Chapter 10 Colossians 4:2–6

Literary Context

After a clearly defined unit about household relationships, Paul moves to a seemingly random collection of “somewhat general exhortations.”1 Many have simply labeled this section as “Concluding Exhortations”2 or even “Various Admonitions.”3 If we read these verses in light of the wider development of the arguments of Paul, however, both the connection of this passage with its preceding context as well as its focus will become evident.

This section begins with a call to persevere in prayer and to be alert (v. 2). These words evoke the eschatological overtones that can also be identified behind the preceding household code (3:18–4:1). The references to the future “reward of inheritance” (3:24), the Lord as the impartial judge who will repay each according to their own behavior (3:25), and Jesus as the “Master in heaven” (4:1) all point back to the note on the final revelation of Christ with his followers in glory at the end of times (3:4). In this passage, the call to persevere and be alert becomes the general call for believers to act in light of the reality of the eschaton that began with the death and resurrection of Jesus.

The prepositional phrase “with thanksgiving” (v. 2) also recalls the repeated emphasis on thanksgiving in the section that precedes the household code (3:15–17). In a sense, then, these references to thanksgiving provide the framework for reading the household code. As believers are called to acknowledge the Creator as their Lord through a life of thanksgiving, the household code provides a concrete illustration as to how the lordship of Christ can find its manifestation within the basic unit of social relationship.

“Prayer” (v. 2) dominates the first half of this section (vv. 2–4). It also links this section with the opening of this letter, where Paul describes his prayer for the Colossian believers that they can grow in the knowledge of God (1:9–14). Paul now returns to the theme of prayer and requests the Colossian believers to pray for him so that their fulfillment in the gospel can be experienced by others.

While vv. 2–4 focus on prayer, vv. 5–6 focus on Christian behavior that glorifies God. Some have considered these two sections as dealing with two separate topics.4 In both sections, however, Paul is clearly concerned with reaching those outside the community of believers. In vv. 2–4, he requests prayer for open doors to “declare the mystery of Christ” (v. 3), and in vv. 5–6 he encourages the believers to “walk in wisdom toward outsiders” (v. 5) and to speak with wisdom to them (v. 6). Instead of a random collection of general exhortations, Paul deliberately moves to the climax of his presentation. This move is made clear when the mediatorial roles of both Paul and the believers are recognized as they preach the gospel of God’s redemptive act through his own Son:

• continuous work of the Father (1:3–14)
• climactic work of the Son (1:15–23)
• apostolic mission of Paul (1:24–2:5)
• faithfulness of the believers (2:6–4:1)
• eschatological mission to the world (4:2–6)

After this focus on the mission to the world, Paul concludes with the introduction of the messengers he sent (vv. 7–9), words of greeting from his coworkers (vv. 10–14) and those directed to others near Colossae (vv. 15–17), and finally a signature by his own hand (v. 18).

V. Faithfulness of the Believers (2:6–4:1)
VI. Eschatological Mission to the World (4:2–6)
1. A. Prayer in Eschatological Alertness (4:2)
2. B. Prayer for Paul and His Mission (4:3–4)
3. C. Witness to Outsiders (4:5–6)
VII. Final Greetings (4:7–18)

Main Idea

Being alert in prayer, believers are called to participate in the proclamation of God’s redemptive acts. They must pray faithfully for the expansion of the gospel, and their lives must also be a proclamation of the gospel.

Translation

Structure

Paul has demonstrated the need to translate one’s confession into one’s pattern of life. The discussion of appropriate and inappropriate Christian behavior (3:5–17) culminates in the call to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (3:17), which expands the discussion about affirming the lordship of Christ in all areas of life. The discussion of household relationships that follows (3:18–4:1) provides a concrete setting where the lordship of Christ must take precedence. In the present section, Paul extends this concern in his address to the behavior of the believers outside of their Christian communities.

Paul begins by reminding the believers to persevere in prayer (v. 2a). This call is accompanied by a note on alertness, one that points to the eschatological urgency of Paul’s message (v. 2b). Grounding this section on this eschatological note, Paul points to ways the believers can participate in the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan. First, Paul requests that they pray for God to open doors for him and his coworkers as they proclaim the mystery of Christ (v. 3a-c). Second, Paul requests that they pray specifically for him as he fulfills the task given to him (v. 4a). Both requests are grounded in Christ’s call to Paul as one who is to suffer for him (v. 3d) and who participates in the foreordained plan of God, which carries a sense of necessity (v. 4b).5

Paul then turns to the responsibilities of the believers in their own witness to those outside of their Christian communities (vv. 5–6). This two-part section begins with the call to act wisely towards the “outsiders” (v. 5a), which is followed by a participial clause that again highlights the eschatological urgency of this call: “making the most of every opportunity” (v. 5b). The second call focuses on the need to speak graciously (v. 6a-b), and the theme of necessity reappears when Paul grounds this call in the need to know the essentials in the faith in responding to the questions and challenges of the outsiders (v. 6c). As Paul is faithful in his mission to proclaim the gospel, believers are called to imitate him and continue his mission.

