those who received the faith can in turn preach the gospel, sharing faithfully in the work of saving souls.

Those who teach God's word are not to try to work the Holy Spirit but are themselves to be worked by the Holy Spirit. This is the solemn responsibility carried by men who teach God's word as ministers.

Presenting believers perfect is the same high attainment as presenting them holy and unblameable and unreproveable. Yet all can reach it who put themselves under the control of the great Teacher and learn daily in the school of Christ. That learning is in meekness and lowliness, making straight paths, putting away roots of bitterness, and working out salvation with fear and trembling while God works in them to will and to do. The power at God's command is limitless, and the minister in great need who shuts himself in with the Lord will receive what will be to hearers a savor of life unto life.

Qualification and Faithful Practice

Being made a minister is too little understood, for it is a position given by God's dispensation for the sake of others to fulfil the word of God, and it requires being divinely qualified to accomplish what God requires after the pattern of Paul. That qualification is faith, vital godliness, true religious experience, and abiding in Christ, so that converts are not left with mere theory of truth, carnal hearts, and destitution of true godliness without thorough conversion, but young churches are fully instructed on all points essential to a symmetrical character perfect in Christ Jesus. It requires going to the work burdened for the people, with intercession and consecration to receive light from God, for going light-loaded with no burden shows a mistaken calling. Those who work for God must feed upon Christ, because they are built up spiritually from what they eat, and when Christ is formed within as the hope of glory they have wisdom from God not only to eat of Christ but to feed the flock in due season, giving every person his portion from the word which is spirit and life. A man who claims a burden to preach but has not been sanctified through the truth he preaches will not help those for whom he labors, and the burden is preaching the truth as it is in Jesus.

Power and grace to present Christ come from going directly to Christ the Fountain Head, who is open to all for strength in trouble, discouragement, and perplexity, instead of reaching to human agencies for strength. Becoming acquainted with Jesus by faith gives knowledge of His matchless love and the power of His grace and His promised presence to meet opposition, so that having received God's goodness ministers can carry that goodness to the world. Their work is a trust from God carried out for others, and they must seek God's wisdom rather than depend on human counsel. The minister who in great need shuts himself in with the Lord will receive what will be to hearers a savor of life unto life, for the power at God's command is limitless. The grace that is of heavenly origin produces discretion, kindness, sympathy, and tenderness.

Ministers serve under God's commission as human beings and are not to take God's place, because Christ is the one to whom all must look for guidance. The work is carried on by those who in Christ's stead plead with others to be reconciled to God, and God works with and strengthens those who submit to Him. This work is to be done with humility and a contrite heart.

Faithful fulfillment binds off the work thoroughly rather than merely ministering as an acceptable speaker who pleases hearers with surface work. It teaches the church by instruction and example and by word, conduct, and example, helping believers grow in grace and truth and become truly converted and godly rather than relying chiefly on blame or presenting truth as theory alone. It warns every person and teaches every person in all wisdom, giving faithful warnings, reproofs, and corrections, without diminishing God's commandments. When Christ and His character, words, and work are not brought before the people, churches are ready to die for lack of spiritual life and spiritual discernment.

The entrusted truth is for others, and when accepted in genuine faith it opens the heart to Jesus the light and the life and refines, sanctifies, and ennobles the believer. The religion of Christ makes all who possess it truly benevolent, countenancing no littleness and no mean transactions, allowing none of the cheap, covetous actions that disgrace the doer, and bearing fruit in good works with heaven's endorsement. This calling builds up the church against selfishness and deficient character and labors through God's working to help people become mature in Christ. It seeks to awaken people to their need of God and from an irreligious state, and serves the church and the saving of souls by bringing truth to those in the darkness of error. The burden is preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, speaking as one put in trust with the gospel not as pleasing men but God who tries the hearts.