Concluding Remarks (Col. 4:15-18)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 6/20/2017 10:21 PM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Concluding Remarks

Bible Reading & Meditation                                             Reference:  Colossians 4:15-18

            Message of the verses:  “15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house. 16 When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it." 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.”

            John MacArthur writes “Paul closes by asking the Colossians to ‘greet the brethren’ in nearby ‘Laodicea’ for him.  The manuscripts vary between ‘Nympha’ (feminine) and Nymphas (masculine), and in the corresponding pronoun (‘her,’ or ‘his’).  ‘The church that is in her house’ may have been the church at Laodicea, or that of Hierapolis, which would otherwise go unnamed.  ‘The church of Laodiceans’ was to read the letter to the Colossians, and they were to read the ‘letter that is coming from Laodicea.’  There has been much debate over the identity of the Laodicean letter.  It has been variously identified as a letter from the Laodiceans to Paul, a letter written by Paul from Laodicea, the apocryphal Epistle to the Laodiceans, and a genuine letter of Paul to the Laodiceans that is now lost.  In all likelihood, however, Paul here refers to the book of Ephesians.  The oldest manuscripts of Ephesians do not contain the words ‘in Ephesus’ in Ephesians 1:1, indicating that it was a circular letter intended for several churches.  Tychicus probably delivered Ephesians to the Laodiceans, so Paul commands the Colossians and Laodiceans to exchange letters.”  I have to say that a few years ago when I was thinking about studying the book of Ephesians and while listening to John MacArthur’s sermons on that letter I heard him say the same thing about Ephesians, in that it was probably a circuit letter that was to be passed around to all the churches in that part of Asia Minor. 

            The man named “Archippus” is named here and also in the letter to Philemon and he was commanded to “take heed” to his “ministry” that he might fulfill that ministry. 

            It was Paul’s custom to use an “amanuensis” or recording secretary who would write his letters and then at or near the end of his letter Paul would write in his own handwriting so that the ones who got the letter knew that it was Paul who wrote it.  It seems that Paul had troubles with his eyesight and therefore would make larger letters which was his distinguishing way of writing.

            MacArthur concludes his commentary with the following paragraph “That sums up the message of Colossians:  salvation is by grace through faith in the all-sufficient Christ, not through human works advocated by false teachers.”    6/20/2017 10:42 PM