‘Christ is the one we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, to present everyone complete in Christ’ (Col 1:28). For many of us, this is a very familiar summary of the means and purpose of Christian ministry. Many Christian organisations riff on it in their mission statements. Long may God enable us to do this, keeping the main game the main game. It is worth noting that Paul’s means of ministry does not change once someone comes to faith in Christ—he persists in proclaiming Christ to Christians.
Presenting People to God
I have recently been pondering the purpose of ministry, inspired by this verse. Paul clearly has the day of judgement in mind. He anticipates that he will accompany people into the presence of God, much like a servant may present people to a monarch. Paul works hard to this end, strenuously contending with Christ’s powerful energy (v. 29). The use of ‘we’ in verse 28 indicates others work alongside Paul. It is not the privilege of all co-workers to present people to God. If you are involved in the work of the Lord (1 Cor 15:58), you will present people to God. I presume you will also be presented to God by those who have proclaimed Christ to you.
Paul does not want to present people who are unfit to be in the presence of a good and holy God. Instead, he longs to present complete people. The word Paul uses can mean ‘meeting the highest standard’, or ‘being fully grown, mature’. Think of an object that is perfect in beauty and function, or a performance that garners a perfect 10 from the judges. Such people will light up the occasion and be worthy of the monarch to whom they bow. As Paul wrote earlier, he aims to ‘present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation’ (v. 22).
Presenting People Complete
Paul could be describing the end point of sanctification. By God’s Spirit we are all being transformed to be more like Christ in all his fullness. Paul strives to make each person as close to Christ-like maturity as he can. If this is the case, the purpose of ministry is to grow converts in maturity, instead of leaving them to flounder as infants in Christ. To use a mathematical image: if we mapped Christ-likeness over time, we labour to see an upwardly sloped line, rising towards the standard of completeness.
But I don’t think that is the only way of understanding what Paul has in mind. Earlier in Colossians chapter 1, Paul completed the thought of ‘to present you holy in his sight’ by, ‘if indeed you continue in your faith … not moved from the hope held out in the gospel’ (v. 23). The necessary condition of being presented holy is that you keep trusting the Lord Jesus, clinging to the hope offered in the gospel of Jesus. Here the concept is justification—from the moment I trusted in Jesus, I have been given the status of perfect through his death and resurrection. All I need to do is cling to Jesus and not move my confidence to anything or anyone else. So in his ministry, Paul strives to keep people trusting Jesus. He persuades them of the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ, and all they have in him (for e.g. Col 1:15–20, 2:9–10). Mathematically, this is like a vertical line at conversion, landing on the perfect standard of Christ, and remaining there till the last day.
I think Paul also has a third angle on what he longs to present to God. In Philippians 1:9–11, Paul’s prayer also has as its end point believers being ‘pure and blameless for the day of Christ’ (v. 10). Paul expands on what he has in mind with, ‘filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ’ (v. 11). Although there is some ambiguity about the concepts described, it seems best to take it to mean that the lives of the Philippians will exhibit fruitfulness from living righteous lives.[1] Paul longs that this fruitfulness will be abundant: their lives of righteous actions (driven by overflowing love and insight (v. 9)) will have been used by Jesus to achieve all manner of wonderful outcomes. The more fruit the better—better for God’s glory and better for the people being presented to God. This echoes Pauls’ prayer for the Thessalonians:
that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:11–12)
To return to our mathematical imagery, this purpose of ministry is like all the area under the line of sanctification (the integral of the curve). As people grow more like Christ, their lives are more righteous, and are so produce more fruit.
The Three Aspects of Complete
These three aspects of what Paul means by ‘complete’ are not in competition, but are complimentary. Those justified in Christ, regenerated by God’s Spirit, will necessarily become more righteous over time through the work of the Spirit. And as a person becomes increasingly righteous, the fruit of their righteous behaviour will multiply over time. The biblical evidence is that Paul has all three aspects in mind as he gave himself to ministry, day after day.
Distinguishing the three aspects can help us in our work. For example, Christians often go through times when simply hanging onto Christ seems to take all the effort they can muster. Our ministry to them is to help them hang in there. But more often our purpose will be to fill their lives chock-full of the fruit of righteousness. That means helping them live righteous lives, putting the welfare of others before their own with love and courage, at home and at work, playing sport and driving their car, online and in person. It means giving opportunities for fruitful actions and cheering them on as they take those opportunities. Our purpose in ministry is not simply to get them over the line, but to help them cross the line overdressed in good deeds. The more the better. Equipping them for good deeds is good for them, not just good for the ministry.
And how do we it? By proclaiming Christ, both publicly and privately. It is faith in Jesus that brings justification. It is contemplating the glory of Christ that brings transformation. And the fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus Christ.
[1] See for e.g. Peter O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, NIGTC, p. 80.
