Colossians Chapter 4

The first verse of Colossians chapter four is actually the conclusion of instructions which began in Chapter 3 and verse 18. Paul first instructs wives, then husbands, then children, then the fathers of the children and finally servants. The first verse here concerns the masters of those servants.

Colossians 4:1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven.

So in the bible there are masters and servants. The application usually made is that of the relationship between employer's and employees.

Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Paul told the Philippians to be careful for nothing. That is to not fret and worry about things. But in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Here he says continue in prayer. The idea is: Don't stop praying.

In Romans Paul says that we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But that should not stop a person from praying. He says to watch in the same. We have no assurance that we will get the answer we are looking for but we are assured that the peace of God will keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. We are also assured that all things work together for good to them that love God. So continue in prayer. Don't stop. Watch therein. The answer that you need will come, many times, as the result of the "word of Christ dwelling in you" because you have studied His word.

Colossians 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

Paul prays constantly. He prays for others and he asks for prayer from others, and that is the case here. Have you ever heard of someone praying that God would open unto them a "door of utterance?" That door would be an opportunity to preach the cross, to share the gospel with someone who needs it. God will have all men to be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth. But faith cometh by hearing.

Here Paul is specifically referring to the mystery of Christ. That has to do with several things. Number one, Christ died for our sins. Number two, salvation today is not through the rise of Israel as a kingdom of priests and holy nation but rather it is through their fall. And the third thing is that today God is not forming a holy nation. He is not restoring Israel today, but instead is forming a new creation called the church, which is Christ's body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Paul says "Pray for me that I might have a door opened and an opportunity to share these things."

Colossians 4:4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Them that are without are without God and without hope in the world. They are lost. They are not saved. They have not trusted Christ as their Saviour. In some cases it could be because nobody has ever preached the cross of Christ to them. He says to redeem the time. That's like "buying up the time." He says in Ephesians that the days are evil.

There is an individual today who is operating at full power. He is called the god of this world. His purpose is to blind people's minds:

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

2 Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Now a person cannot "believe not" unless he has first heard the gospel and then "believes not." That's why Paul prayed for that door of utterance. That is what he is telling these to do:

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

A saved person should make himself knowledgeable enough so that he can have a bible answer for unsaved people. The only way to do that is to study.

Colossians 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:

Colossians 4:8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;

Paul refers to fellowservants, fellowlabourors, and fellowworkers. Here Tychicus came to Colossae, along with the runaway servant named Onesimus. Paul had "begotten him in his bonds," that is as a prisoner in Rome, and had sent him back to Philemon who also lives in Colossae.

Colossians 4:9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

Colossians 4:10 Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)

Aristarchus was Paul's companion in travel in Acts 19:29. He went to Jerusalem with Paul at the time of Acts 20, and in Acts 27 he is on the ship which took Paul toward Rome. Evidently he was also arrested, because Paul refers to him as "my fellowprisoner."

Colossians 4:11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.

Marcus is the John Mark who went not with Paul to the work at the time of Acts 13 and that caused a rift between Barnabas and Paul. In Acts 16 Paul refused to take him with him, choosing Silas instead. Barnabas took John Mark and went in a different direction. They went back to Cyprus.

But here he refers to Marcus and also to Jesus called Justus, who are of the circumcision as being the only ones of the circumcision who he calls "fellowworkers" and who had been a comfort to Paul.

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Epaphras is one of the ones who preached to the Colossians. He is mentioned in Chapter one, verse 7. Paul says he is one of them, meaning evidently that his home was in Colossae.

Colossians 4:13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.

Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

Luke was with Paul here, which is during Paul's first imprisonment and he is also with Paul at the last. He is mentioned in 2 Timothy. But we see something different concerning Demas:

2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

So there is Mark, back in Paul's good graces and he says "profitable to me" for the ministry.

Now notice what he says next:

Colossians 4:15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

Colossians 4:16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.

We don't have an epistle of Paul written to Laodicea. Some have tried to say that Paul simply wrote an open letter when he wrote the book of Ephesians and that the name was left blank for someone to fill in for the various cities. But that seems a little far-fetched.

For instance notice:

1 Kings 4:30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.

1 Kings 4:31 For he was wiser than all men; than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.

1 Kings 4:32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.

But we don't have them. We simply don't have three thousand proverbs or a thousand and five songs.

Notice here:

John 21:25 And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

We also don't have a written record of all that Jesus did. Another thing we don't have is Paul's "first" First Corinthian letter:

1 Corinthians 5:9 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:

We simply don't have that epistle which was written before 1 Corinthians. We don't have Paul's letter to the Laodiceans. And...we also don't have a letter Paul wrote to the Jews, as in:

2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

Some claim that Peter is referring to the book of Hebrews, but whoever wrote Hebrews, first of all, was a Hebrew writing to Hebrews about Israel's new covenant. And he had SECOND HAND information, as Hebrews 2:3 clearly shows:

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Notice the message was confirmed UNTO US. That includes the writer. It was comfirmed by OTHERS who had heard the Lord. There is no way that could be Paul. Paul heard directly from the risen Lord, not from any man.

Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

So we don't have all of Solomon's proverbs, we don't have a record of all that Jesus did, and we don't have some of the things Paul wrote during his lifetime.

What we do have is ALL SCRIPTURE. Paul fulfilled the word of God. That is to say he filled it up.

Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Colossians 1:26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

When the last Holy Ghost inspired epistle of Paul was written down then all scripture was given.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

The word "throughly" means to finish out, to fully equip. So we shouldn't be concerned about what we don't have but what we do have. And that is the complete, perfectly preserved word of God with the words of God in English in the King James Bible.

Colossians 4:17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.

Paul has a personal greeting to Archippus in the letter to Philemon.

Colossians 4:18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.