JPaul’s use of economic terminology in Colossians 1:24-25 (Νῦν χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασιν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἀνταναπληρῶ τὰ ὑστερήματα τῶν θλίψεων τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐν τῇ σαρκί μου ὑπὲρ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ, ὅ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησία,) is much more difficult to decipher than his monetary remarks of salvation. T.J. Lang regards Colossians 1:24 as “among the most controversial in the Pauline corpus and, as some see it, a telltale sign Colossians is an epistolary fake.”
One of the most notable issues with this passage is the use of the uncommon double prefixed work ἀνταναπληρόω. Although this word is not used elsewhere in the Pauline corpus or the New Testament, it does share an occurrence in Demosthenes’ Symm. 17.4 (354 B.C.E.). Lang translates,
Demosthenes Symm. 17.4 (354 B.C.E.) ...then I propose to divide these into twenty tax boards, as at present, each containing sixty persons. Each of these boards I would subdivide into five groups of twelve men, always attaching to the wealthiest man those who are…show more content… This connection is first revealed in 1:27, οἷς ἠθέλησεν ὁ θεὸς γνωρίσαι τί τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης τοῦ μυστηρίου τούτου ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὅ ἐστιν Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἡ ἐλπὶς τῆς δόξης· Paul describes God’s mystery as “the riches of glory.” The use of economic terms to refer to wisdom is a theme that is strongly rooted in Proverbs as well as the remainder of the Hebrew canon. When referring to Paul’s addition of financial language to further describe soteriology and mystery language Lang remarks, “The language of economy and wealth thus unite the whole progression, attracting the accompanying language into that thematic register.” Eubank has a different interpretation of the treasure in Colossians, “In 1:5 the author speaks of the ‘hope which is laid up for you in the heavens’ (τὴν ἐλπίδα τὴν ἀποκειμένην ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς)” as the basis of the love the Colossians Christians have for the
