Because believers have been raised with Christ, Paul calls the Colossians to live with a new focus and a new identity (v. 1). Their lives are no longer defined by earthly standards or spiritual shortcuts but by Christ Himself, who is seated at the right hand of God and reigns with authority (vv. 1–2, Psalm 110:1). Though their true life is presently hidden with Christ, it is secure and destined for glory when Christ appears again (vv. 3–4, Romans 8:29–30). This eternal perspective becomes the foundation for how believers live faithfully on earth.
Flowing from that identity, Paul urges believers to put to death the sins that once defined them—especially sexual immorality, greed, anger, and destructive speech—because these belong to the old self that has already been put off in Christ (vv. 5–9). In its place, believers have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the image of its Creator (v. 10, Ephesians 4:24). This new life breaks down every barrier of race, culture, and social status, because Christ is all and in all (v. 11, Galatians 3:28). The gospel does not merely improve behavior; it creates a new humanity centered on Jesus.
Paul then describes what this new life looks like in everyday relationships. As God’s chosen and beloved people, believers are to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love, which binds everything together in unity (vv. 12–14). The peace of Christ is to rule in the community, the word of Christ is to dwell richly through teaching and worship, and everything is to be done in the name of the Lord Jesus with thanksgiving (vv. 15–17). This Christ-centered life reaches into the home and workplace, shaping marriages, parenting, and daily labor, as every role is lived under the lordship of Christ and for His glory (vv. 18–25).
🌀 Reflection: What habits, attitudes, or relationships reveal whether your mind is set more on earthly concerns or on the risen Christ who is your life?
💬 Mission Challenge: Intentionally display one Christlike virtue today—such as forgiveness, patience, or kindness—in a relationship where it would normally be difficult.
Paul opens this chapter by sharing his deep concern and struggle for believers he has never met personally, including those in Colossae and nearby Laodicea (v. 1). His desire is that they would be encouraged in heart, united in love, and filled with a full assurance of understanding—knowing that God’s mystery is Christ Himself (v. 2). In Jesus alone are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, which means no secret insight, mystical experience, or spiritual elite can offer something Christ lacks (vv. 3–4). Paul rejoices that the Colossians are standing firm, and he urges them to continue living the same way they began: rooted, built up, and established in Christ, overflowing with thanksgiving (vv. 5–7).
Paul then issues a strong warning: do not be taken captive by teaching that sounds wise but is rooted in human tradition and spiritual powers rather than Christ (v. 8). The reason believers can resist such deception is because Jesus is fully God—the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily in Him—and believers have already been made complete in Him (vv. 9–10). Through union with Christ, they have experienced a true spiritual transformation: a “circumcision made without hands,” burial and resurrection with Christ, forgiveness of sins, and new life by God’s power (vv. 11–13). At the cross, God canceled the record of debt due for our sin that stood against us and decisively defeated the spiritual rulers and authorities, triumphing over them through Christ (vv. 14–15).
Because of this finished work, Paul warns the Colossians not to let anyone judge or disqualify them based on food laws, religious festivals, Sabbaths, ascetic practices, angel worship, or mystical visions (vv. 16–18). These things may look spiritual, but they are only shadows; the substance belongs to Christ (v. 17). True growth comes from holding fast to Christ the Head, from whom the whole body grows with a growth that is from God (v. 19). Since believers have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, submitting again to human rules and self-made religion is both unnecessary and powerless to restrain sin (vv. 20–23).
🌀 Reflection: Where are you tempted to look for “more” than Christ—whether through rules, experiences, or approval—and how does Paul’s reminder of Christ’s sufficiency challenge that impulse?
💬 Mission Challenge: Gently encourage someone who feels spiritually inadequate by pointing them to the truth that, in Christ, they are already complete.
Paul opens his letter by thanking God for the Colossians’ faith in Christ, love for the saints, and hope laid up in heaven—a hope grounded in the true gospel they learned from their pastor, Epaphras (vv. 3–8). This gospel is not a local message but the only gospel, and it is bearing fruit and growing throughout the world, producing changed lives wherever it is truly received (v. 6). Paul then shares how he prays continually that the Colossians would be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, leading them to walk in a way that pleases the Lord—bearing fruit, growing in knowing God, and being strengthened with God’s power for endurance, patience, and joyful thanksgiving (vv. 9–12).
At the heart of Paul’s prayer is gratitude for salvation itself. God has rescued believers from the domain of darkness and transferred them into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and forgiveness of sins (vv. 13–14). Paul then lifts the reader’s eyes to one of the richest portraits of Christ in all of Scripture. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, supreme over all creation, the agent and goal of everything that exists, and the one who holds all things together (vv. 15–17). He is also the head of the church and the firstborn from the dead, so that He might be preeminent in everything (v. 18). In Him all the fullness of God dwells, and through the blood of His cross God is reconciling all things to Himself (vv. 19–20).
