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📚Masters, give your slaves what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.The importance of prayer
2 📚Persevere in prayer, and be alert in it with thanksgiving 📖, 3 📚and be praying for us also, that God would open to us a door for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ 📖, for which I am in chains, 4 📚that I may make it clear, speaking as I should 📖.
Proper behavior toward unbelievers
5 📚Behave with wisdom toward outsiders, redeeming the time. 6 📚Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you should answer everyone.
4:5-6 Believers must always consider what effect their words and actions have on unbelievers. Outsiders may know nothing more of Christianity than what they see in us or hear from us. If we are not wise we may offend them unnecessarily. If we do not take the opportunities God gives us to speak to them of Christ, their blood may be on our hands – Acts 20:25-27. When we do speak to them our way of speaking should be gracious, courteous, pleasant. And, of course, our message to them should always put emphasis on God’s grace. Compare Ps 45:2; Luke 4:22.
The word “salt” may suggest two things. Salt makes things tasty. Our way of speaking should make people want to hear more. Salt preserves from corruption. We do not need to adopt the corrupt way of speaking common among men. Compare Eph 4:29.⚜
Various servants of Christ
7 📚Tychicus 📖 will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, and a faithful servant and fellow worker in the Lord. 8 📚I have sent him to you for the same purpose, that he might learn how you are and encourage 📖 your hearts, 9 📚with Onesimus 📖, a faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
10 📚Aristarchus 📖 my fellow prisoner 📖 greets you, as does Mark 📖, the cousin of Barnabas (you received instructions about him. If he comes to you, receive him), 11 📚and Jesus, who is called Justus. These are the only ones of the circumcision 📖 who work with me for the kingdom of God 📖, and they have been a comfort to me.
4:11 “Jesus” is the Greek form of Joshua and was not an uncommon name among Jews in those days.⚜
12 📚Epaphras 📖, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greets you. He is always striving earnestly for you in prayer 📖, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 📚For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and for those in Laodicea 📖 and for those in Hierapolis. 14 📚Luke 📖, the beloved physician, and Demas 📖, greet you. 15 📚Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church that meets in his house.
16 📚When this letter is read among you, see that it is read in the church of the Laodiceans also, and likewise that you read the letter from Laodicea.
4:15-16 This was one way Paul’s letters (and other portions of the Bible) became known to the churches. Remember that in those days there were no printing presses and no copying machines of any kind.⚜
17 📚And say to Archippus 📖, “See that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord”.
18 📚This greeting I, Paul, am writing with my own hand 📖. Remember my chains 📖. Grace be with you. Amen.