“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.”
What are afflictions? Pain and distress. Does this speak of redemptive death? By no means. Christ still suffers affliction through his church because it is His body and it will not end until we are out of this world, they're still lacking. This is what Paul means by still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions.
“Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute Me?”
When the church is persecuted, Christ suffers affliction.
Paul said that he did this for the sake of Christ's body, which is His church.
Could Paul do any redemptive work for you, me, or himself?
No. Paul was in prison for the Gospel. A man will suffer in the measure that he identifies himself with Christ.
And even today, when the Gospel is being preached, someone will suffer.
You haven't heard the Gospel if you're looking for something to do...the Gospel is something to believe.
And if you don't believe it, then you're lost.
Amen! Great post.