Colossians Chapter 4
Originally posted Tuesday September 9, 2008
Colossians Chapter 4:2-6
Further Instructions
Paul
urges the Colossians to a life of devotion in prayer, not only for
themselves but also for Paul and his co-workers. Such devoted prayer requires
alertness to the moment which closes off the intrusions of the world. Prayer to
God is not to be tainted by distractions but filled with thanksgiving. Paul is
particularly interested in their asking God to "open to [him] a door for
the word" so he may continue to "declare the mystery of
Christ," revealing it in a clear fashion to the Gentiles,"
a vocation which has caused imprisonment more than once. Revealing the word
clearly would mean that his words would be provided and enriched by the Spirit.
In
a rare reference to relationships between believers and "outsiders,"
Paul urges the Colossians to use their "opportunity" wisely. The
translations that read "time" miss the point of the Greek. Every
encounter with the outsider is an opportunity to share the mystery of Christ.
Thus he adds that the believer's speech should by "gracious [and] seasoned
with salt." His use of the adverb "wisely" as an attribute of
the use of one's time relates to the believer's openness to the guidance of the
Holy Spirit who will provide the answers to outsiders' questions. Being
gracious in one's speech rules out any obnoxious persistence, leaving
no room for questions or doubt in the mind of the hearer. Gracious speech
is welcoming of response. Having one's speech "seasoned with salt"
reflects one's style of speaking. Is it attractive, winsome, and engaging? This
is not idle chatter or small talk. It is "making the most of the
opportunity" God has provided.
Colossians Chapter 4:7-18
Final Greetings and Benediction
The
first few verses of this passage are the same as in Ephesians. The writer has
added Onesimus, a fellow Colossian, who will travel to Colossae with
Tychicus, the bearer of the letter who will bring news of Paul's
situation. He adds the usual greetings from those who remain with Paul. Of
interest is the mention of familiar names: a fellow prisoner, Aristarchus, from
Macedonia; Mark, the cousin of Barnabas both who had separated from Paul because
of disagreements; and Jesus now called by the Greek form, Justus. These latter
three are referred to as the only remaining Jewish Christian coworkers
with Paul. Luke "the beloved Physician" makes his first appearance as
an associate of Paul. This reference was used by late second century leaders as
the basis for adding Luke's name to the "Gospel According to
Luke" and attributing "The Book of Acts" to the same person.
In
the writer's greetings he adds the believers in Laodicea, a church
established by Epaphras as were the Christian communities in Colossae and
Hierapolis. These three communities were within fifteen miles of each other,
almost three points on a triangle east of Ephesus. He greets Nympha,
another woman who leads a church in her house. He gives instructions that
this letter is to be read in Laodicea (and no doubt in Hierapolis) and the
one to Laodicea be read in Colossae. It was by this method that Paul's letters
were first copied and distributed to churches throughout the many provinces,
many of whose names and locations are unknown to us.
The
last verse before the benediction, which Paul writes in his own hand, is
rather enigmatic. All we can do is speculate as to its reference to Archippus.
However, since he is being associated with Paul and "work received
from the Lord" is usually associated with spreading the Gospel, we
might be close to correct in concluding that Archippus is part of one of
the three churches and is responsible for evangelizing the surrounding towns.
This would be in keeping with Paul's method of sending out co-workers as
evangelists from churches he has established.
The
benediction is very brief, asking only that he be remembered as one who is in
chains on their behalf.
No comments:
Post a Comment