English Standard Version
What's great about the conclusion to many of Paul's letters is the sense of community that comes across. Paul isn't writing to some abstract community where he's vaguely heard of the town (this makes me think of musicians and comedians that sometimes get the name of the town wrong because they've been on the road for months straight and can barely remember what town they're in!). Paul is writing to a community he cares about, a community he's invested in. I think we're missing some of that in modern Christianity -- we don't invest heavily in our faith communities. It's easy to be a consumer of a large community where you avoid getting involved in the lives of others. But Paul shows us how to care for one another, how to remember the needs of one another, how to suffer when others are suffering and rejoice when others are rejoicing.
So may we be a church community that is tied together, that is invested in one another, that cares and suffers and rejoices together, constantly lifting one another up in prayer and supporting one another as we strive for faithfulness!
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