Exegetical Outline

I. Eschatological Mission to the World (4:2–6)
1. A. Prayer in eschatological alertness (4:2)
2. B. Prayer for Paul and his mission (4:3–4)
  1. 1. So that God may open a door (4:3a-b)
  2. 2. So that Paul may reveal the mystery of Christ (4:3c–4)
3. C. Witness to outsiders (4:5–6)
  1. 1. Walk in wisdom (4:5)
  2. 2. Speak in grace (4:6)

Explanation of the Text

4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being alert in it with thanksgiving (τῇ προσευχῇ προσκαρτερεῖτε, γρηγοροῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ). The reference to prayer after the discussion of the household code may be a bit surprising to modern readers, but this theme of worship continues the focus of 3:15–17. In light of the preceding (re)definition of worship in terms of leading a God/Christ-centered life “in word” and “in deed” (3:17), the call to act in a prayerful way in this section becomes understandable since Paul is not focusing narrowly on one’s prayer but is defining one’s entire existence as having prayerful alertness.

The call to “devote yourselves in prayer” points to the need to be consistent and faithful in one’s worshipful existence. The imperative “devote yourselves” can carry the sense of “perseverance,” especially in contexts where endurance in the midst of persecution is noted (cf. Rom 12:12). In this context, however, it points to the total devotion of oneself in the life of prayer, and the translation “devote yourselves in prayer,” as adopted by many contemporary versions, reflects this sense (e.g., NASB, NRSV, HCSB, NLT, TNIV, NIV). Elsewhere, the community of believers is depicted as those who “joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). Here in Colossians, the note on prayer may also remind the audience of Paul’s earlier note on his diligence in praying for them: “we … have not ceased praying for you and asking God that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom” (1:9). As Paul prays persistently for the Colossian believers for their faithfulness in Christ, Paul now calls on them to participate in this same act for the continued spread of the gospel.

Reading this verse with 1:9, we can appreciate the significance of prayer in Paul’s writings and in the NT in general. To Paul, prayer is not simply an act of presenting one’s personal wishes and desires to God; rather, it is a way for believers to participate in the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan in history.6 Elsewhere, one also finds the paradigmatic prayer of the early Christians in Acts 4:24–30, where, in the midst of persecution, they pray not to be delivered from such sufferings, but to continue to preach the word boldly. Here Paul encourages believers to continue to participate in this mission of the gospel through prayers.

The participle “being alert” (γρηγοροῦντες) has been taken as an imperative and thus “an independent command.”7 But, as elsewhere, this participle should be taken as a circumstantial participle modifying the previous call to “devote yourself to prayer.”8 The verb γρηγορέω appears elsewhere with the call to pray in a critical situations (“watch [be alert] and pray [γρηγορεῖτε καὶ προσεύχεσθε] so that you will not fall into temptation” [Mark 14:38; cf. Matt 26:41]), and it is often used in eschatological contexts where the end of the ages is in view (e.g., 1 Thess 5:6; Rev 3:3; 16:15; cf. 1 Cor 16:13).9 In light of numerous terms and phrases in this section that carry eschatological overtones,10 “being alert” here should also be read within this eschatological framework.

This focus is highlighted as well in the Ephesian parallel, where the call to be “alert” (Eph 6:18)11 follows the call to put on the armor of God in fighting “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12). In Colossians, the dawn of the eschatological era has already been noted in 1:12–14. Paul is now emphasizing the need for believers to be alert in anticipation of the return of Jesus Christ in glory (cf. 3:4). By participating in the critical victory already accomplished by Christ on the cross (2:15), believers are called to live in light of the final consummation of this victory.

In light of the numerous references to gratitude and thanksgiving in 3:15–17, the reappearance of this theme in the phrase “with thanksgiving” (ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ) is noteworthy. This phrase not only provides the proper conclusion to the previous section, where the lordship of Christ is so strongly affirmed, but it also points to the need to continue living a life of thanksgiving as believers affirm the lordship of Christ. The appearance of this note on thanksgiving in an eschatological context may surprise modern readers, but unlike our notion of gratitude as an expression of thanks for a prior act of kindness, for Paul thanksgiving can be forward-looking as it represents a call to respond to God’s future act as if it is already an accomplished reality.

