ἀνταναπληρόω (antanaplēroō)
antanaplēroō
to fill again
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb antanaplēroō is a rare Greek word that appears only once in the New Testament, in Colossians 1:24. It literally means to fill up again or to complete something that was left wanting. In this specific context, Paul uses it to describe how his own sufferings contribute to the church’s growth.
Lexical sources explain that Paul is not suggesting Christ’s work was incomplete. Instead, he views his afflictions as filling up what remains of the suffering assigned to Christ’s body, the church. By enduring hardship for believers, Paul supplies or repays the benefits Christ secured, acting as a representative who completes the measure of tribulation needed for the community’s maturity.
The word combines prefixes indicating reversal and upward completion with a root meaning to fill. This unique construction highlights a reciprocal dynamic: just as Christ suffered for the church, Paul suffers for Christ’s sake, thereby filling up the remaining portion of that collective experience. Translators often render this difficult phrase as "filling up in my flesh what is lacking," emphasizing participation rather than addition.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
This rare word appears only once in the New Testament, found in Colossians 1:24. Paul uses it to describe how his own hardships contribute to the growth of the church. He is not suggesting that Christ’s sacrifice was incomplete or insufficient. Instead, he views his suffering as a way to participate in the ongoing life of the body of Christ.
When you face difficulties for the sake of others, your pain has meaning. It is not wasted. Paul shows us that our struggles can help build up the community around us. By enduring hardship with love, we share in the mission of Jesus and support those who are growing in faith.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- I am filling up1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- ἀνταναπληρῶ1×
Key Verses
-
Colossians 1:24
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the assembly,
This is the only occurrence of the word, where Paul explains that his sufferings help complete what remains of Christ's afflictions for the church.