Paul applies this glorious truth personally. Once alienated and hostile toward God, believers are now reconciled through Christ’s death so that they may be presented holy, blameless, and above reproach—if they continue steadfast in the faith and do not shift from the hope of the gospel (vv. 21–23). Paul then explains his own ministry: he suffers gladly for the sake of Christ’s body, the church, and faithfully proclaims the mystery once hidden but now revealed—Christ in you, the hope of glory (vv. 24–27). His aim is not merely conversion but maturity, as he labors with Christ’s power to present everyone mature in Christ (vv. 28–29).
🌀 Reflection: How does seeing Jesus as supreme over creation, redemption, and the church reshape the way you view your life and your faith today?
💬 Mission Challenge: Encourage another believer by reminding them—verbally or in writing—that Christ is at work in them and that their hope is secure because Jesus reigns.
Paul continues showing what a Spirit-filled life looks like in everyday relationships. Children are called to obey and honor their parents as an act of obedience “in the Lord,” echoing the fifth commandment and its promise of blessing (vv. 1–3; Exodus 20:12). Parents—especially fathers—are warned not to provoke their children but instead to raise them with loving discipline and instruction rooted in the Lord (v. 4, Deuteronomy 6:6–7). Paul then addresses slaves and masters, applying gospel principles to the realities of the first-century household. Slaves are to serve sincerely, as serving Christ Himself, while masters are commanded to lead with justice and humility, remembering they too answer to a heavenly Master who shows no partiality (vv. 5–9, Colossians 3:22–4:1).
Paul closes the letter by lifting the reader’s eyes to the larger reality behind daily obedience: the Christian life is spiritual warfare. Believers are called to be strong in the Lord, not in their own strength, and to stand firm against the devil’s schemes by putting on the full armor of God (vv. 10–13). This armor—truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God—comes from God Himself and equips believers to resist spiritual enemies, not human ones (vv. 14–17, Isaiah 59:17). Prayer undergirds everything. Paul urges constant, Spirit-dependent prayer for all believers and even asks for prayer that he would boldly proclaim the gospel, reminding us that faithfulness in the battle depends on God’s power, not ours (vv. 18–20). The letter ends with a benediction of peace, love, faith, and grace—fitting gifts for those learning to walk worthy of their calling in Christ (vv. 23–24).
🌀 Reflection: Where has God placed you under authority—or given you authority over others—and how can you reflect Christ more faithfully in those relationships this week?
💬 Mission Challenge: Pray intentionally today for another believer who is facing spiritual opposition, asking God to strengthen them to stand firm in Christ.
Paul calls believers to live like who they now are: “beloved children” of God (v. 1). The shape of that life is love—specifically, the self-giving love of Jesus, who “loved us and gave himself up for us” (v. 2; cf. 4:32). So Christian holiness is not cold rule-keeping; it’s imitation of our Father that flows out of being loved by Christ. That love shows up in what we refuse and what we replace. Paul is blunt: sexual immorality, impurity, and greedy desire don’t belong among the saints—not even as accepted, joked-about norms (vv. 3–4). Greed is not just “wanting more”; it’s a kind of idolatry that puts something else where God belongs (v. 5). And Paul warns against a deadly lie: that someone can claim Christ while living in a settled, unrepentant pattern of sin and still have peace with God (v. 6). Christians aren’t called to avoid all contact with unbelievers, but they must not partner with darkness by joining in its deeds (v. 7).
The reason is identity: you once were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord—so “walk as children of light” (v. 8). Light produces fruit—goodness, righteousness, and truth (v. 9)—and it learns to discern what pleases God in real-life situations (v. 10). Instead of participating in the “fruitless works of darkness,” believers expose them—carefully, wisely, and without slander—by the clarity of the Word and the contrast of a holy life (vv. 11–13). Paul even breaks into what sounds like an early hymn: “Awake, O sleeper… and Christ will shine on you” (v. 14). Then he urges wise living in an evil age: watch how you walk, redeem the time, and seek God’s revealed will—not secret clues, but Scripture-shaped wisdom for daily life (vv. 15–17). And at the center of wisdom is this: don’t be mastered by anything that distorts and controls (like drunkenness), but be continually filled with the Spirit (v. 18). A Spirit-filled church is marked by worship that overflows, gratitude that endures, and relationships shaped by humble, Christ-centered submission (vv. 19–21).
