Colossians · chapter 4 of 4
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Colossians 4 closes the letter with an exhortation to masters and practical counsel: persevere in prayer with thanksgiving, ask for an open door to proclaim the mystery of Christ, walk wisely toward outsiders and speak with grace. Paul introduces Tychicus and Onesimus, who carry news, sends greetings from his co-workers, among them Mark, Epaphras, Luke and Demas, and asks them to remember his chains.
Colossians 4 ends the letter with the last instructions and a list of names that shows Paul's network of co-workers. These greetings, sometimes overlooked, give a living picture of the early church and of how the gospel advanced through real people.
Paul begins by addressing masters: they must treat their slaves justly and fairly, knowing that they too have a Master in heaven. Then he asks the Colossians to continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving, and to pray also for him and his companions, that God may open a door for the word so that he may declare the mystery of Christ, for which he is in prison, and make it clear as he ought.
He urges them to walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Their speech must always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that they may know how to answer each person.
Then he introduces his co-workers. Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell them all about Paul; with him goes Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of them. Aristarchus, his fellow prisoner, greets them, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, about whom they have received instructions and whom they are to welcome if he comes, and Jesus who is called Justus, the only ones of the circumcision who are fellow workers for the kingdom of God and have been a comfort to Paul. Epaphras, who is one of them, a servant of Christ, always struggles on their behalf in his prayers that they may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God, and he works hard for them and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician and Demas also greet them.
Paul sends greetings to the brothers at Laodicea and to Nympha and the church in her house. He asks that when the letter has been read among them, it also be read in the church of the Laodiceans and that they read the letter from Laodicea. To Archippus he says to fulfill the ministry he received in the Lord. He ends with a greeting in his own hand, asking them to remember his chains, and with the wish that grace be with them.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Paul asks us to continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Christian prayer combines persistence, attention and gratitude.
Paul asks them to pray that God may open a door for the word so that he can declare the mystery of Christ clearly. Even in prison, what matters most to him is that the gospel advances.
Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time, and let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how to answer each person. Witness shows in everyday dealings and in the way we speak.
Epaphras always struggles in prayer for the Colossians that they may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. His example shows the value of praying for others with constant effort.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: That they too have a Master in heaven. — Colossians 4:1
Answer: That God may open a door for the word, so he can declare the mystery of Christ. — Colossians 4:3
Answer: Gracious, seasoned with salt. — Colossians 4:6
Answer: Tychicus and Onesimus. — Colossians 4:7-9
Answer: As the beloved physician. — Colossians 4:14
Answer: Have it read also in the church of the Laodiceans and read the letter from Laodicea. — Colossians 4:16
Colossians 4 reminds us that ministry is team work. So many names in a short letter show that every co-worker, even one who seems secondary, has value. In a small group you can thank those who serve quietly and ask God to open doors to speak of Christ in your surroundings.
The exhortation about gracious speech, seasoned with salt, is very practical in the age of social media: speaking with truth and kindness. And Epaphras's prayer encourages us to pray insistently for others, asking that they stand firm and complete in the will of God.
Colossians 4 closes the letter with prayer, wisdom and community, and with Paul's request that they remember his chains. The letter leaves a conviction: Christ is sufficient, and those who follow him live out faith together with others, sustained by his grace.
Paul calls him a faithful and beloved brother, one of the Colossians. Many identify him with the Onesimus of the letter to Philemon, a slave whom Paul sends back to his master as a brother in Christ. Colossians does not tell that story, so the connection is a reasonable inference.
Paul says Mark is the cousin of Barnabas. He is the same John Mark who accompanied Paul and Barnabas on a journey and later left them, according to Acts. Here Paul commends him and asks that he be welcomed, which shows the relationship had been restored.
Paul mentions a letter the Colossians were to read that came from Laodicea, but we do not know which it is; it is not preserved under that name. Some think it could be the letter we now call Ephesians, but that is only a hypothesis. What is certain is that Paul's writings circulated among the churches.