A Cry for Fellowship


“Do your best to come to me quickly...” Paul (2 Tim. 4:9)
“At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.” -Paul (2 Tim 4:16)

What is probably his last letter to everyone, Paul writes in the previous chapters some great theological teachings that have become the foundations for our faith today. But for some reason, the most intriguing words of this book come from the last few paragraphs, where most bibles title this section, “Personal Remarks”. Here he bears his soul just a little. He shows the personal Paul we don’t hear about too much. In this section we see a man who is hurt by betrayal, burned by others, and someone who craves for deep relationships. We don’t see teacher Paul here, but the man who in many ways is just like us.

We crave for fellowship from other believers. Or maybe just in people in general. Everyone does. Even God. He has perfect fellowship in the Trinity. Jesus shows the example in the 12 Disciples. But quite often we try to be the Lone Ranger in many things. But if you really think about it, even the Lone Ranger was not alone. Sometimes though we try to be the loner, the one who can endure the pain, the sorrow, the burdens, all by ourselves. Who are we kidding? We can’t. We can try, but the weight comes to much, the pain still persist, and the sadness just increases. The final written words from Paul teach us a great deal of what is important. What is most important is the fellowship you have with others. Theology is good, wisdom is great, but love and fellowship with other believers is what makes the Christian life complete.

Lord this lesson is powerful for us to know that we need You first, and we need others and others need us. Thank you for this lesson in fellowship.

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