Daily Lesson for Monday 23rd of March 2026
In a world connected by the internet, social media, and countless devices, it is difficult to imagine the challenge that Paul faced in helping churches feel they were a part of something bigger than their own local congregations.
Read Colossians 4:10-11. Besides sending news back and forth through emissaries (Colossians 4:7-9), what other ways did Paul encourage connectivity? In view of some of the problems Paul has addressed in this epistle, what message might be conveyed through these greetings?
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With these greetings, Paul creates and fosters connectivity among fellow believers. We learn here that Mark was Barnabas’s cousin. Paul thus paves the way for Mark’s probable visit to Colossae. Aristarchus is described literally as a “fellow prisoner-of-war”; that is, he was imprisoned with Paul. They were both soldiers with “the armour of God” (Ephesians 6:10-11), fighting to set Satan’s captives free for service in the kingdom of God (see 2 Timothy 2:1-4). Jesus/Justus (Jewish and Roman names that sound very similar in Greek, like Saul/Paul) is also commended to them as a trustworthy fellow laborer in the gospel.
Paul makes a point of mentioning that Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus are Jewish believers (“of the circumcision”). He then goes on to mention three Gentiles: Epaphras, Luke, and Demas (Colossians 4:12-14). It is significant that, despite some tensions in the church between Jews and Gentiles, these coworkers are able to labor effectively together, unitedly and harmoniously. By saying “only,” though, Paul seems to imply a certain disappointment that more Jewish Christians have not stood by him in his sufferings. Nevertheless, it is significant that by this time, John Mark, who had some years before deserted Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey (Acts 13:13), proves not only loyal but a “comfort” to Paul (Acts 15:36-40).
Threats to unity are nothing new. In recent years, the Adventist Church has undergone profound changes as it has spread globally, and forces have hammered away at its unity. This stress on unity can be felt at every level of the church.
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How can you, at your local church, work to lessen the things that threaten our unity? What are these tensions at the local level, and what can be done about them? |
