Week 7: Paul's letters to Rome, Philemon, Colossae, and Ephesus
March 9, 2021
Welcome to Week 7 of Encounter! We're almost at the half-way point. Congratulations on sticking with it and making your way through the New Testament.
This week week we will be in four different letters from Paul. Two of them you'll get to read in one sitting. I sometimes wonder if we miss things from Paul's letters because we only read portions of them at a time. When you receive a letter in the mail, do you just read a portion of it? Chances are you read the whole thing and maybe several times through. Enjoy reading through these letters this week. They were written for you, too!
You'll notice, too, that these letters are more theological than the earlier letters. The church has "settled in" and now needs instruction on theological matters more than practical matters. While those actually go hand-in-hand, the emphasis on theology should be clear as you read these letters.
Keep reading! I'm praying that all of us receive a rich blessing from being in God's Word together.
As you read, keep in mind our reading questions. Use these as general questions to keep in mind as we read to help formulate your reflections, observations, and questions.
Our guiding questions are these:
- What stood out to you in the reading?
- Was there anything confusing or troubling?
- Did anything make you think differently about God?
- How might what you read change the way you live?
Please post a comment below with some of your questions, comments, and reflections from this week's reading.
I especially appreciated the olive tree verses. Thanking God that He has chosen me by His grace! Praying for olive branches that have been broken off perhaps. Or ones which have not been connected. Praying that God can use me to help reconnect other ones. I want to enjoy the life giving sap with others.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Well said!
ReplyDeleteIn Romans 9-2. it was very touching to me how much Paul cared about his earthly family that he would even have a curse on him and cut himself off from Christ if that would help them.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that stuck out was in Romans 13 it talks about obeying the government and paying our taxes etc. because all those in government were given power by God and anyone who is against the government is against something God has commanded.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. Particularly interesting to consider given the last 12 months. We have to be careful to discern if the government is asking us to do something against Scripture. Given that government is a human institution, we shouldn't blindly follow either. Discernment is the key and the best way to discern is to be in God's Word.
DeleteI really enjoyed Colossians. chapter 1 verses 15 through 20, chapter 3 1-6. and verse 24. are some that stuck out to me but I loved the whole book.
ReplyDelete