Shining a light on the weekly Bible Lessons published in the Christian Science Quarterly®

Life

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.

—New Living Translation

Paul apparently never visited the Greek city of Colossae, and his authorship of this letter is uncertain. Many sources, however, think the epistle was drafted by him to express his deep concern and love for a group of Christians he had never met. His tender counsel in this passage exemplifies this love.

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Resources cited in this issue

RR: New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, IL: All rights reserved; Wilkins, Michael J. NIV Application Commentary: From Biblical Text . . . to Contemporary Life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004; Bruce, F. F. Zondervan Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008.

Cit. 3: Orr, James, ed. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance, 1915. Also available at studylight.org/encyclopedias.

Cit. 5: Contexticon of New Testament Language, copyright © 2009 by Contexticon Learning and Research, Inc., Cambridge, MA, USA. All rights reserved.

Cits. 10, 11: Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew, 1955. Revised and updated by Saint Andrew, 2001. Reprinted as The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2001–04.

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