that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
Our Pastor told a story about a funeral he had held in a certain Church.
The story went like this: There was a certain man in the Church that he pastored that was very active in all activities. He was a board member, and usher. His son though was involved in drugs, not only taking, but selling.
The father had tried to witness to him, had asked the son to attend church with him, but the son refused and went his own way. The people in the church gossiped about how a man as faithful as he could have such a wayward son.
One day the father received word that his son had died. He made arrangement to have him brought home, and have him cremated. The Pastor was asked to officiate at a grave side ceremony, which he accepted.
The day of the ceremony, chairs were set up, and a few flowers adorned the little urn, that held his sons remains. At the time of the service the pastor noted that only the father and a friend of his son attended.
There were no church members, to lift him up in prayer, no one bothered to encourage him, for they had stayed away, not wanting to be associated in any way with what they considered a druggie funeral. The father sat alone in his grief.
Colossians tells us:
that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,