From there, Paul applies Spirit-filled life to the home. In marriage, wives are called to willingly submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, and husbands are called to love with Christlike sacrifice—laying down their lives for their wives’ good (vv. 22–25, 33). Paul roots this in the picture of Christ and the church: Christ is the Head and Savior who gave himself to make his bride holy, clean, and radiant (vv. 23, 26–27). Husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies because in God’s design the two become “one flesh” (vv. 28–31; cf. Genesis 2:24). And then Paul lifts our eyes higher: this “one flesh” union was always meant to point beyond itself—marriage is a living signpost toward the “mystery” now revealed, the covenant love between Christ and his church (v. 32).
🌀 Reflection: Where are you most tempted to treat holiness like a private matter—something you can “manage” while still flirting with darkness (vv. 7–12)? What would walking as a child of light look like in that area this week (vv. 8–10)?
💬 Mission Challenge: Redeem one opportunity today by doing a clear “light” action: encourage someone with worshipful words, give thanks out loud, or lovingly refuse participation in something you can’t do “to please the Lord” (vv. 10, 16, 19–20).
Paul turns from what God has done for us in Christ (chs. 1–3) to how we live because of it (v. 1). From prison, he urges believers to “walk in a manner worthy” of their calling—not by earning salvation, but by living in a way that fits the grace we’ve received (v. 1; cf. 2:8–10). The first “worthy” step is unity: humility, gentleness, patience, and a love that keeps bearing with each other (v. 2). The Spirit creates this unity; our job is to keep it, held together by peace (v. 3). Paul grounds that unity in seven “one” realities: one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father over all (vv. 4–6). Unity isn’t built on personality or preference—it’s built on the shared life of the Triune God.
But unity doesn’t mean sameness. Christ gives grace-gifts to each believer, and He does it as the victorious, ascended King who has triumphed and now distributes gifts to His people (vv. 7–10; cf. Psalm 68:18). In particular, Christ gives gifted leaders—apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers—not to do all the ministry for everyone else, but to equip the saints so the whole church serves and the body is built up (vv. 11–12). The goal is a church that grows into maturity together: united in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, steadily becoming more like Christ (v. 13). That kind of maturity protects believers from being tossed around by confusing teaching and spiritual scams (v. 14). Instead, the church grows by “speaking the truth in love,” holding tight to Christ the Head, as every member does their part and the body builds itself up in love (vv. 15–16).
Then Paul gets very practical: don’t go back to your old way of life. The old life is marked by empty thinking, spiritual darkness, hard hearts, and unchecked desires (vv. 17–19). But Christians have “learned Christ”—the truth that is in Jesus calls for a real break with the past (vv. 20–21). Put off the old self that’s being corrupted, be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self—created after God’s likeness in righteousness and holiness (vv. 22–24). That new life shows up in everyday relationships: tell the truth (v. 25), deal with anger quickly (vv. 26–27), work honestly so you can share with those in need (v. 28), and speak words that build up and give grace (v. 29). Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit who sealed you for the day of redemption (v. 30). Put away bitterness and harsh speech, and instead be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving—because God in Christ forgave you (vv. 31–32; cf. Matthew 6:12).
🌀 Reflection: Which “new self” habit do you most need today—truthful words, quick reconciliation, honest work, or forgiving kindness (vv. 25–32)? What would it look like to practice it on purpose in one specific conversation?
💬 Mission Challenge: Build up one person today with grace-filled speech. Send an encouraging text, write a note, or speak a timely word that strengthens them in Christ—truthful, kind, and fitted to the moment (v. 29; cf. Proverbs 25:11).
Paul reminds the Ephesians that his suffering and imprisonment are not random setbacks—they are part of his calling “on behalf of you Gentiles” (vv. 1, 13). God gave Paul a stewardship of grace: to announce and explain a “mystery” that was once hidden but has now been revealed by the Spirit through Christ’s apostles and prophets (vv. 2–5). That mystery is wonderfully clear: Gentiles are full members of God’s family in Christ—fellow heirs, fellow members of the same body, and fellow partakers of the promise through the gospel (v. 6; cf. Galatians 3:28–29). In other words, there aren’t “first-class” Jewish Christians and “second-class” Gentile Christians. In Christ, God has made one people (cf. 2:14–16).
Paul says this calling still amazes him. He knows what he used to be—a persecutor of the church—so he calls himself “less than the least” of the saints (v. 8). Yet God appointed him to preach “the unfathomable riches of Christ” and to bring to light God’s plan for forming this new, united people (vv. 8–9). And here’s the jaw-dropper: through the church—this reconciled, multiethnic body—God is displaying His manifold wisdom to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (v. 10). The church is not an afterthought; it’s part of God’s eternal purpose accomplished in Christ (v. 11). Because of Jesus, believers now have confident access to God—not self-confidence, but Christ-confidence—through faith (v. 12; cf. Hebrews 4:16). So Paul urges them not to lose heart over his tribulations; God is using even suffering to produce glory for His people (v. 13; cf. Romans 8:17–18).