In 1 Cor 15:57, for example, Paul calls believers to be thankful for the final consummation of his redemptive act: “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”12 Moreover, the call to thanksgiving is appropriate where believers are called to live in light of the future, full revelation of Christ’s glory. Here, then, the thanksgiving motif serves to affirm both the certainty of the future manifestation of Christ’s glory and the need for the believers to submit to the lordship of Christ as they live in view of this future reality.

4:3a-b At the same time praying for us as well, that God may open for us a door for the word (προσευχόμενοι ἅμα καὶ περὶ ἡμῶν, ἵνα ὁ θεὸς ἀνοίξῃ ἡμῖν θύραν τοῦ λόγου). Paul now shifts his attention from the Colossian believers to those outside their community. Paralleled with “being alert,” the participle “praying” also modifies the call to “devote yourselves to prayer” (v. 2). While this note clearly specifies the content of the “prayer” to which believers are to be devoted, the parallel between this clause and the previous one is important:13 to pray for the further proclamation of the mystery of Christ is the manifestation of one’s alertness in prayer in this eschatological era.

The pronoun “us” that appears twice in this clause (ἡμῶν, ἡμῖν) points likely to Paul and his coworkers, including Timothy (1:1) and Epaphras (1:7; 4:12),14 although he later focuses on his own mission with the use of the singular pronoun (“me,” v. 4) and first person singular verbs (“I am bound,” v. 3; “I may proclaim,” v. 4). Instead of seeing the plural pronoun here as an epistolary plural, therefore, it seems best to consider Paul making a general statement concerning the eschatological mission before focusing on his own mission.

In the context of prayer, “that” (ἵνα) indicates the content of the prayer (cf. 1:9) rather than its purpose. Paul’s focus is on the continuous growth of the word. Elsewhere, Paul has used the metaphor of an open “door” for opportunities of gospel proclamation (cf. 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12).15 The opening of a door “for the word” (τοῦ λόγου)16 reminds the audience of the powerful “word of truth, the gospel” in 1:5, the “word” that can “come” to the audience while “bearing fruit and growing” (1:6).17 The focus of this active and powerful word points to the inherent power of the gospel message. It is therefore problematic to supply the pronoun “our” here, as in “our message” (NIV).

The parallel between this and the previous participial clause demands further attention as it points to the connection between alertness and missions. Instead of passively being alert in anticipation of Christ’s return, Paul is pleading with believers to recognize the urgency of this eschatological moment as he calls them to participate with him and his coworkers in the mission that is to take place before Christ’s return.

This focus on the alertness of the believers and their active responsibility can also be found in Jesus’ teachings. This is best illustrated in the two eschatological parables in Matt 25. In the first, the parable of the ten virgins, believers are called to be alert in anticipation of the return of their Master. Significantly, eschatological terms that appear in the Colossians context also appear in Matthew: “door” (25:10), “open” (25:11), and “keep watch” (25:13). In the second, the parable of the bags of gold (Matt 25:14–30; cf. Luke 19:11–27), the focus shifts to the responsibility of the believers as they are called to use their time wisely before the return of Christ.18 This focus on faithfulness (cf. Matt 25:21, 23) highlights the active mission of believers as they live in the eschatological moment. In line with the teachings of Jesus, Paul also emphasizes both alertness and missions in this context, especially where “being alert” (v. 2) is coupled with the call to make “the most of every opportunity” (v. 5).

4:3c-d So that we may declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am bound (λαλῆσαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, δι’ ὃ καὶ δέδεμαι). Paul now specifies the purpose for his request for believers to pray to God for an open “door for the word.” Paul focuses here on his and his coworkers’ mission to “declare the mystery of Christ.” The eschatological significance of this “mystery” is clear in light of its previous appearances in this letter. The parallel between Paul’s discussion here and 1:25–26 is particularly clear as “the mystery” stands in apposition to “the word of God.” This “mystery” is that which has been “hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed to his [i.e., God’s] saints” (1:26).19 When Paul further identifies this “mystery” as “Christ in you,” he also continues to emphasize the eschatological significance of this mystery as Christ, who is also “the hope of glory” (1:27). In 2:2, Paul identifies his mission as that which aims at proclaiming “the mystery of God, Christ.”

