4
1 Masters, provide your slaves with what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in the heavens.* This is a good thing for all of us to remember.
Redeem the time
2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving, 3 at the same time praying for us, that God may 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. 5 Behave wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. 6 Let your word always be with grace, seasoned with salt,† I wonder what “seasoned with salt” means. At least what we say should not be ‘insipid’, pointless. to know how you ought to answer each one.
Concluding remarks
7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me; he is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow slave in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and encourage your hearts, 9 with Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you; they will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him),‡ Evidently Barnabas succeeded in ‘recovering’ Mark, which Paul here recognizes. 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 been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ,§ Instead of “Christ”, perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘Christ Jesus’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). greets you; he is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.* We need more people like Epaphras, and that is a great way to pray. 13 I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.
14 Luke the beloved physician† Presumably this is where we get that title for Luke. greets you, also Demas. 15 Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the congregation at his‡ Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, have ‘her’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.). house.
16 Now when this letter has been read among you, see that it is also read in the Laodicean congregation,§ Paul expected his letters to have a wide circulation. and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.* We have no copy of this letter, so presumably it was not inspired, and therefore not preserved. It is possible, even probable, that Paul wrote other letters that were not preserved.
17 And say to Archippus, “See to it that you complete the work that you received in the Lord.”† This personal word is unusual in a letter to the church. Since Paul had never been to Colosse, he must have known Archippus from somewhere else, but happened to know that he was in Colosse at that time. However, that exhortation is good for all of us. The older I get, the larger that exhortation looms in my mind.
Sign-off
18 This greeting is in my own hand: Paul.‡ The letter was dictated to a scribe or secretary, but Paul wrote the last line himself; this was his signature, authenticating the letter. Remember my chains. The Grace be with you. Amen.

*4:1 This is a good thing for all of us to remember.

†4:6 I wonder what “seasoned with salt” means. At least what we say should not be ‘insipid’, pointless.

‡4:10 Evidently Barnabas succeeded in ‘recovering’ Mark, which Paul here recognizes.

§4:12 Instead of “Christ”, perhaps 4% of the Greek manuscripts have ‘Christ Jesus’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

*4:12 We need more people like Epaphras, and that is a great way to pray.

†4:14 Presumably this is where we get that title for Luke.

‡4:15 Perhaps 1% of the Greek manuscripts, of objectively inferior quality, have ‘her’ (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).

§4:16 Paul expected his letters to have a wide circulation.

*4:16 We have no copy of this letter, so presumably it was not inspired, and therefore not preserved. It is possible, even probable, that Paul wrote other letters that were not preserved.

†4:17 This personal word is unusual in a letter to the church. Since Paul had never been to Colosse, he must have known Archippus from somewhere else, but happened to know that he was in Colosse at that time. However, that exhortation is good for all of us. The older I get, the larger that exhortation looms in my mind.

‡4:18 The letter was dictated to a scribe or secretary, but Paul wrote the last line himself; this was his signature, authenticating the letter.

© 2016 Wilbur N. Pickering, ThM, PhD