Colossians 1:24-29

v24: When we suffer for the cause of Christ to serve others and front of others, we complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.  This does not mean that Christ's death was not enough to save His people.  His sufferings "were perfectly sufficient to fulfil their intention, which was the satisfaction of God's justice in order to obtain the salvation of his people."  Our sufferings can never "make atonement for sin, as the sufferings of Christ did."  Yet as we suffer for His sake, we do give witness to others about how valuable He and what He suffered is to us.

v25: We want those who have responsibility for preaching the Word to preach it fully and faithfully to us, because that is what will bring the greatest benefit to us, as we "will be more and more filled with knowledge and equipped for service."

v26-27: The mystery of the gospel that has now been revealed is "the breaking down of the wall of hostility between Jews and Gentiles, the preaching of the Gospel to the Gentile world, enabling those who formerly were in ignorance and idolatry to share in the privileges of the Gospel."  Praise God that this mystery has been revealed to us, and we can know this hope of glory that comes to all through faith in Christ.

v28: All gospel ministry aims to see every individual person who hears the gospel saved and faithfully follow Christ to the end where they will become like Him in glory.  For this to happen, "everyone needs to be warned and taught... we warn people about what they are doing wrong [and] we must teach them to do better."

v29: "The harder we work for the Lord, the greater help we may expect to receive from him in it."