These references help explain this phrase in 4:3. First, “the mystery of Christ” should again be understood in eschatological terms. After dealing with the situation in Colossae, Paul is looking forward to the continuation of this eschatological mission. Moreover, in light of 2:2, “of Christ” should be understood as an epexegetical genitive (“the mystery, that is, Christ”),20 instead of a possessive genitive (“his secret plan,” NLT) or a genitive of reference (“mystery about Christ,” CEV).21 Even in the earlier discussion on eschatology, Paul insists on a christocentric perspective in which the fulfillment of God’s promises is contained in the final revelation of Christ’s glory (cf. 3:1–4).

“On account of which I am bound” points directly to Paul’s imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. In light of the reference to “mystery” that evokes 1:24–2:5, this reference to Paul’s imprisonment becomes a concrete example of Paul’s suffering noted in 1:24. As 1:24 is to be understood within the wider context of eschatological suffering, Paul here is also situating his imprisonment within the context of such suffering. In both the Pauline (Rom 15:22–33) and the Lukan (Acts 20–26) accounts, Paul’s imprisonment is directly a result of his preaching of the gospel, which includes both Jews and Gentiles.

Paul’s note on the relationship between his imprisonment and the revelation of the mystery of Christ, a mystery that points specifically to the inclusion of both Jews and Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan (cf. Eph 3:1–7), takes on added rhetorical force here. Since Paul the Jew is imprisoned when he takes on the mission to proclaim the gospel among Gentiles, these Gentiles all the more are to carry on this mission among “the outsiders” around them (v. 5).

4:4 And that I may proclaim it clearly, as it is necessary for me to speak (ἵνα φανερώσω αὐτὸ ὡς δεῖ με λαλῆσαι). Paul now mentions the second item in his request for prayer as he seeks to be a faithful minister of the gospel. The relationship between this clause and that which precedes has been debated. Two major options are available:

(1) The first option is to be read as a purpose clause indicating the purpose of the request for God to open “the door” (v. 3), thus:

Pray that God may open a door

so that we may declare the mystery of Christ … [and]

so that I may proclaim it clearly….22

(2) The second option is to be read as the second item in the content of the prayer, thus:

Pray for us

that God may open a door … [and]

that I may proclaim it clearly….23

Of the two options, the latter is to be preferred. First, the word “that” (ἵνα) is clearly paralleled to “that” (ἵνα) in v. 3b above (“that [ἵνα] God may open for us a door”). Paul is therefore describing the second item in the believers’ petition. Second, one finds a natural progression of thought between the two petitions. The first focuses on God, who will be opening the door, while the second focuses on Paul, who is to proclaim this gospel. This reading does not, however, deny the close connection between the last clause of v. 3 and the present verse, especially when one finds the two verbs “declare/speak” (λαλέω) and “bound/[it is] necessary” (δέω) appearing in both clauses.24

The verb “I may proclaim … clearly” (φανερώσω) often carries the sense of “revelation”: “that I may reveal it clearly” (NRSV; cf. HCSB). This verb is used in this sense in 1:26 in reference to God’s revelation of his mystery and in 3:4 to the final revelation of Christ in glory. Elsewhere in Paul, this word most often occurs in reference to divine acts in redemption (e.g., Rom 1:19; 3:21; 16:26; 1 Tim 3:16; 2 Tim 1:10) and in the final judgment (1 Cor 4:5; 2 Cor 5:10; 7:12; Eph 5:13–14). Some have therefore considered this verse as yet another piece of evidence that challenges the authenticity of this letter.25

In this context, however, God’s act of opening a door is already mentioned together with the emphasis on the active work of the word (4:3). Moreover, the phrase “it is necessary” that follows also points to the redemptive plan of God. Paul is, therefore, but an instrument within this plan as he proclaims the gospel in obedience to his divine call. The description of the prior act of God in the revelation of his mystery together with Paul’s role in such revelation has already been noted in 1:25–26:

… I became a servant according to the commission from God given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery hidden for ages and generations, but now revealed (ἐφανερώθη) to his saints.

Our present text must be read in light of this previous note, as Paul understands himself to be merely an instrument of God’s own act of revealing his mystery. The same understanding of his role appears in Titus 1:3: “at his appointed season he has brought to light [ἐφανέρωσεν] [his word] through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior.” Here Paul is simply situating himself as one who clarifies what has already been revealed.26

“As it is necessary for me to speak” can also be considered as a rephrasing of 1:25: “according to the commission from God given to me.” This equation hinges on the Greek verb rendered “it is necessary” (δεῖ). Elsewhere in the NT, this verb can point to the series of events as necessitated by the foreordained plan of God.27 Some suggest that the significance of δεῖ finds its roots in the eschatological discourse.28 The use of this verb here for Paul’s apostolic mission in proclaiming the gospel is comparable to Luke’s description of Paul’s Damascus call to be God’s “chosen instrument … [and] must [δεῖ] suffer” for the name of Christ (Acts 9:15–16). In this Colossian context, this verb should likewise be understood as referring to the divine necessity as Paul seeks to be obedient to his role in God’s redemptive plan.

