Welcome back to the Ask Pastor John podcast.

We begin another week with a question from a listener named Tom who asks this Hello Pastor

John, the epistles of Paul seem to be addressed to specific audiences in the cities of Rome

and Corinth and Philippine others, indeed they are.

So how do we know that those epistles now apply to me and to other people today?

I know that the epistles are to believers, but I'm confused how that logically includes

believers today.

How does the Bible answer that question?

It's a question that is really worth thinking about.

We just kind of assume that and it's good to pause and reflect on why is that?

Why do we assume that they're so relevant and valid for us today?

So let me think out loud for a few minutes and give maybe six or seven ideas or reasons

from the scriptures.

Why even the parts of the Bible that are very focused on one particular situation two

thousand years ago or more are relevant and are valid for us today.

Number one, we know that Paul wanted at least one of his letters, red elsewhere.

So he says in Colossians 416, and when this letter has been read among you, have it also

read in the church of the Leodiceans.

So the very least we can say is even though there were peculiar relevancies to the church

in Colossi, Paul thought the letter would be useful in another place.

So that's a good pointer that Paul didn't think of his letters as useful only in one place

or time.

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