A Prickle of Porcupines
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The Church is a bag of mixed nuts.
The Church is a bag of mixed nuts.
The church includes all kinds of people. (Col. 4:10-11, 15; 3:11)
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him), and so does Jesus who is called Justus. These alone of the circumcised are my coworkers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her home.
In Christ there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
The church includes people with failure in their past—and future. (Col. 4:10, 14; Acts 15:37=38; 2 Timothy 4:9-10)
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.
Luke, the dearly loved physician, and Demas send you greetings.
Make every effort to come to me soon, because Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
The church includes people in conflict. (Col. 4:9; Philemon 10-11, 17; Acts 15:39-40)
He is coming with Onesimus, a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
appeal to you for my son, Onesimus. I became his father while I was in chains. Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me.
They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus. But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face because he stood condemned.
How can a church of mixed nuts survive?
How can a church of mixed nuts survive?
By listening to Scripture—and teaching. (Col. 4:7-9; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Ephesians 4:11-13)
Tychicus, our dearly loved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know how we are and so that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, a faithful and dearly loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness.
By embracing redeemed people. (Col. 4:10; Philemon 17; Romans 15:7)
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you greetings, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin (concerning whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me.
Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed you, to the glory of God.
By reconciling people who are in conflict. (Col. 4:17; Philemon 1-2, Acts 9:26-27)
And tell Archippus, “Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.”
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother:
To Philemon our dear friend and coworker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home.
When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.
By creating a community of compassion. (Colossians 3:12-15)
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.
Through lots of prayer. (Col. 4:12; 4:2-3; 1:9)
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling for you in his prayers, so that you can stand mature and fully assured in everything God wills.
Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains,
For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
From Colossae to Turner
From Colossae to Turner
Have you joined the bag of mixed nuts?
Are you willing to do church with nuts?
Are you working to reconcile nuts to each other?