These verses provide an object lesson in interpreting the Bible. In verse 24 Paul says "I make up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions". Taken in an unthinking manner this presents an immediate problem, for it implies that Christ's death on the cross was in some way incomplete, whereas the foundation of the gospel is that Christ is the once for all complete sacrifice.
So what is the answer? First remember that Paul was not writing in a university library, he is not writing a theological academic paper.He is writing to people in a church, probably from prison, and to a real situation, namely facing false teachings of various sorts. One element of that false teaching denigrated suffering (as do some variants of "prosperity teaching"). We need to imagine the emotion behind Paul's writing. He knows that the gospel is built on suffering, namely Christ's suffering, and that we are called to share in His sufferings. So he is writing more in a polemical manner. What he is saying is that rather than denigrate suffering, he rejoices in it, and suffering is a fundamental part of the Christian life, and the spread of the gospel.
The Gnostic type teachings are also why he uses terms like "mystery". God has revealed the mystery, we do not need any hidden knowledge (the root meaning of Gnostic).
Christ is in us, He is the hope of glory. The gospel all centered on Christ, and it is for Him that we must direct all our energies. If we are focused on anything else we are going in the wrong direction.
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