After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
Summary: Considering the scope of Paul’s letters helps us understand why God chose some and not others to be included in the Bible.
Apparently, Paul wrote a lot of letters.
Do you ever wonder how many of them didn’t make it into the Bible?
Let’s ask another question.
Do you ever wonder why God preserved the letters that did make it into the Bible?
I hadn’t until now. Now, I’m curious. What was in the letter to Laodicea?
As we examine Paul’s letters in the New Testament, a theme emerges that highlights why these letters were included in Scripture, each offering unique theological and practical contributions.
For example, Paul’s letter to the Romans provides a systematic treatise on the gospel, unmatched in the Bible. Galatians emphasizes the primacy of faith over legalism. Colossians affirms Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency against false teachings.
Ephesians presents God’s vision for the church as the body of Christ, uniting Jews and Gentiles.
Paul wrote extensively about the practical life of the church. His letters to Timothy and Titus guide church leadership and sound doctrine. The Corinthian letters address divisions, worship practices (1 Corinthians), and Paul’s apostolic defense and reconciliation (2 Corinthians). The Thessalonian letters encourage perseverance, clarify the second coming, and urge believers to mind their own business by living quietly and working diligently (1 Thessalonians 4:11–12, 2 Thessalonians 3:11–12).
Philippians and Philemon offer glimpses into Paul’s faith and life, with Philippians radiating joy and Philemon applying the gospel to social reconciliation.
Whatever was in the letter to Laodicea may have, to some extent, repeated themes already covered in the letters God included in the Bible. Regardless of what was included, God has made certain to include what we need in the Bible.
Application: When we read the Bible we don’t master it, we swim in it.
Food for Thought: How has Paul’s letter to the Colossians impacted you?
All of Colossians is a great letter and the word of God. There are four passages within it that have always been a challenge, blessing or encouragement to me. I see them as gold nuggets in the book. They are:
Colossians 1: 15 – 20: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence. 19For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, 20and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through the blood of His cross.
Colossians 2: 6 – 8: Therefore, just as you have received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to walk in Him, 7rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
Colossians 2: 13 – 15: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you d alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 4: 5 – 6: Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Rich,
Thank you for sharing this! I am so glad that today’s question prompted you to share your “nuggets.” They are fantastic!!
🙂
How has Paul’s letter to the Colossians impacted you?
As believers, we have come to understand, know our future is secured, and we have been given eternal life in the presence of God right now. In this knowledge, I have found my life has become centered around Bible studies and application in big bites. These have been powerful and I have been used by God to convey His truths to many people whom He has brought to me.
Beginning each day in quiet time with our Lord, allowing Him to feed my spirit with baby size bites of His word is a life changing, spiritual experience which quietly grows in the center of our being.
My time has become more managed and serving the needs of those God has placed in my life have become a higher priority for me. Little things that I would zoom through have become school zones where I slow down to a crawl, paying more attention to outside over inside thoughts. I have become aware of being given far more than I need and now have an increased awareness of where I should be sharing with others. His word is indeed living and life changing no matter what our age, or how long we have studied. His Word, His revelations will never become fully known to His creation.
Thank you, Ron!
I like the “school zone” analogy. It is good to stop and listen to God speak! 🙂
When we reach the end of a series of meditations I like to go back and look at the questions and answers. I think my answer to the question today would be this:
I think the Holy Spirit has been working on a perspective in me that has been solidified during our time in the Book of Colossians. That for most of my adult life I have been worried about whether people would accept me, so I have been guilty of catering my interactions with them somewhat so I would feel that they would be accepting of me. In that sense I was being an untrue version of the person that God created me to be, and in Christ I am becoming that person, acceptable to Him, and in that acceptance I am free from fear. I know the voice of the Holy Spirit, and I trust that voice.
What we have meditated on in Colossians is the supremacy of Christ and that absolutely everything finds its purpose in Him. When we seek fullness in Him, fullness in His Word, fullness in His Spirit, and we conduct the operation of our minds and hearts in a way that is pleasing to Him, we think less about being accepted by others, and more about accepting others. Just as Christ accepts us for who we are, and works to make us more like Him in grace, we are able to do the same through Him. We can disagree and not be disagreeable. We can give voice to the truth and not worry. I think the best we can do for God is to seek a closer relationship with Him, live a life pleasing to Him, and then allow His Spirit to shine from with us. To not be satisfied with pleasantry, and not be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy, but to take a hard look at what we believe to be true and measure it against what the Word says. Allow the Holy Spirit to change our minds, change our lives, and then be an agent to that same change in others.
I look back at our time in Colossians and can see we meditated on a lot of smaller details about our beliefs that culminate into foundational beliefs about who we are in Christ.
Chris,
Thank you for sharing! One phrase that jumped out at me was “We can disagree and not be disagreeable.” So true!