Big Healing Book - Vine’s Expository Dictionary Says That AFFLICTIONS in Colossians

Objection: Vine’s Expository Dictionary Says That AFFLICTIONS in Colossians 1:24 Are “Afflictions of Christ from Which His Followers Must Not Shrink, Whether Sufferings of BODY or Mind”

When we try to untangle Vine’s on this, we could still be left with a description of suffering while being persecuted for the sake of Christ, and these persecutions certainly could afflict your body and your mind. Paul suffered plenty of afflictions for his preaching of the gospel. We are not redeemed from persecution; we are guaranteed it if we want to live godly in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:12).

I’ve read Mr. Vine’s entire entry on this word myself (always do your own research!), and Vine correctly points out that the word means a pressing or pressure – “anything that burdens the spirit” (he didn’t say body in that sentence). He mentions calamities of war, distress, anguish and several other meanings that would not be interpreted as physical illness. When he does get to the part quoted by the objector, the previous meaning he mentioned was persecution, for which he cited 10 passages! So implying that Vine meant a cold or cancer could fit the bill is reading something into Vine’s that isn’t really there as well as reading something into Scripture that really isn’t there.

If the objector thinks that getting a cold or cancer is part of the afflictions of Christ, he should read the related response involving Colossians 1:24.