Bible Commentaries
Colossians 4

Verses 1-18

IV 2-6 General Counsels— 2. ’Instant in prayer’ means perseverance. Prayer here (cf.Eph 6: 18) refers to continued awareness of the presence of God. It implies ’vigilance’ (DV ’watching’).

5b. ’Redeeming the time.’ The expression occurs (Eph 5:16) where the context concerns general progress. Here the context is the apostolate. We must make the most of every opportunity to propagate the faith.

6. Their ’speech’ must be ’always in grace’, i.e. courteous, and ’seasoned with salt’, i.e. marked with supernatural flavour (cf.Mk 9:49).

7-18 Epilogue: Personal Salutations— 8. The Apostle in prison (18) is sending Tychicus, the bearer of the epistle and of that to the Ephesians (Eph 6:21), ’that ye may know our condition’ (WV).

9. With Tychicus goes Onesimus. There is no word here about his being a slave—we learn that from Phm—and Paul singles him out for praise. Then come salutations from six companions in captivity.

10. It is only here that we earn that Mark, the writer of the Second Gospel, was cousin to Barnabas, and we do not know whether he reached the Colossians (10b).

12. Again Paul praises Epaphras who is ’wrestling by his prayer’ on behalf of his fellow-Colossians.

14. Luke, ’the most dear physician’, was the companion of St Paul and writer of the Third Gospel and Acts. Demas later abandoned the Apostle (2 Tim 4:9).

18. The final verse was written by St Paul himself (he had dictated up to this point). Cf.2 Thess 3:17; 1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11. He ia a prisoner for Christ’s sake, for the Gospel, for them. ’Grace be with you.’