Greet and Welcome your Brethren in the Lord

(Colossians 4:7-18)

In these final words of Paul’s letter to the Colossians church we see a number of greetings to and from different ones.

But more than that, there are a number of interesting tidbits contained in the information that are interesting to know, and can teach us some useful things.

And one of the important things that I see in these words is the need to greet and welcome your brethren in the Lord. We are one brotherhood (and that encompasses both men and women) in Christ and as the family of God we should greet and welcome your brethren in the Lord.

Greet and welcome your brethren in the Lord for encouragement

In the first few verses we see that Paul was sending some of those who were his fellow travellers to the Colossians church. And the reason for their visit was to bring news of the work they and Paul were doing, but more importantly to encourage the church.

When we come together as a church we need to do the same. To offer support and encouragement to one another, and especially when there are difficult times and circumstances.

One of the greatest services of love that we can offer the brethren in the church is to encourage their hearts in difficult times. As the Lord offers us comfort and encouragement, so too we can give it back to His people, wherever we come upon them. Let us reflect the encouragement of the Lord in our dealings with His people and ALL people so that we fulfil the will of God to walk in love with all.

And as for the sharing of news, there are many ways we can share what the Lord is doing today with our brethren. But it is important that as the Lord opens up things to His people that they share those things with their brethren for mutual upbuilding and encouragement.

Dealing with those who are separated from us

As you greet and welcome your brethren in the Lord, don’t forget to consider those who may have become separated or estranged for one reason or another.

In the case of Paul, we know that at some point in his ministry he and Barnabas had a falling out. They had worked and travelled together for some time, but separated over some issue regarding what they each thought they ought to do next in their mission work.

But even though they had been at odds with each other and both went their separate ways, there is no doubt that they still cared greatly for each other as brothers in Christ. And that is evident from the words of Paul in verse 10.

Paul instructs the Colossians church to welcome and receive Barnabas if he comes to them because regardless of the falling out he and Paul may have had, Barnabas was still a much loved brother in Christ.

And you need to keep the same mindset of love and compassion towards everyone as you greet and welcome your brethren in the Lord. Despite any differences you may have with your brothers and sisters in the Lord, remember that as you are a child of God, so are they. And when God’s eternal kingdom is established after all has been completed, we will all have to live together.

So show them the love of God. Be kind, compassionate, merciful, and helpful, as Paul was towards Barnabas.

Remembering one another in your prayers

In verse 12 we see that one of Paul’s fellow travellers, Epaphras, who originally hailed from Colossae, always remembered the church in his prayers.

We ought to do the same. Remember your brothers and sisters in your prayers. Pray for their upbuilding and encouragement. Also pray for their growth in Christ. Pray that the Lord will help them, protect them, and keep them in His arms.

Prayer is a powerful thing and through it we can spread the love of God as we offer prayers to the Father for all of His children. And in our prayers we are blessing those we pray for and helping them in the Lord.

Closing comments

The last thing I want to point out from these closing comments of Paul is an interesting point.

We know that when Jesus came, he came as a Jew. He was born in the lineage of David the king, of the tribe of Judah, and in His ministry He was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

We know also that all of the early apostles were Jews too.

Given all this “Jewishness” you could be forgiven for thinking that the whole of the New Testament was written by Jewish hands.

But we also know from reading Acts chapter 10, that through Peter the word of God was first sent to the Gentiles. And there are a number of Old Testament prophecies that show that Jesus was to be the light to the Gentiles and that the Gentiles who called upon His name would be saved.

And what we see in the closing words of this letter to the church of the Colossians is an insight into the heritage of those who travelled with Paul.

Paul shows us that all the people he mentioned prior to verse 11 were Jews. He said it like this:

These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. (Colossians 4:11)

So from Paul’s wording it is evident that those whom he mentioned after verse 11 were not Jewish. And important among those is Luke.

It is evident from Paul’s words that Luke was a Gentile. And this is significant because Luke wrote two of the books of the New Testament. He wrote the Gospel of Luke and he wrote the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

Is this important in the total scheme of things? Not really. It’s more an interesting insight into the lives of those who put together the information in the Bible.

But I think it is useful to recognise that Luke was a Gentile because it lends weight to the prophecy that Jesus Christ would be a light to the Gentiles (see Luke 2:32). The Lord has allowed a Gentile to write a significant part of the Bible text from whom we can learn about the Lord.

And as Gentiles, which most of us are, we can see and experience the fulfilment of that prophecy in the words of Luke.

So that ends this discussion and study of the letter of Paul to the Colossians. I will move on to the next book in my next post.

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