Colossians 2:1-3 NLT
[1] “I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. [2] I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. [3] In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Paul used the Greek word “agon” to explain his desire for these Colossian believers.

(Strong’s g73

Ribust : ἀγών

• Transliteration: agón
• Part of Speech: Noun, Masculine
• Phonetic Spelling: ag-one’
• Definition: an (athletic) contest; hence, a struggle (in the soul).
• Origin: From ago; properly, a place of assembly (as if led), i.e. (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively, an effort or anxiety.
• Usage: conflict, contention, fight, race.
• Translated as (count): conflict (2), fight (2), a struggle (1), race (1)….)

Familiar as he was with the Greek culture of games, Paul saw his role in the lives of these new believers as one who was in a race, contending for the prize of spiritual maturity for these believers.

The English words, “agony” and “agonise” come from this Greek word. In its derivation, there is a sense of profound emotion, energy, and labour. Paul was not just talking about this matter to the Lord. He was agonising in prayer for these believers, using up his spiritual energy so that Christ in them would be so powerfully at work that they would become mature in their faith and behaviour, reflecting the Christ who was in them.

Paul had no time for armchair believers…passengers who jumped on the bandwagon for the ride. He wasn’t satisfied with church-going, Bible-believing, tithing, praying, “witnessing” Christans. He was only interested in radically transformed, emerging replicas of Jesus, living as citizens of heaven in a fallen world.

He did not fully know the content of Epaphras’ preaching and teaching that had brought them to faith in Jesus. He used this opportunity to fill in all the details of their understanding so that their faith would be grounded in the whole truth.

Paul knew how important it was for these ex-pagans to have a solid foundation of truth on which to build their new lives. They had the Old Covenant from their ex-Jewish brothers in the church as preparation, but they needed the New Covenant interpretation as the rock on which to stand.

They lived in dangerous times. They were surrounded by hostile neighbours who were on the lookout for victims to accuse. Both Jews and Greeks were unsympathetic towards them. Without the confidence in God’s love and protection provided in the gospel, without the assurance of God’s supernatural power at work in them, without the confidence of their union with Jesus, they would not be able to stand their ground against persecution.

Many of their fellow believers were perishing at the hands of violent and cruel persecutors. What hope had they unless their faith in Christ steadied them and reassured them of His presence regardless of their fate?

So, Paul’s prayers were agonising over these beloved people, that they would stand and grow in the midst of adversity. Lip service would not survive. Only robust confidence in the Christ who lived in them would see them through to victory and full salvation.

What about us? In the most part, Satan’s tactics to destroy the church are far more subtle and dangerous than blatant opposition. He could only kill them once but he could undermine their faith in Jesus in many ways and many times.

For many decades, he has tried to obliterate the church through communism. His tactic not only failed, but it also contributed to the growth of a thriving church. For example, the church in China, driven underground by the Communist revolution, has emerged strong and vigourous, shaming the church in the West by its maturity compared with insipid and compromising Western Christianity.

Satan’s tactic, especially in the West, is to distract the church with irrelevant issues, and compromising beliefs and practices. The church has become cluttered with old and new traditions, interpretations, beliefs, and doctrines, cultural additions, you name it, until the simplicity of our life in Christ is no longer recognisable.

As long as we are preoccupied with programmes, conferences and seminars, workshops and training, functions and…and…and…we think we are are “doing the Lord’s work!” Really!

Paul made a sobering statement to the Corithinan church.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NLT
[10] “Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. [11] For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. [12] Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. [13] But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. [14] If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. [15] But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.”

Unless we, as the global church of the Lord Jesus, are building on the foundation of Jesus as Lord, using the precious building material of truth, and staying loyal to the simplicity of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”, we are in danger of losing the superstructure of our work, and our rewards, ending up with nothing but our own skin.

Paul agonised over those who had come to faith in Jesus, whoever and wherever they were. His goal? Only Christ in them! What of us? Are we content with compromise and mediocrity in our labour, or will we join him in agonising for those that come under our care?

Galatians 4:19 NLT
[19] “Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.”