Then Paul returns to what he started in v. 1 and prays. He kneels before the Father who names every family in heaven and on earth (vv. 14–15). His request isn’t mainly for easier circumstances but for deeper strength: that the Spirit would strengthen believers in their inner being, that Christ would dwell in their hearts with power as they trust Him, and that they would be rooted and grounded in love (vv. 16–17). He prays they would grasp—together with all the saints—the vastness of Christ’s love, and that they would know it in a real, lived way, even though it will always be bigger than our understanding (vv. 18–19). And he closes with worship: God is able to do far more than we ask or think, and the goal of it all is His glory in the church and in Christ forever (vv. 20–21).
🌀 Reflection: Do you treat the church like a spiritual “add-on,” or do you see it the way Paul does—as God’s living display of His wisdom and grace in the world (vv. 10, 21)? What would change in how you love, serve, and show up?
💬 Mission Challenge: Encourage someone who is suffering. Send a message or have a conversation that gently reframes hardship through the lens of Ephesians 3—God is not absent, and He can use trials to strengthen faith and spread glory (vv. 13, 16–17; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:16–18).
Paul starts by telling the truth about who we were without Jesus: we were spiritually dead—stuck in trespasses and sins, shaped by the values of this world, pushed along by Satan’s influence, and controlled by the desires of our flesh (vv. 1–3). Even worse, we were “by nature children of wrath,” meaning God’s judgment was not a distant possibility but the verdict hanging over us because we belonged to Adam’s fallen family (v. 3; cf. Romans 5:12). There was no “try harder” solution here; dead people can’t fix themselves.
Then comes one of the greatest turns in the Bible: “But God” (v. 4). Because He is rich in mercy and full of great love, God acted when we could not. He made us alive together with Christ, raised us with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places—so that forever His people would marvel at the riches of His grace and kindness (vv. 4–7; cf. 1:20–21). Salvation is not a paycheck for religious effort; it is a gift: by grace you have been saved through faith, and even that whole rescue—grace, faith, salvation—is not from ourselves (vv. 8–9). Yet grace doesn’t leave us unchanged. God recreates His people as His workmanship—new creations in Christ—so we can “walk” in the good works He prepared for us (v. 10; cf. 2 Corinthians 5:17).
Paul then zooms out from individual salvation to church unity. Gentiles once lived “far off”—cut off from the covenants and promises and without hope (vv. 11–12). But now, in Christ, they have been brought near by His blood (v. 13). Jesus Himself is our peace: by His cross He tore down the dividing wall, set aside what separated Jew and Gentile under the old covenant, and created one new humanity—one people—reconciled both to God and to each other (vv. 14–18; cf. Isaiah 57:19). So Gentile believers are no longer outsiders; they are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household, built together on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone (vv. 19–20). The church is now God’s living temple—Jew and Gentile together—where God dwells by His Spirit (vv. 21–22; cf. 1 Corinthians 3:16).
🌀 Reflection: Where do you still think you have to earn God’s welcome—like you’re a “near” person because you’re doing better lately—rather than living like someone who was “far off” but has been brought near only by the blood of Christ (v. 13)?
💬 Mission Challenge: Cross one boundary today. Reach out to a believer you don’t naturally connect with (age, background, personality, history) and take one step toward real unity—invite them to coffee, encourage them, or pray with them—because Jesus didn’t just save you from sin; He made you part of one new people (vv. 14–16).
This phase will have us reading about Jesus’s life in the gospel of Luke, the formation of the Church in Acts, and walk through the theology found in Paul’s letters that the Church needs to know about and live out the eternal life given by grace through faith in Jesus.
Below, you’ll find brief synopses of each book in this phase to help you understand the scope of the book and most importantly, how it fits into the full Story of the Bible.
When you click on each day’s link, you will find a link to audio, a summary of the chapter, a key verse from the chapter, and opportunities for reflection and outreach.
We’re moving into Paul’s epistles, which we’ll go through chronologically rather than in the order they appear in our Bibles.
Ephesians
Ephesians is a letter written by the apostle Paul around A.D. 60–62 while he was imprisoned in Rome (Ephesians 3:1, 6:20; Acts 28). Although traditionally addressed “to the Ephesians,” the letter was likely intended as a circular letter for several churches in the region of Asia Minor, with Ephesus as its primary hub (Ephesians 1:1). Paul had spent several years ministering in and around Ephesus (Acts 19:10), but the letter’s broad and impersonal tone suggests he is addressing a wider group of believers. Rather than responding to a specific crisis, Paul writes to remind the church who they are in Christ and how they are to live in light of God’s saving work.
