Reflections on Colossians 4

Colossians 04 (Contemporary English Version)


1. Slave owners, be fair and honest with your slaves. Don't forget that you have a Master in heaven.
2. Never give up praying. And when you pray, keep alert and be thankful.
3. Be sure to pray that God will make a way for us to spread his message and explain the mystery about Christ, even though I am in jail for doing this.
4. Please pray that I will make the message as clear as possible.
5. When you are with unbelievers, always make good use of the time.
6. Be pleasant and hold their interest when you speak the message. Choose your words carefully and be ready to give answers to anyone who asks questions.
7. Tychicus is the dear friend, who faithfully works and serves the Lord with us, and he will give you the news about me.
8. I am sending him to cheer you up by telling you how we are getting along.
9. Onesimus, that dear and faithful follower from your own group, is coming with him. The two of them will tell you everything that has happened here.
10. Aristarchus is in jail with me. He sends greetings to you, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have already been told to welcome Mark, if he visits you.
11. Jesus, who is known as Justus, sends his greetings. These three men are the only Jewish followers who have worked with me for the kingdom of God. They have given me much comfort.
12. Your own Epaphras, who serves Christ Jesus, sends his greetings. He always prays hard that you may fully know what the Lord wants you to do and that you may do it completely.
13. I have seen how much trouble he has gone through for you and for the followers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14. Our dear doctor Luke sends you his greetings, and so does Demas.
15. Give my greetings to the followers at Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that meets in her home.
16. After this letter has been read to your people, be sure to have it read in the church at Laodicea. And you should read the letter that I have sent to them.
17. Remind Archippus to do the work that the Lord has given him to do.
18. I am signing this letter myself: PAUL. Don't forget that I am in jail. I pray that God will be kind to you.
    
    

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    Paul completes his statements to Slaves and masters from chapter three in the first verse of this chapter by telling masters (or employers) to be fair with their slaves, providing them what is right. Whether or not the master is motivated to fairness out of concern for the slave, he should be motivated because he too has a "Master in heaven" who he wants to be fair with him. A further thought that Paul doesn't mention in this letter but does in others is that the Christian slave and Christian master both serve the same heavenly Master making them brothers in Christ. This should be a further motivation to fairness.
    
    Paul then turned to the subject of prayer, instructing the Colossians to "Devote yourselves to prayer." (4:2) Not only should they devote themselves to prayer but they should be vigilant in it, or as Paul says, "stay alert in it." Prayer is the means by which the Christian remains attached to his source of strength. Jesus used the illustration of branches attached to a vine. As long as they remained attached they were healthy and produced fruit, but cut off from the vine they died. Then He said, "I am the vine; you are the branches." (John 15:5) Jesus is the Christian's vine to which he must remain attached through prayer. Paul encouraged the Colossians to devote themselves to prayer not only for their own benefit, but also that "God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah." (4:3) So prayer works beyond oneself to influence the world around him.
    
    As was his practice, Paul concluded the letter with greetings and a blessing.