Paul does not specify the intended audience of his obligation “to speak,” but if the idea of necessity is connected with Paul’s call to be an apostle among the Gentiles, the object would be the Gentiles, to whom Paul is expecting to preach if he were to be released from the prison. The reference to his imprisonment in the previous verse, however, may point also to the more immediate context of his Roman imprisonment, when he speaks boldly in the presence of those who accuse him. The use of the verb “to declare fearlessly” (παρρησιάσωμαι) in the Ephesian parallel (Eph 6:20) may also support this reading since courage (παρρησία) is more appropriate when the apostles continue to preach the gospel even as they are being persecuted (Phil 1:20; cf. Acts 4:13; 28:31).

4:5a Walk in wisdom toward outsiders (Ἐν σοφίᾳ περιπατεῖτε πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω). After focusing on his and his coworkers’ mission to proclaim the gospel, Paul turns to the responsibility of the Colossian believers to act appropriately in the eschatological era. “Walk” (περιπατεῖτε) is the Jewish way of speaking about leading a way of life. Paul’s concern for the way believers lead their lives is reflected in the repeated appearances of this verb in this letter (1:10; 2:6; 3:7). The fact that this verb appears in the different parts of this section argues against the conclusion that this is simply a concern with outward behavior. Refusing to dichotomize between mind/understanding and body/behavior, Paul emphasizes how one’s knowledge of the true gospel will lead to right thinking and an acceptable response to such a gospel.

This connection between knowledge and behavior is well illustrated by the phrase “in wisdom.” The translation “wisely” (NAB, NRSV, NJB, NLT, cf. REB, GNB, TNIV, NIV), although it accurately reflects the adverbial function of this prepositional phrase, fails to reflect the significance of “wisdom” in this letter. While “wisely” could imply that believers simply have to act according to their own considered judgment,29 “wisdom” in Colossians points to the unique wisdom that comes from and focuses on God. In 1:9–10, for example, the basis of “walk[ing] in a manner worthy of the Lord” is “the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.” There, the “spiritual wisdom” is contrasted with human wisdom or the wisdom of the world (cf. 1 Cor 2:1–13). In Col 2:6, the christocentric emphasis emerges as believers are now called to “walk in him [i.e., Christ].” Closer to our passage, believers are called to reject the idolatrous practices in which they “once walked, when [they] were living in them” (3:7); instead, they are called to “put on the new humanity, being renewed in knowledge according to the image of their Creator” (3:10).

In light of all these references, it is clear that to “walk in wisdom” is to walk in the spiritual wisdom that centers on Christ, “in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (2:3; cf. 3:16). Behind this call one may also detect a subtle response to the false teachers who possess only “an appearance of wisdom” (2:23).30 Beyond this polemical intent, however, Paul’s focus is on the positive call for believers to submit to the lordship of Christ as they walk in conformity to the knowledge of God’s will.

“Outsiders” clearly refers to nonbelievers (cf. 1 Cor 5:12–13; 1 Thess 4:12), “those who are not Christians” (NLT). The insistence on the lordship of Christ does not create a community that values its own supreme status as the redeemed;31 on the contrary, because Christ is the Lord of all, his lordship must be proclaimed among all (cf. 1:15–20).

4:5b Making the most of every opportunity (τὸν καιρὸν ἐξαγοραζόμενοι). The eschatological urgency of the call to witness to nonbelievers becomes explicit here. In Greek, “making the most” translates a compound verb that can be literally rendered as “buying out,” which is used elsewhere in the sense of redemption (Gal 3:13; 4:5).32 The phrase has thus been rendered as “redeeming the time” (KJV, ASV, NKJV). Although a theological sense of redemption does not seem to be present here, the idea of buying out is supported by the additional clause in the Ephesian parallel (“because the days are evil,” Eph 5:16)—that is, since “the prevailing evil of the times makes the opportunities for good more precious.”33

More significant is the presence of a parallel in Daniel, where a similar phase is used: “I am certain that you are trying to gain time” (Dan 2:8). In that context, the Babylonian king has accused his astrologers of attempting to buy time in their delay to provide the proper interpretation for his dreams. Beyond the apparent similar use of this phrase in Paul, this Danielic context may provide a further clue for this Colossian text if Paul is indeed alluding to this text. The Babylonian astrologers failed to comprehend the “mystery” presented to them and therefore needed to “buy time.” But the believers, who now possess the knowledge of this revealed “mystery,” should now seize every opportunity to proclaim this “mystery.”34

