Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
judgment of God. And this mixture they call the treasure of the Church 334 , the keys of which they
afterwards intrust to whom they think fit. Nor are they ashamed to wrest this passage, with the view
of supporting so execrable a blasphemy, as if Paul here affirmed that his sufferings are of avail for
expiating the sins of men.
They urge in their support the term ὑστερήματα, (things wanting,) as if Paul meant to say, that
the sufferings which Christ has endured for the redemption of men were insufficient. There is no
one, however, that does not see that Paul speaks in this manner, because it is necessary, that by the
afflictions of the pious, the body of the Church should be brought to its perfection, inasmuch as
the members are conformed to their head. 335 I should also be afraid of being suspected of calumny
in repeating things so monstrous, 336 if their books did not bear witness that I impute nothing to
them groundlessly. They urge, also, what Paul says, that he suffers for the Church. It is surprising
that this refined interpretation had not occurred to any of the ancients, for they all interpret it as we
do, to mean, that the saints suffer for the Church, inasmuch as they confirm the faith of the Church.
Papists, however, gather from this that the saints are redeemers, because they shed their blood for
the expiation of sins. That my readers, however, may perceive more clearly their impudence, allow
that the martyrs, as well as Christ, suffered for the Church, but in different ways, as I am inclined
to express in Augustine’s words rather than in my own. For he writes thus in his 84th treatise on
John: “Though we brethren die for brethren, yet there is no blood of any martyr that is poured out
for the remission of sins. This Christ did for us. Nor has he in this conferred upon us matter of
imitation, but ground of thanksgiving.” Also, in the fourth book to Bonifacius: “As the only Son
of God became the Son of man, that he might make us sons of God, so he has alone, without offense,
endured punishment for us, that we may through him, without merit, obtain undeserved favor.”
Similar to these is the statement of Leo Bishop of Rome; “The righteous received crowns, did not
give them; and for the fortitude of believers there have come forth examples of patience, not gifts
of righteousness. For their deaths were for themselves, and no one by his latter end paid the debt
of another.” 337
Now, that this is the meaning of Paul’s words is abundantly manifest from the context, for he
adds, that he suffers according to the dispensation that was given to him. And we know that the
ministry was committed to him, not of redeeming the Church, but of edifying it; and he himself
immediately afterwards expressly acknowledges this. This is also what he writes to Timothy,
that he endures all things for the sake of the elect, that they may obtain the salvation which is in
Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 2:10.)
334 See Calvin’S Institutes, vol. 2, p. 237, and Calvin on Corinthians, vol. 1, p. 68.
335 “We are not to suppose that our Lord left any sufferings to be endured by Paul, or any one else, as the expiation of the sins
or the ransom of the souls of his people... The filling up spoken of by the Apostle is not the supplementing Christ’s personal
sufferings, but it is the completing that share allotted to himself as one of the members of Christ, as sufferings which, from the
intimacy of union between the head and the members, may be called his sufferings. Christ lived in Paul, spoke in Paul, wrought
in Paul, suffered in Paul; and in a similar sense, the sufferings of every Christian for Christ are the sufferings of Christ.” —
Brown’s Expository Discourses on Peter, vol. 3, pp. 69, 70. — Ed.
336 “Tels blasphemes horribles;” — “Such horrible blasphemies.”
337 The reader will find the same passage as above quoted by Calvin in the Institutes, vol. 2, pp. 238, 239. See also Calvin on
the Corinthians, vol. 1, p. 69, n. 1. — Ed.
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John Calvin