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Colossians 1:24-29, King James Version
Italic words were supplied in the English translation for clarity.
Colossians 1:24-29
Suffering Service Makes the Revealed Mystery Known
The revealed mystery is Christ among the nations, not a secret-knowledge cult.
Paul rejoices in sufferings for them and fills up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of the body, the church — not adding to the atonement, but spending himself so the church receives what Christ's work already won. God gave him a stewardship to make the word of God fully known.
The mystery hidden for ages is now revealed to the saints: Christ in you, the hope of glory — Christ among Gentile believers. That is open news, not an elite password. Paul proclaims him, warning and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that he may present everyone mature in Christ, laboring with Christ's energy at work in him.
How this should shape us
Spend yourself to make Christ clear to actual people around you, and refuse any group that treats the gospel as insider knowledge only a few are meant to grasp.
Teach it back
Explain Colossians 1:24-29 in your own words. Include its place in Colossians, one exact textual observation, one important uncertainty or alternative, one older-English clarification, and one conclusion the unit does not permit.
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Go deeper
The explanation above is meant to stand on its own. Open these notes only if you want language, history, disagreements, or source locations.
Where careful interpreters disagreeThe strongest options and their difficulties
Where do careful interpreters disagree?
Best judgment: Responsible interpretations include participation in Christ's ongoing afflictions, an eschatological quota of woes, suffering that extends mission, suffering that embodies Christ-shaped ministry, and suffering through which the church appropriates the gospel. The immediate context most strongly favors costly mission for the church while leaving the exact relationship to Christ's afflictions disputed. All viable readings distinguish these afflictions from a deficiency in the cross.
How certain? probableResearch trail and exact locationsThe source record behind this section
Supports: The exact pinned KJV wording, paragraph data, and supplied-word markup for Colossians 1:24-29.
eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Colossians 1:24-29; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the shared library policy.
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording, connective structure, lexical forms, and variation markers.
Official Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Col.txt, Colossians 1:24-29.
Supports: A morphology and lexical-range cross-check for original-language notes; contextual meaning remains controlled by the unit.
STEP Bible Data repository, TAGNT and Greek lexical records, Colossians 1:24-29.
Supports: Material translation choices, syntax, and textual variants checked at the cited verses.
NET Bible official Colossians chapter 1, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Colossians 1:24-29.
Supports: A current pro-Pauline commentary check on literary flow, theology, pastoral purpose, and major interpretations.
Alistair I. Wilson, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, “Colossians,” TGC Paul's Service for the Church (1:24-2:5).
Supports: A modern historical-critical and Jewish-context check on authorship, setting, calendar, ethics, slavery, and textual questions.
Peter Zaas, “Colossians,” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011 first edition), print pp. 366-367.
Supports: A modern post-Pauline reading of Christology, reconciliation, ministry, and the explicit boundary against a deficient cross.
Richard Carlson, ‘Commentary on Colossians 1:15-28,’ Working Preacher, July 21, 2013, complete commentary paragraphs on 1:15-20, 1:21-23, and 1:24-29.
Supports: The major interpretation families for 1:24, recent contextual and intertextual questions, and the article's intentionally tentative taxonomy.
Phil Thompson, ‘A Taxonomy of Interpretations for Colossians 1:24,’ Themelios 50.1 (2025), journal pp. 91-111, especially pp. 91-96, 97-108, and 108-111.
Sources for This Section
These records identify the source, the claim it supports, and the exact location used. A source remains evidence to evaluate; it does not replace the biblical text.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: The exact pinned KJV wording, paragraph data, and supplied-word markup for Colossians 1:24-29.
Exact location: eBible/CrossWire eng-kjv2006 USFM, source files dated 2026-08-19, Colossians 1:24-29; archive and normalized-corpus SHA-256 values are recorded in the shared library policy.
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: The critically edited Greek wording, connective structure, lexical forms, and variation markers.
Exact location: Official Faithlife SBLGNT repository, data/sblgnt/text/Col.txt, Colossians 1:24-29.
Open the Colossians Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: A morphology and lexical-range cross-check for original-language notes; contextual meaning remains controlled by the unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data repository, TAGNT and Greek lexical records, Colossians 1:24-29.
Open source ↗Translation and textual notes
NET Bible - Colossians with translators' and textual notes
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2005-2026 online edition
Supports: Material translation choices, syntax, and textual variants checked at the cited verses.
Exact location: NET Bible official Colossians chapter 1, translator, study, and textual notes attached to Colossians 1:24-29.
Open NET Colossians 1 notesmodern open commentary
Colossians
Alistair I. Wilson
The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, 2023
Supports: A current pro-Pauline commentary check on literary flow, theology, pastoral purpose, and major interpretations.
Exact location: Alistair I. Wilson, The Gospel Coalition Bible Commentary, “Colossians,” TGC Paul's Service for the Church (1:24-2:5).
Open source ↗modern annotated new testament
Colossians introduction and annotations in The Jewish Annotated New Testament
Peter Zaas; edited by Amy-Jill Levine and Marc Zvi Brettler
Oxford University Press, 2011
Supports: A modern historical-critical and Jewish-context check on authorship, setting, calendar, ethics, slavery, and textual questions.
Exact location: Peter Zaas, “Colossians,” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament (2011 first edition), print pp. 366-367.
Open source ↗modern scholarly pastoral commentary
Commentary on Colossians 1:15-28
Richard Carlson
Working Preacher, Luther Seminary, 2013
Supports: A modern post-Pauline reading of Christology, reconciliation, ministry, and the explicit boundary against a deficient cross.
Exact location: Richard Carlson, ‘Commentary on Colossians 1:15-28,’ Working Preacher, July 21, 2013, complete commentary paragraphs on 1:15-20, 1:21-23, and 1:24-29.
Open source ↗peer reviewed research article
A Taxonomy of Interpretations for Colossians 1:24
Phil Thompson
Themelios 50.1, 2025
Supports: The major interpretation families for 1:24, recent contextual and intertextual questions, and the article's intentionally tentative taxonomy.
Exact location: Phil Thompson, ‘A Taxonomy of Interpretations for Colossians 1:24,’ Themelios 50.1 (2025), journal pp. 91-111, especially pp. 91-96, 97-108, and 108-111.
Open source ↗