Welcome to afaithtalk.com. This is our fourth and final week in Colossians. I’m so glad you’ve come to join me.
Before we begin, let’s pray:
Lord Jesus, this book is such a blessing. I ask You to finish this chapter as You have all the others we have studied and take all these words, the ones we need to remember, and fix them to our minds, roll them around in our minds in such a way that we will always remember whose we are. Lead on, Lord Jesus. Lead on.
Please read Colossians 4:1
Fellow Workers
1 Masters, [on your part] deal with your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
You have a master, His name is Jesus, Yeshua, Messiah, Christ.
He knows your every breath.
Please read Colossians 4:2-4
2 Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving. 3 At the same time pray for us, too, that God will open a door [of opportunity] to us for the word, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have been imprisoned; 4 that I may make it clear [and speak boldly and unfold the mystery] in the way I should.
Be __________ and ___________ to _____________,
be _______ and ___________ in your ____________ life with an _______________ of _________________.
That sentence needs to be printed and set next to wherever you spend the time (mirror, desk, counter, car) you could even laminate it if you work outdoors so it doesn’t get ruined in weather. You can find it here…
At the same time, pray that God will open a door [of opportunity] to us [God’s people] for the word, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, that we may make it clear [and speak boldly and unfold the mystery] in the way we should.
Granted, we don’t have the job Paul had, but all of us, should be able to share our faith with clarity and boldness and in that way, unfolding a bit of the mystery of who God is and that Christ lives within us. In some way that is part of our planned before us good work.
Please read Colossians 4:5-6
5 Conduct yourself with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers), make the most of each opportunity [treating it as something precious]. 6 Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].
Treat every opportunity as something ____________.
Conduct yourself with ___________.
Let your speech at all times be _________ and ________, seasoned with ________, so that you will know how to answer each one who questions you.
Please read Colossians 4:7-11
7 As to all my affairs, [a]Tychicus, who is a much-loved brother and faithful assistant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will give you all the information. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are doing and that he may encourage your hearts; 9 and with him is [b]Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will let you know everything about the situation here [in Rome].
10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you; as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); 11 and from Jesus, who is called Justus. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision (Jewish Christians), and they have proved to be an encouragement and a comfort to me.
What was the subtitle to this chapter?
Please read Colossians 4:12-13
12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you in his prayers, praying with genuine concern, [pleading] that you may [as people of character and courage] stand firm, [spiritually mature] and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has worked strenuously for you and for the believers in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.
“Who is one of you,” look how he prays for them!
Pleading that you may be people of character and courage, spiritually mature, standing firm and fully assured in the will of God. Yes, we could also pray for those we are genuinely concerned for like that. Take those words and write a prayer for someone. I simply love how Paul writes these letters with so many prayers and helps.
Please read Colossians 4:14-16
14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 15 Give my greetings to the [c]brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. 16 When this letter has been read among you, see that it is read in the church of the Laodiceans; and also that you in turn read [d]my letter [that is coming to you] from Laodicea.
Please read Colossians 4:17
17 And say to Archippus, “See to it that you fulfill [carefully the duties of] the ministry which you have received in the Lord.”
What do you think? Is Archippus the pastor of the church in Colossae? Even if he’s not, each one of us need to act in the ministry we’ve received.
Please read Colossians 4:18
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. May grace (God’s unmerited favor and blessing) be with you.
Remember those in chains because of the faith.
May grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:7 Tychicus probably delivered this letter to Colossae, as well as Paul’s letter to Ephesus, while traveling on the same journey.
- Colossians 4:9 Onesimus was Philemon’s runaway slave who was converted to Christianity under Paul’s ministry.
- Colossians 4:15 Lit brethren.
- Colossians 4:16 Paul is most likely referring to the letter he wrote to the Ephesians (see note Eph 1:1) during this same time period.
This ends our study of Colossians. I hope you’ve enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next one. Pray that I will carefully fulfill the ministry I have been given, and that the next study will be ready to go live in two weeks.