Colossians 4:18

The following is a Bible study originally posted on our Bible Study Group.

Well, the time has come to close our study on Colossians. (sniff, sniff...) I've really enjoyed looking at this book with all of you, more than I ever thought I would! A friend of mine suggested it last January to help her understand her roles in her family better. But I think I've learned more than I've taught!

The last verse of Colossians (verse 18) closes Paul's letter with the words, "This salutation by my own hand--Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen." The personal words he includes last week and this week remind me that while his letter was jam-packed with doctrine, he wrote it to real people who lived in a real place, attended a real church, and had to deal with real issues in their lives. People like us! 

I'm also reminded that Paul wrote this in the midst of the most difficult of circumstances, a prisoner in a Roman jail. Sometimes Paul seemed to have all the answers -- to have a perfect walk with God, if it could be possible. But he *needed* his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for him ("remember my chains").

We need each other! None of us has arrived yet. We have developed some close friendships here in our group, and I pray you are developing those vital relationships in your local church as well. We need our Christian family to rebuke us when we do wrong, to hug us when life is tough, to give us examples of how to live. And our Christian family needs our prayers! 

Well, I'm going to close now. Thank you to all you women who so WONDERFULLY helped out with last week's Bible study! You did AWESOME! I really, really enjoyed reading what you'd written! We can all tell how much effort you put in, and wow -- those people have come alive to us because of you. 

(And if anyone else has something to contribute, feel free! We're in no
rush....)

With love in Christ,

~Anne

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