At the heart of Ephesians is the breathtaking truth that God is uniting all things in Christ (Ephesians 1:9–10). Paul begins by praising God for the spiritual blessings believers have received “in Christ,” including election, redemption through Christ’s blood, forgiveness of sins, and the sealing of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:3–14). He then reminds readers of what God has done for them personally: though they were once dead in sin, God made them alive by grace through faith—not by works (Ephesians 2:1–10). This saving grace does more than rescue individuals; it creates a new people. In Christ, Jews and Gentiles who were once divided are now reconciled to God and to one another, forming one new humanity and one household of God (Ephesians 2:11–22).
In the story of the Bible, Ephesians lifts our eyes to the cosmic scope of redemption. What God promised throughout the Old Testament has come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, and the church now stands at the center of God’s plan to display His wisdom and grace to the world—and even to the heavenly powers (Ephesians 3:10–11). Christ reigns over all authority and power, and the church is His body, filled by Him and united under His headship (Ephesians 1:20–23). This new covenant people exists by grace alone and lives for the glory of God, awaiting the final consummation of all things in Christ.
The second half of Ephesians shows how these glorious truths shape everyday life. Because believers have been called into one body, they are urged to walk in unity, holiness, love, and wisdom (Ephesians 4:1–6, 5:1–2). Paul applies the gospel to relationships in the home, the church, and the world, showing what it looks like to live as those who belong to Christ (Ephesians 5:21–6:9). The letter closes with a call to stand firm in spiritual battle, clothed in the armor God provides, relying on His strength rather than our own (Ephesians 6:10–18). Ephesians reminds us that the church does not create its identity—it receives it from Christ—and then lives it out for His glory until He brings all things to completion.
Colossians is a letter written by the apostle Paul, with Timothy alongside him, to believers in the small city of Colossae (Colossians 1:1). Paul likely wrote during his imprisonment, most commonly connected to his Roman imprisonment, around A.D. 60–62 (Colossians 4:3, 10, 18; Acts 28). The letter was carried by Tychicus, and Onesimus traveled with him (Colossians 4:7–9), linking Colossians closely with Philemon and placing it in the same “Prison Letters” cluster as Ephesians. Paul had not personally visited Colossae (Colossians 2:1). Instead, the church seems to have been founded through the ministry of Epaphras, who likely came to faith during Paul’s years in Ephesus and then returned home to proclaim the gospel (Colossians 1:7, Acts 19:10).
Paul writes because a dangerous teaching was unsettling the church and threatening their confidence in Christ. While scholars debate the exact label for the error, the letter itself makes clear what was happening: voices were pressuring believers to look beyond Jesus for spiritual “fullness,” protection, or maturity—through additional spiritual intermediaries, mystical experiences, and a regimen of rules or ascetic practices (Colossians 2:8, 16–23). There are Jewish elements (festivals, Sabbaths) and spiritual/angelic elements (“worship of angels”), along with the sense that special insight or extra steps were needed to be truly secure (Colossians 2:16–18). Epaphras was so concerned that he sought Paul’s help, and Paul responds by pulling the church back to the center: Christ is enough, and nothing must be allowed to diminish His supremacy or the believer’s identity “in Him” (Colossians 2:9–10).
In the overall story of the Bible, Colossians declares with stunning clarity who Jesus is and what His saving work has accomplished. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the creator and sustainer of all things—visible and invisible—and the One through whom God will reconcile all things to Himself (Colossians 1:15–20). He is not one spiritual option among many; He is Lord over every power and authority, and in Him the fullness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9–10, 15). Because believers are united to Christ, they share in His death and resurrection life: they have been delivered from darkness, forgiven, and brought into the kingdom of the beloved Son (Colossians 1:13–14, 2:11–14). That means they do not need other mediators, rituals, or spiritual add-ons to make them complete—God has already made them full in Christ (Colossians 2:10).
Colossians also shows how a Christ-centered gospel produces a Christ-shaped life. Since believers have been raised with Christ, they are called to set their minds on the things above, put off the old patterns of sin, and put on the new virtues that reflect the character of Jesus—compassion, kindness, humility, patience, love, and thankful worship (Colossians 3:1–17). Paul brings that transformation into everyday relationships and households, showing that the lordship of Christ reaches into the ordinary places of life (Colossians 3:18–4:1). In the end, Colossians is both a warning and an encouragement: don’t be captured by man-made religion or fear-driven spirituality, but hold fast to Christ—the Head of the church, the Savior who reconciles, and the victorious Lord who is sufficient for His people in every way (Colossians 1:18–20, 2:19).