In this context, the participle “making the most of” should best be taken as an attendant circumstantial participle modifying the preceding imperative, “walk.” “Opportunity” (τὸν καιρόν) is often used to refer to the critical eschatological moment (Rom 5:6; 9:9; 13:11; 1 Cor 4:5; Gal 6:9; Eph 1:10), and such eschatological flavor can be detected here.35 In this verse, however, this word does not refer to one particular point of time, but the opportunity that remains in this eschatological moment.36 In light of the urgency presented by the revelation of God’s mystery, believers are to proclaim this mystery to those outside their community. In this way, the Colossian believers will continue the work of Paul, who has struggled so that they can obtain “the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ” (2:2).

4:6a-b Let your speech always be full of grace, seasoned with salt (ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν πάντοτε ἐν χάριτι, ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος). Paul now turns to the proper witness of the believers through their “speech.” The word translated “speech” (ὁ λόγος) can also be translated as “word.” While the “word” in v. 3 refers to the gospel message, the second personal plural pronoun “your” (ὑμῶν) suggests that this is referring to human speech.

It is possible, however, that this human speech is to be understood as the vehicle for proclaiming God’s word—thus, “the message” (CEV). This reading is supported by the connection between this verse and v. 5. In v. 5, Paul focuses on the deeds of the believers to bear witness for the gospel to the outsiders; here, Paul focuses on their words as vehicles of this gospel. These twin emphases point back to Paul’s call earlier for believers to submit to the lordship of Christ: “whatever you do in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:17). Here, Paul is affirming that this christological confession through “word” and “deed” is to be extended in one’s interaction with the “outsiders.”

Does this “grace” (χάριτι) refer to divine grace 37 or human graciousness?38 Without denying that the combination of “grace” and “word” often appears in ancient literature in reference to gracious or winsome speech,39 in this context it seems best to consider this “grace” as containing a further reference to divine grace and the human response of gratitude. First, in both 1:2 and 1:6, χάρις is used for the grace of God. The relationship between “word” and “grace” is particularly clear in 1:5–6, where the “word of truth” is depicted as coming to the Colossian community of believers and enables this community to understand “the grace of God in truth.” Now Paul is urging believers to extend the work of this “word” through the power of the same “grace” as they witness to “outsiders.”40

Second, as we noted on 1:6, this “grace” represents the powerful act of God among his people. This reading may explain the purpose clause that follows here: “so that you may know in what way it is necessary for you to answer each one.” It is not human graciousness but divine grace and power that will allow one to defend the gospel message. This use of “grace” reminds one of Luke’s portrayal of Stephen in Acts 6:8–10, who, empowered by God’s grace, becomes mighty in words and deeds in response to those who challenge the gospel.

Finally, the connection between this passage and 3:17 (as noted above) may also illuminate the use of the term “grace” (χάριτι) here. Prior to the call to submit to the lordship of Christ “in word and in deed” (v. 17), Paul uses essentially the same phrase in his call to thanksgiving (v. 16), a call that reappears in v. 17 with the participle, “giving thanks.” For Paul, thanksgiving is a response to God’s grace (cf. 2 Cor 4:15), and the term “grace” may carry both meanings when used in a theological context. In this section, which begins with a note on “being alert in [prayer] with thanksgiving” (v. 2), one should not be surprised to find both terms in reference to God’s grace and the response that is required (as we have already seen in 3:15–17). The striking contrast between inappropriate speech and thanksgiving is explicitly made in a related passage in Ephesians: “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Eph 5:4).41 Therefore, if both senses of “grace” and “thanksgiving” are implied here as the believers are to extend their christological confession in their witness, a paraphrase that may convey this call is: “Let your words be full of the power of God as you speak in submission to and with the objective of proclaiming the lordship of Christ.”

The metaphor of “salt” in the phrase “seasoned with salt” clearly refers to the care in “choosing the right word.”42 Those who compare this use with Jesus’ call for his followers to be “the salt of the earth” (Matt 5:13; cf. Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34) suggest that “salt” points to the “religious and moral quality which must characterise the speech of the Christian.”43 Nevertheless, here believers are not called to be “salt,” but their speech is to be like salt. More relevant is the use of salt in the sense of winsome and witty speech.44 This winsome speech is not an end in itself, for Quintilian notes that “salty” speech can arouse a “thirst for listening” (Inst. 6.3.19).45 At the end of this section on reaching the world, believers are to present the gospel in a winsome way so that outsiders can be attracted to this message of salvation.

