Colossians – Week 9 – Day 5

READ 

Colossians 4:16-18 

16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them. 17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” 

18 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL.  

Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you. 

These are Paul’s final words in the letter to the Colossian believers. He wanted this letter passed on to Laodicea, and the one he wrote to them to be read by those in Colosse. Archippus lived in Colosse so Paul told believers to charge him to carry on for the Lord. Writers of the Scripture sometimes dictated their letters, but Paul signed this one with his own signature. This had to be special for the readers to hear as it was read to them. 

REFLECT 

Think of the privilege people have today being able to have a copy of the Bible. In Paul’s time a letter had to be read to a group because others did not have copies.  

RESPOND 

Talk with your friend about the importance of copies of the Bible being so readily available. Yet, regrettably, people often do not read their copy. This is why Back to the Bible began. Tell others about the Bible.