Philemon is a short, one-chapter personal letter from the apostle Paul (with Timothy named alongside him) to a believer named Philemon, a leader in Colossae whose home hosted a local church (Philemon 1–2). It was written during Paul’s imprisonment, most likely in Rome, around A.D. 60–62, at roughly the same time as Colossians, and it travels with the same delivery team—Tychicus and Onesimus (Colossians 4:7–9). That connection matters: when the church in Colossae gathered to hear Colossians read aloud—Christ’s supremacy, the believer’s new identity “in Him,” and the call to put on love and forgiveness (Colossians 1:15–20, 2:9–14, 3:12–14)—Philemon would have heard those truths first, and then received a second letter that applied them to a real situation in his own home.
The situation centers on Onesimus, who had wronged Philemon in some way (likely by running away and possibly causing financial loss), but who encountered Paul and was converted to Christ (Philemon 10, 18). Paul then sends Onesimus back—not merely to “return property,” but to pursue reconciliation shaped by the gospel. The heart of Paul’s appeal is that the gospel transforms people and relationships: Onesimus, once “useless,” has become truly “useful” (Philemon 11), and Philemon is urged to receive him “no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother” (Philemon 16). Paul could have commanded, but for love’s sake he appeals, even offering to cover any debt Onesimus owes (Philemon 8–9, 18–19). In the story of redemption, Philemon is a small letter with a big message: because Christ has forgiven and reconciled us to God, believers are called to extend that same grace toward one another—letting Jesus be “over us” not only in doctrine, but in everyday obedience, forgiveness, and restored fellowship (Philemon 15–17; cf. Colossians 3:13).
Philippians is a warm, joy-filled letter written by the apostle Paul to the Christians in Philippi, a Roman colony in Macedonia and the first place in Europe where Paul established a church (Acts 16:12–40). From the beginning, this congregation had a special partnership with Paul: Lydia was the first convert, the Philippian jailer was brought to faith through God’s dramatic deliverance, and the church consistently supported Paul’s gospel work through prayer and generous giving (Acts 16:14–15, 33–34; Philippians 1:5, 4:15–16). Paul writes while imprisoned—most likely in Rome around A.D. 60–62—since he mentions the “praetorium” and “Caesar’s household,” and he speaks as though his case could soon end either in release or death (Philippians 1:13, 20–23; 4:22; cf. Acts 28:16, 30–31). The immediate occasion includes the Philippians’ gift sent through Epaphroditus and Paul’s desire to send news back—especially that Epaphroditus recovered from a serious illness and is returning to them (Philippians 2:25–30, 4:10–18).
Even so, Philippians is far more than a thank-you note. Its heartbeat is encouragement—calling believers to live as citizens of a heavenly kingdom in the middle of a proud Roman culture (Philippians 1:27, 3:20). Paul shows what that looks like through repeated themes of gospel-centered unity, humble service, steady joy, and faithful perseverance even in suffering (Philippians. 1:27–30, 2:1–4, 4:4–7). The centerpiece of the letter is the stunning portrait of Jesus in Philippians 2:5–11: though truly divine, Christ humbled Himself, took the form of a servant, and obeyed to the point of death on a cross—therefore God highly exalted Him so that every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:6–11). That Christ-shaped pattern then becomes the model for the church: Paul points to Christ first, and then to living examples like Timothy and Epaphroditus, urging the Philippians to put others first and to labor together for the gospel (Philippians 2:19–30).
Philippians also makes clear that spiritual growth is not passive. Paul presses the church to keep moving forward—never settling into spiritual complacency—because the gospel is too glorious and the world too dangerous for “coasting” (Philippians 1:25, 3:12–16). He warns them about false teachers who would replace Christ with confidence in the flesh, reminding them that righteousness comes through faith in Christ, not law-keeping or religious status (Philippians 3:2–9). Yet even while calling them to effort—“work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”—Paul anchors their confidence in God’s active grace: “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12–13). In short, Philippians teaches a church how to live with deep joy and deep humility, holding tightly to Christ, standing together in unity, and pressing on until the day when their King is fully revealed (Philippians 1:6, 10; 3:14, 20–21).
First Timothy is a pastoral letter from the apostle Paul to his younger coworker Timothy, whom Paul calls his “true child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). Timothy had traveled and ministered alongside Paul for years (Acts 16:1–3, 19:22; Philippians 1:1), and at the time of this letter Paul had left him in Ephesus to help strengthen the church and confront serious problems there (1 Timothy 1:3). Ephesus was a major and influential city, and Paul had already warned that dangerous teachers would arise and draw people away from the truth (Acts 20:29–30). First Timothy addresses that exact kind of threat: teaching that sounded religious but produced confusion, pride, quarrels, and greed rather than love and godliness (1 Timothy 1:4–7, 6:3–10). Although some modern scholars dispute Paul’s authorship, the letter plainly names Paul as its author (1 Timothy 1:1), reflects a strong personal and autobiographical tone, and was received as Pauline and authoritative very early in the church’s life.
