PAUL's CHARGE TO YOU

1 Thess 5:27 I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.

God has revealed His will to the world by giving, and preserving, His holy scriptures, the Bible, for men and women of all ages. To His chosen messengers, God revealed His will, by direct inspiration of His Holy Spirit. These inspired spokesmen of God recorded His will for all to read, study, understand, believe, and obey. Other than the Old and New Testaments, God has not revealed any commandment or doctrine to any other man or woman during any age of mankind's existence. That which God has revealed, was made known to all. It was not given to a few to be interpreted for others. It was not written in a rare, difficult tongue that only a few could understand, but was written in a common, transcribable language that could be easily translated into all universal, and understandable, languages in every era of time on earth.

To have complete knowledge of God's plan of salvation for mankind, it is necessary that the Bible, His holy word, must be read by you or to you. This being done, it must be understood, believed, and obeyed by all having an open and receptive heart and mind. There is only one God, one Holy Spirit, and one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Likewise there is only one hope of your calling, ...one faith, (and) one baptism (See Eph. 4:4-6),recorded in God's holy word. Therefore, no other doctrine is to be taught or heeded ...rather than godly edifying which is in faith (1 Tim. 1:3-4). The Holy Spirit-inspired epistle written to, and for, the church of Christ in Colosse, was to be read to the church of Christ in Laodicea, and those of Colosse were to read the epistle from Laodicea (Col. 4:16). By inference, Paul's epistles, as well as those written by other inspired men of God, are to be read by all Christians of all ages - unto all the holy brethren.

God's word needs to be read by, and to, all people of the world. Paul's charge to the young preacher, Timothy, was that he was to observe these things - the inspired word of God that he was taught. He gave Timothy this further charge: to preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (See 1 Tim. 5:21, 2 Tim. 4:1-2). This same charge, to observe the word of God for yourself, and then to teach others His word, applies to Christians of all ages. This is Paul's charge to you!

Why is God's word so important to be read and obeyed? In a few words, found in James 1:18-25, this inspired messenger of God gives us these reasons. He refers to God's word as the word of truth, and the perfect law of liberty. Those that hear it are to continue to abide by its tenets. They are to be doers of the word, and not hearers only;they are not to be a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work described in its pages. And then James gives us the central theme of God's word - the main reason we are to look into it, and abide by the doctrine it establishes and confirms. He tells us that we are to receive with meekness the engrafted word (of God), which is able to save your souls.

Again, why is God's word so important to be red and obeyed? The writer of Proverbs tells us that every word of God is pure (Prov. 30:5), while the Psalmist says that God's word is true from the beginning (Ps. 119:160), and the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple (Ps. 19:7), and blessed is the man ...(whose) delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night (Ps. 1:1-2). Paul says that, through His Son, Jesus Christ, God's word is to dwell in you richly in all wisdom (Col. 3:16), while Luke wrote that God's holy scriptures are to be received with all readiness of mind, and searched ...daily (Acts. 17:11).

Paul's charge to the church of Christ in Thessalonica, as well as all other Christians, is to read, study, and obey God's word. Why? Because it tells us how we can be born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible (1 Pet. 1:23). God's word is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them, which are sanctified (Acts. 20:32). God's word was written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name (John 20:31). Paul also wrote that the holy scriptures (of God) ...are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:15). Read God's word, believe it, obey it, and then pass it along to all others that you can possibly reach and teach. This is Paul's charge to you!