Mission – Three Minute Bible

April 22, 2025April 21, 2025

Colossians 4:13 – Faith in Action

Picture: Yellow "MEN AT WORK" sign with men kneeling in prayer.

I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Summary: This passage invites us to indulge in the heart of meditation: Imagining what is possible.

This passage is a bit of a puzzle.

Paul is vouching for Epaphras’s work. Unfortunately, all we know for certain is that he is “working hard” and that the work is “for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.”

What could he be doing?

Let’s indulge in a bit of guesswork.

We know that Epaphras was a Colossian and a “faithful minister in Christ.” We also know that Paul considered him a faithful minister … “on our behalf” (Colossians 1:7).

Our initial assumption was that Paul had sent Epaphras to Colossae to share the Gospel there, and this still could be true. Laodicea and Hierapolis are both close to Colossae (within a day’s walk). It is possible that Epaphras extended his mission work to both places, starting those churches as well.

Now, this is where we have to exercise our imaginations.

What if those three churches decided to send Epaphras out as a missionary? Specifically, they wanted him to help Paul in his ministry.

If that is the case, then Paul’s statement in our passage makes perfect sense. Epaphras is on a mission.

One of the things we learned about Epaphras in verse twelve is that he is “always wrestling in prayer.”

As a person who is from Colossae, this also makes sense. His heart is with those at home. As a missionary, he has seen firsthand what Paul is up against. He has seen his physical battles and his spiritual ones. He is concerned for his friends and family, the believers he left behind.

Together, both verses remind us that we are at war. Epaphras knows the “spiritual forces of evil” (Ephesians 6:12) are everywhere. He understands what is at stake.

Our information about Epaphras might be sketchy, but the facts portray a man devoted to the Lord and passionate about the Gospel. The pieces of this sketched puzzle come together in a portrait of faith in action.

Application: Follow Epaphras’s example in prayer.

Food for Thought: What other kinds of work might Epaphras have been doing?

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.

April 11, 2025April 11, 2025

Colossians 4:6a – Lessons in Grace

Let your conversation be always full of grace …

Summary: Paul admonishes us to fill our conversations with outsiders with grace. While that sounds simple, understanding what grace means requires some reflection on our Lord Jesus.

This verse is important because it is the last verse of instruction in Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Everything after this involves personal business. So, let’s savor what this last sentence has to offer.

The larger context of this passage is how we act towards “others.” My understanding of “others” in this context is people “other than” the believers who are already part of the church body. When Paul says, “Let your conversation be always full of grace …” he is talking about conversations with those who might need more grace.

November 29, 2024November 29, 2024

Colossians 2:2a – Checkbooks and Calendars

My goal is …

Summary: Goals are an important part of living, and spiritual goals are no different.

Popular sales trainer and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar was known for saying, “If you aim at nothing, you will hit nothing.” The wisdom of his saying is undeniable. What we aim for in life determines, to a large extent, where we end up and what we do.

Paul knew what he was aiming for. His goal for the believers who had not yet met him was the same goal he had for those who knew him: He wanted them to understand the Gospel.

November 29, 2023November 29, 2023

Galatians 1:1b – A Mission From God

… and God the Father

Summary: Paul is on a mission. He has to correct the thinking of people who are hundreds of miles away while he is a prisoner in Rome.

November 21, 2023November 21, 2023

Ephesians 6:22 – Comfort

I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you.

Summary: Why is Tychicus going to Ephesus? Paul has given him a mission. Knowing his mission helps us understand what was on Paul’s mind when he wrote his letter to Ephesus.

June 3, 2020June 3, 2020

1 Peter 1:1 (b) — Ambassadors from God

A collage of clocks all set to different times.

…an apostle of Jesus Christ…

Language is essential to civilization. It is how we share ideas. Without language so many things we take for granted would disappear. For example, look at the concept of time. For time to have any value, all of us have to agree on what time it is. Imagine a world where nobody could agree on what time it is. We all set our watches and clocks to whatever time we felt was right. We could all agree to “meet at 6 PM” but no two people would show up at the same time.

By the same token, if we cannot agree on the meaning of words, then we are at a loss to communicate. If we have a different understanding of a word’s meanings, then we might assume we have communicated when, in fact, we have not. The more technical the topic, the more critical a correct understanding of words becomes. Engineers have extremely detailed understandings for specific words. Without them, we couldn’t build bridges or send rockets into space.

April 9, 2019April 8, 2019

Ambassador Jesus – John 12: 49-50

For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say.

A good ambassador is one who is faithful to their mission. They speak only what they have been authorized to speak. They do not agree to anything that they have not received approval for.

This can be a tough job. Who doesn’t want to look good in front of people you are trying to impress? Life is so much easier if you can “grease the skids” a bit by agreeing to give up something to the people you are negotiating with. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. Probably no one will ever find out. Really, who is going to care?

The temptation is real enough. It is hard to hold the line you have been told to hold, especially if you do not understand why the line is there. Our Lord understood the Father’s mission for Him. He was faithful to His mission in every way. He did not succumb to temptation, or bend to pressure. Our Lord held fast during His time on earth. He sets the bar high and challenges us to do the same.

December 15, 2018December 14, 2018

John’s Mission

As we get closer to Christmas Day, we are walking through the scriptures that tell us the story of Jesus’ birth. We have seen the Annunciation or formal announcement of the coming events by the angel Gabriel to Mary. We have seen Zechariah’s voice restored after proclaiming his baby’s name to be John as the angel Gabriel instructed him. Now we hear John’s words of prophecy by the Holy Spirit regarding the coming Messiah and his own son’s mission as the herald of the coming king. John will be called a prophet of the Most High and will go before the Lord to prepare the way for him…

… to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins…

Luke 1:77

John’s mission was to proclaim salvation through the forgiveness of sins. He must have been a very effective preacher because people came from all over the Holy Land to hear his words. Many of them humbled themselves, admitting their sin and confessing their desire to repent. Those that did receive a symbolic baptism of water, a ceremonial washing as it is called in some places.