The timing likely fits after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment (Acts 28:16, 30–31). On the traditional understanding, Paul was released, continued mission work, and then later faced a second imprisonment that led to his death. In that window, 1 Timothy would fall in the early-to-mid 60s (often dated around A.D. 62–64), written from an unknown location while Timothy labored in and around Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3, 3:14–15). Paul hopes to come to Timothy, but he writes so Timothy will know “how one ought to behave in the household of God,” which is the church (1 Timothy 3:14–15). In other words, this is not a detached manual—it’s an urgent, fatherly charge to protect the gospel and shepherd God’s people well (1 Timothy 1:18, 6:20–21).
A key thread through the whole letter is that right doctrine produces real-life change. Paul is not mainly interested in winning arguments; he is concerned that the true gospel leads to love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith (1 Timothy 1:5). That’s why he keeps returning to the contrast: false teaching fuels empty speculation and moral collapse, but sound teaching produces visible godliness (1 Timothy 1:3–7, 4:6–16, 6:3–14). Paul anchors this in the message of salvation itself—God’s mercy to sinners in Christ (1 Timothy 1:12–16), the one Mediator who gave Himself as a ransom (1 Timothy 2:5–6), and God’s desire for the gospel to go to all peoples (1 Timothy 2:1–7, 4:10). Because the gospel is true, the church must be shaped by it in worship, leadership, relationships, and everyday conduct.
So Paul gives Timothy practical instructions that flow from the gospel: guard the church’s public worship with prayer, unity, and holiness (1 Timothy 2:1–15); appoint qualified overseers and deacons whose lives display maturity and self-control (1 Timothy 3:1–13); train for godliness and model faithful ministry (1 Timothy 4:6–16); honor and care for people wisely—older and younger, widows, elders, and even slaves—so that love and integrity mark the congregation (1 Timothy 5:1–6:2). He also warns against greed and calls believers to contentment, generosity, and a firm grip on “the faith” (1 Timothy 6:6–19). In the end, 1 Timothy is a clear call to protect the purity of the gospel and to show its power in the day-to-day life of the church—so that God’s household reflects God’s character and Christ’s saving work (1 Timothy 3:15–16).
Titus is a short pastoral letter from the apostle Paul to his trusted coworker Titus (Titus 1:1, 4). Like 1 Timothy, it’s written to a ministry partner who is helping establish and stabilize young churches, and it strongly links sound faith with godly living—belief and behavior belong together (Titus 1:1, 2:11–14). Though some modern scholars question Paul’s authorship, the letter clearly identifies Paul as its author (Titus 1:1), fits well with Paul’s theology, and was received early in the church as a Pauline, authoritative writing.
The letter is typically dated to the early-to-mid 60s (around A.D. 62–64), during the period after Paul’s first Roman imprisonment and before a later imprisonment that ended in his death (cf. Acts 28:30–31). Paul had recently ministered on the island of Crete and left Titus there to “put what remained into order” by appointing elders in the churches (Titus 1:5). Paul plans to meet Titus in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), but in the meantime he writes with urgency and clarity, giving Titus marching orders for healthy church life.
A key reason for the letter is the presence of false teachers—especially those with a strong Jewish flavor (“the circumcision party”), who traffic in “myths” and distorted teaching while producing ungodly lives (Titus 1:10–16). Paul’s concern is not just their ideas but their fruit: they “profess to know God, but…deny him by their works” (Titus 1:16). In a culture known for disorder and immorality (Titus 1:12), that kind of “religion” would blend right in. Paul expects the gospel to do the opposite: to create a people whose lives make the message believable and beautiful (Titus 2:5, 8, 10).
So Titus gives a portrait of a healthy church. It starts with godly leadership—elders who are above reproach, able to teach what is true, and able to correct what is false (Titus 1:5–9). It includes firm handling of error and divisiveness (Titus 1:10–16, 3:9–11). And it presses the gospel into everyday life for everyone in the church—older and younger, men and women, and even servants—so that the church’s conduct “adorns” the doctrine of God our Savior (Titus 2:1–10).
At the heart of the letter are two gospel-rich summaries that show why Christian ethics matter. God’s grace has appeared in Jesus to save and to train His people to renounce ungodliness and live self-controlled, upright lives while waiting for Christ’s return—“our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11–14). And salvation is not earned by works, but comes by God’s mercy through the washing and renewal of the Holy Spirit—so believers devote themselves to good works as the fitting fruit of grace (Titus 3:4–8, 14). In short, Titus shows that the gospel doesn’t only rescue sinners—it reshapes communities, builds healthy churches, and sends believers into the world with a credible, compelling witness.
