Colossians 4:7–18 ‘See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.’ (v17)
We need each other – we see this reflected in Paul’s list of people who send their greetings to the new church.
Notice how diverse the people are, from Luke the doctor to a former slave to Gentile believers to Jewish people who have converted to the Christian faith.
After all, as Paul said earlier, Christ is all and Christ is in all (Col. 3:11). In Him there is no room for discrimination.
In this list we learn that Mark, the writer of the gospel, and Barnabas are cousins. We see too that Luke is a doctor and Paul is keen to support Onesimus in the wider Colossian community, as we explored on Tuesday.
We can infer that Paul’s co-workers are varied and gifted. As we close our time together, I leave you with the words of Paul to Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord’ (v17).
We don’t know exactly what ministry Archippus was engaged in, or why Paul decided to single him out at the end of his letter.
Many commentators think it was not to shame him, but to encourage him to keep on with the work of the gospel.
We may not often think about ending well in our day-to-day life, but today we can consider Paul’s statement and ask where in our ministry are we reaching a point of completion.
How can we not lose heart so that we end well? May we know the incomparable Christ as we live out of our new selves.
A Prayer To Make:
‘Father, Son and Holy Spirit, You call me to new life in all of its glory. Thank You for redeeming me and filling me with Your presence. Amen.’
An Action To Take:
Consider what you’ve learned and pondered through Colossians, and how God has spoken to you through the text. What strikes you as a key takeaway?
Scripture To Consider:
Ps. 1:1–6; Prov. 15:29–33; 1 Cor. 9:24–27; 1 Pet. 3:8–12
