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"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father" (Colossians 1:1,2).

I want to begin our message today by repeating the point I made yesterday: as we grow in our knowledge of the Bible there will be less new teachings we've never heard but far more teachings will be reminders of what we have already been taught.

But all through life we can receive new insights that we had never thought about before and I am thankful that this still happens in my life. Of course it's also possible to learn something again that we had forgotten!

In our Sunday School (ABF) we are studying Colossians through the summer. Dennis, a longtime missionary to Nigeria, taught our first lesson this last Sunday. He made a point I don't recall ever considering regarding Colossae.

J.B. Lightfoot who lived in the mid 1,800's wrote, “Colossae was the least important church to which any epistle of Paul was addressed.”

Here was a church of unknown people, in a small town, receiving an inspired letter from the great apostle Paul. Perhaps only 30 to 40 people (probably even less), were meeting together in Philemon and his wife, Apphia’s, home (Philemon 1:2). It certainly wasn't a megachurch!

Colossae does not even exist today, although Google maps shows its location in modern day Turkey.*

Paul had passed through the region where Colossae was located on his first missionary journey but there is no record of him actually being there or meeting the people in person. The broader area was called Asia Minor at that time; the local area around Colossae was called Phrygia (Acts 16:6; 18:23).

Luke, who wrote the Book of Acts, tells us "that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks" (Acts 19:10). Epaphras who was from that community was a coworker with Paul who was instrumental in planting and establishing a healthy, thriving New Testament church. But was there any lasting significance?

Today's main point: Paul wrote the letter from prison and the small congregation likely received it with joy. But did Paul have any idea when he wrote it that it would be included in the sacred Scriptures? Did the Colossians in the remotest way consider that this short letter addressed to them would be read, preached on and studied all throughout the church age?

Never underestimate your significance. We really won't know fully the significance of our obedience until the other side!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13.

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber