Seeds for 04/14/2023 - Colossians 4:17-18
Scripture: “Tell Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.’
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.”
Observation: As Paul completes his short letter to the Colossians, we see one more exhortation before he signs off.
First, Paul urges Archippus to finish what God started. We don’t know and can’t tell whether Archippus was faltering, discouraged, weakening in his commitment, bumping into obstacles or anything else. All we know is that he received a ministry assignment “in the Lord,” and that it is important to Paul that it be completed. Devotionally, what we can see is that this isn’t just the generally good advice of “be sure to finish what you start.” As followers of Jesus, sometimes we come up with a ministry idea when we see a gap between what God desires and the reality of a present situation. And sometimes we get the clear sense that it’s more than just an idea we’ve originated, it’s a calling we’ve received. Archippus doesn’t have a ministry idea he’s started (though that’s perfectly good and wonderful), he has a ministry assignment. And Paul encourages him to see through what God started and gave to him.
Next, Paul signs off. First, he says, “I… write this greeting in my own hand.” This indicates that someone else was acting as a scribe for him. Paul composed the letter and someone wrote it down for him, perhaps taking dictation just as we might imagine it. Either way, Paul adds a personal touch by writing the final salutations himself. And what does he write with his “own hand”?
“Remember my chains.” - Just three words, but we can take an educated guess at what Paul has in mind. Remember me, and remember the Gospel that is worthy of the loyal service that has put me here.
Finally, a blessing. As we conclude our journey through Colossians, we’ll end as Paul does.
“Grace be with you.”
Application:
Have you ever had a ministry idea that your sensed was actually more of a calling or assignment? How did you persevere to see it through?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, “put me to what you will” and make me faithful in the ministries to which you have called me. Help me remember those who have brought the Gospel to me and to others. Amen.
Thank you for reading Seeds of Faith through Paul’s letter to the Colossians. We’ll begin a new book on Monday. - gmw
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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