Second Timothy is Paul’s final and most personal pastoral letter to Timothy (2 Timothy 1:1–2). Like 1 Timothy, it addresses ministry in and around Ephesus and the need to guard the gospel against error, but the tone is different: this is a “farewell” letter written with death in view. Paul is imprisoned in Rome again—this time not in relatively open house arrest (Acts 28:16, 30–31), but “chained like a criminal” and expecting execution (2 Timothy 2:9, 4:6–8). Most date it during Nero’s reign, likely in the mid-to-late 60s (about A.D. 64–67).
The heart of the letter is a bold call to persevere in the gospel despite suffering. Paul urges Timothy not to shrink back in fear, not to be ashamed of Christ or of Paul’s chains, and to be willing to suffer for the gospel by God’s power (2 Timothy 1:7–8, 12). Timothy is to guard “the good deposit” of sound teaching “by the Holy Spirit” (2 Timothy 1:13–14), pass that gospel truth on to faithful men who will teach others (2 Timothy 2:2), and do the steady work of ministry even in a hard season (2 Timothy 2:3–7, 4:5).
Because Paul knows time is short, he speaks with clarity about what will threaten Timothy and the church: people who quarrel about words, drift into irreverent babble, and distort the truth (2 Timothy 2:14–18), and a worsening climate of godlessness and opposition in the “last days” (2 Timothy 3:1–9). The primary safeguard is not novelty but Scripture. Timothy is to continue in what he has learned, because the Scriptures are able to make one wise for salvation through faith in Christ, and because “all Scripture is breathed out by God” and equips the servant of God for every good work (2 Timothy 3:14–17).
The letter culminates in Paul’s solemn charge: “preach the word…in season and out of season” with patience and careful teaching (2 Timothy 4:1–5), because a time is coming when many will not endure sound doctrine (2 Timothy 4:3–4). Then, in one of the most moving moments in the New Testament, Paul reflects on his own finished race and sure hope: he is being “poured out,” but he looks ahead to “the crown of righteousness” that the Lord will give to all who love Christ’s appearing (2 Timothy 4:6–8). Even as friends have scattered and only Luke remains (2 Timothy 4:10–11), Paul’s confidence is steady: the Lord will bring him safely into His heavenly kingdom (2 Timothy 4:18). Second Timothy is, in the end, a last word from a spiritual father: hold fast to Christ, treasure the Scriptures, proclaim the gospel, and endure—because Jesus is worth it, and His coming is sure.
Paul opens Ephesians by reminding believers who they are: “saints” set apart for God, and “faithful” because they are in Christ (vv. 1–2). Then he launches into one long, worshipful sentence that praises God for His rescue plan. The Father chose His people in Christ before the foundation of the world—not because they were worthy, but because He is gracious—so that they would be holy and blameless before Him (vv. 3–6). In love, God predestined believers for adoption, making them His true heirs, and all of it is “to the praise of his glorious grace” (vv. 5–6).
That grace shows up most clearly in Jesus: in Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of God’s grace (vv. 7–8). And God is not only saving individuals—He is revealing His “mystery,” His long-planned purpose to unite (or “sum up”) all things in Christ—things in heaven and things on earth—when the fullness of time arrives (vv. 9–10; cf. Colossians 1:20). In Christ we have obtained an inheritance, because God works all things according to the counsel of His will, and He will finish what He planned (vv. 11–12; cf. Romans 8:28–30). When the Ephesians heard the word of truth and believed, they were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit—God’s own mark of ownership and protection—and the Spirit is the down payment that guarantees the full redemption still to come (vv. 13–14; cf. 2 Corinthians 1:22).
Paul then thanks God for their faith in Christ and love for the saints, and he prays they would not just know the truths of salvation but feel their weight in the “eyes of their hearts” (vv. 15–18). He asks God to give them spiritual wisdom to grasp their hope, God’s precious inheritance in His people, and the immeasurable greatness of His power toward believers (vv. 17–19). That power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated Him above every rule and authority—far above every rival power in this age and the age to come (vv. 20–21; cf. Psalm 110:1). God has put all things under Christ’s feet and made Him head over all things for the church, which is His body—His living people who represent His reign in the world (vv. 22–23; cf. Psalm 8:6).
🌀 Reflection: Ephesians 1 trains your heart to start with worship, not worry. If God chose you in Christ, adopted you, redeemed you, and sealed you with His Spirit, what fear or shame are you still carrying like it gets the final word (vv. 4–7, 13–14)?
💬 Mission Challenge: Pray Paul’s prayer for someone in your church today: ask God to open the “eyes of their heart” to hope, inheritance, and power in Christ (vv. 17–19). Then tell them one specific gospel blessing from this chapter that is true of them “in Christ” (vv. 3, 7, 13).
Just Keith Harris 