4:6c So that you may know in what way it is necessary for you to answer each one (εἰδέναι πῶς δεῖ ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποκρίνεσθαι). As the “word” that has come to the Colossian community is now to move to outsiders through “speech” that is “full of grace,” this final purpose clause further indicates the continuity of the movement of this word by means of the witness of believers. This continuity is highlighted by the impersonal verb “it is necessary” (δεῖ), a verb used in v. 4 for Paul’s own gospel ministry. As it is necessary for Paul to speak, it is also necessary for the believers to continue this ministry of the word.

“To answer each one” points to the significance of addressing each unbeliever according to his or her own context and situation.46 Although Jesus is Lord of all, each person must receive this grace as a divine gift. The preceding focus on “grace” and the present focus on “each one” reminds one of Eph 4:5–7, where the affirmation of the “one Lord” is followed by the emphasis on the individual distribution of the divine grace: “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Eph 4:7). Here, Paul concludes the body of his letter by emphasizing the need for every individual to provide the proper response to this cosmic Christ.

Theology in Application

Prayer and Missions

At the beginning of this letter, Paul has provided us with a model of prayer that centers on God’s redemptive act and his redeemed people.47 Here, Paul picks up this discussion by pointing to the significance of prayer as believers reach beyond those within their own communities. Moving beyond his own prayer report in 1:9–14, Paul here provides the critical link between missions and prayer.

First, Paul points to the need to be watchful in one’s prayer life. “Being alert” (v. 2) points not simply to a general sense of wakefulness; it points to the eschatological context that requires a proper ability to comprehend the present reality on the part of the believers. A parallel can be found in the Gethsemane scene, where Jesus urges his followers to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Mark 14:38; cf. Matt 26:41). In that context, the eschatological significance is apparent, as Jesus is about to be delivered to the authorities and be sentenced to death. Here, Paul’s call to the believers to be devoted “to prayer [while] being alert” (v. 2) likewise points to the eschatological moment that demands one’s watchfulness (cf. also Luke 21:36). In prayer, one is able to move away from and beyond one’s self-centeredness in the discernment of the urgency of the eschatological moment.

Within this focus on the eschatological moment, the urgency of Paul’s call to pray becomes understandable. In this specific context, the prayer is to be directed to God’s opening of doors for the apostles to preach the word, and for Paul in particular in his fulfillment of his call as an apostle to the Gentiles. Although syntactically a different sentence, the call to witness to others in speech (v. 6) and deeds (v. 5) should likewise be considered as a practical outcome of one’s prayerful alertness. As believers recognize the urgency of the eschatological moment, a natural response is to participate in the proclamation of the gospel of the cross.

Beyond this call to duty, not to be missed is the importance of prayer in confirming one’s status within redemptive history. Instead of believers simply being passive recipients of God’s drama of salvation, Paul emphasizes the active role of each believer. Through prayer, one recognizes one’s dignity in the ability to play a part in redemption history. In a passage that emphasizes the necessity in the unfolding of God’s foreordained plan (cf. vv. 4, 6), Paul also emphasizes the significance of prayer as a means through which believers can participate in this plan. Through prayers, God will continue his work through his messengers in claiming his lordship among all creation.

In this note on participation in God’s redemptive plan, one can perhaps detect Paul’s attempt to provide a reorientation of prayer from the “worship of angels” (2:18) to the ministry among unbelievers in this world (4:2–6). Throughout church history, many have emphasized the need to transcend the world in one’s prayer life. From the pen of the fourth-century Egyptian monk Evagrios Pontikos, for example, one finds a similar understanding of prayer:

Do you have a longing for prayer? Then leave the things of this world and live your life in heaven, not just theoretically but in angelic action and godlike knowledge.48

This understanding of prayer assumes a dualism between the spiritual and the material world, and prayer is possible only when the observance of commandments is able to control the bodily desires, which will allow the soul to guide the mind in one’s communion with God:

When the soul has been purified through the keeping of all the commandments, it makes the intellect steadfast and able to receive the state needed for prayer.49

Without denying the significance of communion with God, Paul focuses here on the kind of prayer that allows believers to be engaged with the world through the discernment of God’s will through the intercession of the Spirit (Rom 8:26–27). This engagement is clearly stated here when Paul points to the mission to the “outsiders” as one’s goal of prayer, instead of one’s own ascent to the heavenly realm. In this context, therefore, missions and evangelism take on added significance.

