Neville Goddard on Colossians 1:24 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Colossians 1 in context

Scripture Focus

24Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

Colossians 1:24

Biblical Context

Paul says he rejoices in his sufferings for the sake of believers and continues the work of Christ in his own flesh, for the church as a body.

Neville's Inner Vision

Paul here is a state of consciousness within you that has awakened to the truth that all circumstance serves the transformation of your inner life. 'Suffering' is not some external punishment but the inner energy that compels you to redefine who you are. When you identify with the I AM—the timeless awareness behind every thought—you realize that you are already the body of Christ, the church. The phrase 'rejoice in my sufferings for you' becomes your decision to affirm joy in the face of trial, knowing that every strain is shaping your unity and your capacity to love. 'Fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh' points to completing the pattern of Christ in your own experience by consenting to the movement of inner energy rather than resisting it. In this light, afflictions disappear as events dissolve into a broader harmony: the inner church of your being becomes more alive, more one. Your apparent separations are melted by the power of acceptance and imagination, through which you manifest the Christ-life here and now.

Practice This Now

Sit quietly and declare: I am the I AM, the Christ within; I rejoice in every trial as it perfects the inner church. Then imagine the church in unity, the energy of Christ flowing through me now, and feel it real.