Also Read in the Church
And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. (Colossians 4:16)
At the time Paul wrote this, the full canon of Scripture was still being formed. His instruction for the Colossians to read his letter publicly and to exchange it with the Laodiceans shows the value of shared wisdom and communal growth. These weren’t private letters for one leader’s eyes only…they were meant for the entire body to learn from together. When churches gathered to read them aloud, fellowship naturally followed. Conversations would spring up, encouragement flowed, and believers sharpened one another.
This pattern is still relevant for us today. We are not isolated churches with exclusive rights to truth; we are all part of one Church, with Christ as our Head. Yet how often do we fall into tribal thinking, acting as if fellowship or wisdom can only be found within our own congregation? Sometimes denominational lines or church cultures create unnecessary barriers, breeding superiority or isolation. But Paul’s vision and instruction reminds us that the Church is bigger than our walls.
This might be a hard reflection, but let’s take an honest look:
What barriers have you allowed to limit fellowship with other believers? How might God be inviting you to cross those lines for the sake of His kingdom?
And this is hard because if we’re guilty of this, then these questions may draw up some defensiveness in us – “yeah, but…”, “well, you see…” – but if we want to walk in true fellowship within the Church the way Jesus designed for us to, we have to be willing to be honest with ourselves and others. This is worth sitting before God with and letting Him correct anything in us if needed.
In eternity, we will all worship together as one great multitude before the throne of God. If that is our future reality, why not choose to live like it now? Let’s tear down barriers, resist exclusivity, and intentionally enjoy fellowship with believers outside our immediate circle, because Christ’s body is most beautiful when united.