“EVERY SOUL MATTERS”

"21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers. 22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." 2 Timothy 4:21-22

Whenever I read the closing verse of almost all the New Testament Epistles, I am always struck by the listing of names. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy in verse 21, encourages Timothy to come before winter, if at all possible. He says, “do your best”… how fatherly. How thoughtful. Then he gives the names of three Roman believers never mentioned before and never mentioned again. They were probably newer believers, which would have blessed Timothy.

New people are always good news in a ministry, and we pastoral types always encourage each other with reports of new lives touched by Christ. He then mentions Claudia whom we know to be a close friend from other sources. Naming a woman was significant in general, especially one who was a dear friend. We don’t know many people named Eubulus, Linus or Pudens, but maybe a Claudia or two. These are real people with real lives, in a real place in real time, just like today. Today there are close friends of the ministry, and new people too; here are longtime believers and every soul is important to God.

The closing sentence summarizes the sentiment that all believers, ministries, churches, and pastoral people have in common. We always hope for the Lord to be with everyone and should never fail to hope for grace. Grace after all knits us together whether we are newcomers, old timers, apostles or close friends. Whether our names are in the Bible or not, they are in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Whether 2,000 plus years ago or next week at church. EVERY soul matters because of His grace. We should speak each other’s names, write them, and encourage each other that our Lord is with us and we have received His grace.

Let us continue to be the family of God.

In His family with you,
Pastor Fred

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