The Pattern of Christ’s Sufferings: Colossians 1:24 and Philippians 3:10-11

Abstract

There are two passages in the corpus of Paul's letters where he speaks explicitly and personally about his sharing in the sufferings of Christ, viz. Colossians 1:24 and Philippians 3:10-11. It is the suggestion of this essay that they have not been properly understood. In each case the difficulties for commentators have focused on an apparent and particular anomaly. How can Paul speak in Colossians 1:24 of making up the deficit of Christ's afflictions? And why, in Philippians 3:11, does his expectation of coming to the resurrection of the dead suddenly become so uncertain? The purpose of the present exegetical investigation is to show how these anomalies might be resolved and how that resolution would then point towards a more distinctive attitude on Paul's part towards his own suffering and death than most commentators have allowed for.