Reading a short passage from one of Paul's letters: the encouragement to keep
The letters of the apostle Paul are among the richest texts of the New Testament, but also among the most intimidating: long sentences, tight arguments, rich vocabulary. This quest invites you to read only a short passage and to keep one encouragement from it. Small piece, great benefit.
What it looks like in your day
A letter is made to be read in one go, but nothing stops you from cutting it up. Here is one way to proceed:
- Choose an accessible letter. Philippians, Colossians or 1 Thessalonians are warm, practical letters. Romans and Galatians are more argumentative: keep them for later.
- Read a passage of ten to fifteen verses. One paragraph, no more.
- Spot whom Paul is writing to and why. A church in difficulty? A friend to encourage? A question to settle? That sets the tone.
- Look for the encouragement. What can support you today? A promise, a reminder, an exhortation, a prayer of Paul's.
- Note it in one sentence and keep it in mind.
An example: reading Colossians 3:12-14, you spot a list of qualities to put on: kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering. Your encouragement of the day: "God chose me, loved me: I can treat others with gentleness."
If you are in a hurry, five verses are enough. If you are a beginner, don't try to understand everything: keep what is clear. If you are shy about a dense text, remember that Paul was writing to ordinary people.
What the Bible says
Here is one of Paul's most concrete passages on the everyday life of believers:
“Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.”
You can see how he speaks: first of what God has done ("as the elect of God, holy and beloved"), then of what that changes for us. Almost all his letters follow this path: the identity received comes before the actions requested.
Even Peter acknowledges that some passages in Paul are hard to understand:
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.”
That should reassure you: if Paul's letters sometimes seem arduous, you are not alone. Peter calls him "our beloved brother Paul" and acknowledges the wisdom given him by God. It is therefore not necessary to understand everything in order to find nourishment in them.
Paul himself writes to Timothy that all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
Pitfalls to avoid
Reading an isolated verse. Paul's sentences are often long, with "therefore," "for," "so that." A verse taken alone can mislead. Read at least the paragraph.
Looking for rules. Paul's letters have sometimes been turned into a code of conduct. There are exhortations, but they flow from grace: "You are loved, so live like this," not "Do this in order to be loved."
Stopping at the difficult passages. Don't get stuck on a passage that eludes you. Note it, keep going, come back later, or ask someone.
Applying without reading the situation. Paul addresses specific churches, at a given time. Ask yourself first: what did he want to tell them? Then: what does this text tell me today?
Confusing Paul with Jesus. Paul is a servant. He points to Jesus, he is not the center. Keep that outlook.
Today, choose a short passage from Philippians, Colossians or 1 Thessalonians. Read it, and note one encouragement.