O martírio contemporâneo à luz de Cl 1,24

Abstract

This present research has had as its starting point the analysis of Colossians 1:24: «Now, I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the Church». This has enabled us to infer that neither the Portuguese translations of the afore-mentioned text express the clear content of the verse, nor have the exegetes understood, throughout history, its full meaning. Hence, we propose the following translation: «Now I rejoice in the sufferings I withstand for you and I complete what the afflictions of Christ are lacking to my flesh through its body which is the Church». Therefore, the term «afflictions» does not refer exclusively to the sufferings of the Passion, but comprises the whole life of Christ. Again, contrary to most exegetes’ theses, the verse basically expresses the need every christian has of further configurating himself with Christ – and not the one of completing the sufferings or Passion of Christ, since this process is obviously fully completed. Subsequently, we can expand the understanding of the term martyr – every one who testifies Christ – to those who imitate Thee, a conduct which encompasses expressions such as charity, prayer and death. Hence, every one who imitates Christ throughout life configurates himself to Thee, e.g., to complete in oneself what one is lacking of the afflictions of Christ, in addition to testifying Thee. Such testimonies can be found in the lives of thousands of christians that, in the course of history, particularly in the 20th and the 21st centuries, have been persecuted for their faith.

Date of Award	19 Jan 2017
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	João Alberto Sousa Correia (Supervisor)