Colossians 4
1 Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
Even though we may not have slaves today, there is a truth that still applies to our lives. If you are a boss make sure you are fair to your employees, you do this because you have a boss who will hold you accountable.
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
We are to continue or to be persistent in prayer. We are also to be alert or watchful in it. Remember what Jesus told His disciples when they were in the garden?
Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
When Paul taught us about prayer in Philippians he mentioned there also that thankfulness needs to be a part of prayer.
Once again, Paul reminds us, as he did in Philippians 4:
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Thanksgiving is an important part of prayer.
Next, Paul asks them to pray specifically for him.
3 meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
He asked them to pray that God would open a door for us to speak the word. While he was in prison in Rome, Paul must have felt like a caged animal. It was an incredible blessing to us, because we are able to read and study this book as well as the books of Ephesians, Philippians, Philemon, 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, but Paul may have felt unproductive, yet once again we see that Romans 8:28 is true.
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
If Paul were able to see ahead to how many times the letters that he wrote would be read and studied, how his letters have given guidance to the church throughout the centuries, he would have realized that the Lord had already opened an amazing door of opportunity to him.
In the next verse Paul instructs us in how to relate to unbelievers.
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
When it comes to dealing with unbelievers we need to walk in wisdom, and we need to “redeem the time” or literally “rescue from loss, don’t allow it to be lost”. We need to take advantage of that time that we are around them. How do we do that and where do we start? Paul answers that as well, look at the next verse.
6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Let your speech always contain a message of grace, and do it in the way that you use salt. When you use salt you don’t pour it all on the food, yet sometimes that is that is the way we evangelize…we just pour out information. Paul said that when you do it with salt, you will know how to answer them. We cannot be giving answers to questions that they are not asking.
Next, Paul mentions people by name. Some of them we know a lot about and some we know very little about.
7 Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.
We were introduced to Tychicus in Acts 20 where we find that he was one of several young men who accompanied Paul on his ministry. There were no seminaries in those days, so training was done in the most effective way of all, through continual, on-the-job, personal relationship. Four years in a seminary today could not possibly equal one or two years of this intense, personalized training with the apostle Paul himself.
Acts 20
2 Now when he had gone over that region and encouraged them with many words, he came to Greece
3 and stayed three months. And when the Jews plotted against him as he was about to sail to Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.
4 And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia — also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
In Paul’s final letter, Tychicus is one of those who is mentioned.
2 Timothy 4
9 Be diligent to come to me quickly;
10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica — Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.
Notice the three descriptions used by Paul when he spoke of Tychicus.
beloved brother (what made them brothers was love)
faithful minister (not just one who ministry)
fellow servant (no hierarchy in the church)
In the next verse, Paul tells them why he sent Tychicus to them.
8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts
Tychicus was sent to check on the well being of the church and to encourage the believers.
9 with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all things which are happening here.
The story of Onesimus is related in the letter to Philemon. Onesimus was a runaway slave. He apparently took some of his master's money with him when he left. Somehow he found his way to Rome and came in contact with Paul. The apostle himself probably led him to Christ. Paul now sends him back to his master, with a beautiful appeal to Philemon, "If he has done anything wrong, charge it to my account!" He asked Philemon to welcome Onesimus as a brother in Christ and restore him to his household. It is very possible that Onesimus was being sent back to Colossae to be a minister among the slaves who probably made up half the congregations of these early day churches. Onesimus truly had become a “faithful and beloved brother.”
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him),
Aristarchus was from Thessalonica and he accompanied Paul on his third missionary journey. The first time we read about him was when they was a riot going on in Ephesus. Acts 19:29 So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's travel companions. Paul refers to him as his fellow prisoner which makes it sound like he was incarcerated with Paul (probably also for preaching the gospel).
The reference to Mark in this verse takes us back to the first missionary journey of Paul, which we read about in the thirteenth chapter of the Acts, when Paul and Barnabas were sent out from the church at Antioch. They took with them a young man named John Mark. We know from other references that John Mark was the son of a wealthy widow who lived in Jerusalem. He was probably a little spoiled, so that when things got tough on the journey with Paul and Barnabas Mark wanted to go home to mama. And that was what he did, abandoning the work. Later, when Barnabas wanted to take him on the second missionary journey, Paul resisted and refused to allow a quitter to go along. Barnabas instead took Mark to Cyprus, where they ministered there. We are told here that Mark was the cousin of Barnabus, and Peter had a listen to how Peter refers to him:
1 Peter 5:13 She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.
Paul commends Mark here, as he does in 2 Timothy 2 Timothy 4:11 Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.
This is more that ten years after Paul and Barnabus separated, Mark is with Paul in Rome. It is possible that he may have already finished the Gospel according to Mark, which he wrote under the guidance of Peter, with whom he had ministered for many years.
Paul now sends him to Colossae with this affectionate word of appreciation, and instructions that he should be welcomed there. What a reminder this is that we are dealing with The God of the Second Chances! You may have experienced failure when you tried to do something for the Lord. You may have even had a personal failure in your life, and people have written you off, but God hasn’t given up on you, the God of grace offers a second and even a third and fourth chance. In this verse we see Mark fruitful because of a second chance.
Aristarchus and Mark are linked in verse 11 with another name.
11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me.
This companion of Paul’s given name was Jesus, but went by the name Justus, which means “righteous.” Paul said that these were the only three Jews who were his fellow workers, and they had encouraged or consoled him.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
13 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.
Epaphras sent greetings. They all knew who he was, like Onesimus (verse 9), was a Colossian (one of you) whom Paul depicted as a servant of Christ Jesus who was always wrestling in prayer for the Colossians. His concern was that the Colossians would stand firm, being mature and complete in doing God’s will.
14 Luke the beloved physician and Demas greet you.
All of us are familiar with Luke because of the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. Luke was Paul’s dear friend and a doctor who traveled with Paul at different times during his missionary journeys, and here he is standing with Paul during his most difficult time.
Paul mentions Demas here, but in 2 Timothy we read these words.
2 Timothy 4:10-11 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica — Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me.
In the next verse Paul mentions the church in Laodicea, which is probably best know to us from the book of Revelation.
Revelation 3
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, 'These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15 I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' — and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked —
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
The Loadicean church was not in that condition when Paul wrote this letter. In fact they were far from rich.
15 Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church that is in his house.
Paul asked that his greetings be given to the brothers at Laodicea and to Nymphas in whose house the church met. We do not find any church buildings described until the third century, so that for at least 250 years Christians met in homes, and when they met they read the Scriptures.
16 Now when this epistle is read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
We do not, of course, have a letter "to the church at Laodicea" in our New Testament.
17 And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."
In the letter to Philemon we learn that Archippus was most likely the son of Philemon. He had a certain ministry given to him which he was neglecting, so Paul reminds him to "complete the work." No one knows what that ministry was, but the important thing was that he had a ministry, as do all Christians! Don’t limit you’re your view of ministry to what is done from behind the pulpit.
Pastors are coaches the players are those in the pews. We are simply here to equip you to do the work of ministry that God has called you to do.
18 This salutation by my own hand — Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen.
Paul asked the believers there to remember (in prayerful support) his imprisonment. As was Paul’s custom and sign of authenticity, he signed a greeting with his own hand.