Colossians 4:2-18 USING WORDS The theme of the book of Colossians is the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ in His deity, in creation, in His sustaining power of all things, in the church, in redemption, and in the Gospel. From every point of view, He is seen in His dignity and glory. As those who are linked with Him eternally by His grace, we have access at all times to Him through prayer and He to us through the word of God. The Holy Spirit gives understanding as He reveals Christ to us. Prayer does not have to be analyzed, only practiced. The Holy Spirit makes intercession for us, and our Lord Jesus knows what we ask for and what we really need by His omnipotent and divine wisdom.
In our private life, we need to be persistent in our praying. Meaningful prayer involves sincere thanksgiving and a close fellowship with the Lord when we make our supplications for the needs and intercessions of others. One of the most important ministries in which we can engage is praying. Others mentioned in this part of chapter 4 are the proclamation of the word of God publicly, witnessing to those around us with words of grace as well as corrective instruction, and the sharing of concerns of others like Tychicus did when he told the Colossian believers about Paul's situation.
We are not wasting our time when what we speak about has a purposeful reason. By preaching the Gospel, we speak for God as Paul did when he was in prison. People need to hear the message of salvation simply and clearly presented. It is a mystery to them, but to us, has been given the responsibility to preach it as heralds and pass on truth in personal witnessing to those who are lost. Prayer life and private life, as well as public and personal life, are ways we represent our Lord Jesus Christ to those around us.
By "watching" in prayer, we don't run off to hear strange things as the Colossians were doing. Watching in prayer keeps us in the mind of God, and the mind of God enables us to keep our composure when pressure comes on us to accommodate the opinions of others. When we watch in faith, that is a solid shield against satanic attacks against the doubts and deceptions the devil initiates. Watching with hope anchors our souls to the promises of God, which we know will never fail. By watching steadfastly in prayer, we will continue to be steadfast in faith.
Seven times in the book of Colossians, thanksgiving is specifically mentioned. Thankfulness in prayer gives wings to our supplications and intercessions because we are confident that God has answered our prayers in the past. Intercession for those engaged in Gospel work is of great value. We pray they will have a clear understanding of God's truth and can present it plainly to the hearers. We pray for the servant himself to be kept holy and that he presents the Gospel consistently with clarity. Our interest is that there will be opportunities that will arise, and the servant will be ready to grasp them. In presenting God's truth, we need to be gracious, honest, and without hypocrisy.
Our public conduct is usually a reflection of our private life. The wise walk, the visible public life of a believer, is seen by those who are outside of the kingdom of God. Our enthusiasm for the Gospel and moderation to not make what we have to say unnecessarily offensive have to be joined. A casual approach to eternal things makes it of no more value to most people than a newscast. An exuberance that is without caution is offensive to most people. The balance of common sense and spiritual understanding needs to be joined together in a practical way. We have to think ahead of time about what we are going to say, and then the Holy Spirit will take that preparation of mind and heart and use it appropriately. We need to be ready to pay the necessary price of time and intelligence and then use them both to act wisely.
The use of words can be either helpful or harmful. When speech is used with grace, there is something winsome about it. That doesn't only mean it comes from us in the gracious way the Lord used when He spoke to people. "They wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth." It also means that our words can be used to minister grace to others. Compelling words spoken in an attractive way create interest and convey a message that is at least listened to and hopefully acted upon.
These same words, when "seasoned with salt," can be purifying and corrective. We don't need to use cutting words deliberately, but "a word fitly spoken" has the tendency to address the real issues which people often want to avoid. Such words do not have to be witty but wise. It is usually best not to be too casual about important things. Common- place vernacular speech is not always spiritually wholesome. When we speak the truth of God, gracious words seasoned with pointed, unmistakable truths have the impact of lending weight to a conversation.
All of us have people in our lives with whom we share important things. This does not mean we act with partiality or show an elitist attitude toward others, but we may have labored extensively with them and gone through hard and trying times with them. To a degree may have even suffered with them. Some are relatively unknown to many but have made major contributions of one kind or another to the furtherance of the kingdom of God.
Tychicus, who was chosen to carry this letter, was an encourager who could be trusted to deliver what he was asked to carry to Colossae. At the same time, he could comfort those who needed comfort and confirm those things that needed to be said. His words would have been timely and understandable. Onesimus, who had one time been unprofitable, was now a useful person to Paul and his master, Philemon, because the power of the Gospel had transformed him. Those same qualities in the people of God today make such people of great value in the work of the Lord going on all around the world. Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus/Justus broke away from the Judaizers and were now effective as those who were involved in the ministry of the New Testament. One was in prison as a sharer of the afflictions of the Gospel. One who had been unable to stick to the work was now commendable to God's people, and another had labored with Paul in the work. All of the co-workers were a comfort to Paul in his time of imprisonment.
To be recognized by others as one who prays earnestly is a good recommendation. People like Epaphras have a concern for God's people and faithfully serve in their best interests even though most will never know or acknowledge the value of such persons. Epaphras was mature in his convictions and was not afraid to declare what was the will of God as he witnessed for the Lord. Others of the Lord's people are able to sanctify their abilities and use them for the furtherance of the kingdom of God, like doctor Luke. Others are just there, like Demas, and one wonders which way they will go. To have a whole assembly meeting in one's home, to some people, would be an unwelcoming responsibility, and to others would be a great privilege. Nymphas and the church at Laodicea heard and read all that Paul wrote to the assembly at Colossae. There are times when ministry given in one place is very suitable for those who meet in another place. It is not inappropriate to preach the same message over and over again when the Spirit of God guides in that way.
There are times when we have been given work to do for God, but we find it very tedious and time consuming, hard and unrewarding. However, any ministry that God gives us to fulfill, as Archippus had, needs to be done to the best of our ability and carried through to its completion. The ministry of speech may not seem to be the same to each believer. True, some have been called to preach and teach, so words are part of their work. But greetings sent in written or spoken words to others have great benefit in encouragement and comfort. In one way or another, we all can use our spiritually motivated words to bless others.
In all things: spoken, written or done, when done in the name of the Lord; the point is that He will have the place of preeminence as becomes the Supreme Sovereign of the universe in the world in the future and in the assemblies of His people today.