FILLING UP THE AFFLICTIONS OF CHRIST
By John Piper
IVP. 128 pages. £7.99
ISBN 978-1-84474-409-1
John Piper tackles Paul’s words in Colossians 1.24 about filling up in his flesh what was still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions … for the sake of the church.
This is a difficult verse, which has generated much discussion. Piper suggests that the sufferings of Christ demonstrated the depth of his love for the world and now that he is no longer visible on earth, his followers are called to demonstrate his love through their own suffering. Today, when hundreds of Christians across the world are martyred daily for their faith, Piper challenges modern Christians to take the gospel to hostile places, regardless of the possible danger and suffering that might follow. Their suffering would be part of the message.
He illustrates this through the lives of three men. William Tyndale was strangled and burnt at the stake in 1536 for translating the recently published Greek New Testament into everyday English. This changed the course of English history and led to the Reformation.