Evangelism

Paul provides significant guidance here for believers as they are to be involved in evangelism. Before focusing on the human act of spreading the gospel, Paul begins with the prior act of God in such an endeavor. First, the believers are to pray that “God may open … a door for the word” (v. 3). Fully realizing that it is God who will create for his followers the opportunity to preach the word, Paul reminds the audience that evangelistic efforts depend on God. This is consistent with Paul’s own missionary activities when he, for example, describes God’s opening of a door for him: “I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me” (2 Cor 2:12). In the Colossian context, the emphasis on “the word” also reminds one of the activity of the powerful word of God that “has come” to the Colossian believers, “bearing fruit and growing” among them (1:6). The word becomes the subject of evangelism rather than its object.

The prior act of God is also implied in the use of the term “grace” in describing believers, who are to be vehicles of the “word” (v. 6). To consider this “grace” simply as a reference to human graciousness is to deny the power of this term throughout Colossians (1:2, 6; 3:16; 4:18), as also elsewhere in Paul.50 In Eph 3:7, Paul also describes the prior act of God in the provision of his grace that has enabled him to be an effective evangelist: “I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.” It is this emphasis on the prior act of God that the idea of necessity (Col 4:4, 6) should be understood: God provides both the design and the fuel for the proclamation of the word, and human beings who are obedient to his call are but instruments of this powerful word. It is this understanding of God’s act in the human proclamation of the gospel that explains the connection between eschatology and missions in this context:

Eschatology is a vision of the coming of the kingdom of God that was initiated in Jesus of Nazareth, was experienced and cherished by the community that developed after his death and resurrection, and is now within the grasp of those who repent and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit; yet the kingdom remains to come in all its glory and fullness. If this vision is correct, there is good news for the world; there is indeed a gospel worth sharing. Moreover, evangelism is an activity of the followers of Jesus that should be rooted and grounded in this dynamic, mysterious, numinous reality of the rule of God in history.51

Shifting the attention from the prior acts of God to the role of human beings, Paul emphasizes the need for believers to be actively involved in evangelism. The call for believers to pray for his apostolic mission (vv. 3–4) is already a call for them to be involved in the partnership of the gospel mission. This understanding takes seriously the power of prayer. For Paul, prayer is not just a ritual to be performed. It is rather a critical means through which the gospel mission can be accomplished. As Paul has prayed that the Colossian believers “may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (1:9) and that Epaphras has also always been “striving on behalf of [them] in prayers” (4:12), the believers are now to join these acts of prayer in the anticipation of God’s further acts among the nonbelievers. In the consideration of Paul’s emphasis on missions and evangelism, therefore, such calls to prayer should not be ignored.52

Beyond being prayer partners in Paul’s mission, believers are also called to be active and independent witnesses. In 3:17, believers are already called to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,” whether “in word or in deed,” a call that is essentially repeated in 3:23. Here, the calls to “walk in wisdom” (v. 5) and “let your speech always be full of grace” (v. 6) echo the previous call to submit to the lordship of Christ “in word or in deed.” Evangelism in word and evangelism in deed are not separate acts; they are part of living out the confession that Christ is Lord of all.

Evangelism in word and in deed means that every aspect of one’s existence will have to be devoted to the proclamation of the gospel. Empowered by the sovereign God,53 believers can claim everything for him (1:15–20).54 Two points need to be made here. First, in examining the explosion of the early Christian movement after Paul when one can no longer identify a single group of outstanding missionaries that follow his model of missions, many sociologists have now recognized that “most conversions are not produced by professional missionaries conveying a new message, but by rank-and-file members who share their faith with their friends and relatives.”55

Second, conversions produced by these “friends and relatives” are often produced by a lifestyle that demonstrates the vitality and power of one’s faith. In “making the most of every opportunity” (v. 5), believers are called to demonstrate the power of the gospel in various contexts and situations. According to 1:4, when Paul discusses how the “faith” of the Colossian believers is demonstrated through “the love” they have for those around them, here this love is also likely in Paul’s mind when he discusses the relationship between the believers and the outsiders. The power of this love, emphasized throughout Colossians (1:8, 13; 2:2; 3:14), can therefore become the basis for one’s interaction with outsiders “in wisdom” (v. 5).

A study of the spread of Christianity in the modern era has also demonstrated that “individuals, families, clans, groups and societies from anywhere and everywhere have been drawn to God by cords of divine love.”56 It is precisely because of this divine love that one finds in Christianity “a religion of nearly infinite flexibility”57 as it reaches every individual where he or she is.

Finally, in a letter that focuses on correcting wrong practices grounded in a wrong understanding of the status and work of Jesus Christ, this call to witness is also a call for believers to be assured of the faith they have in the all-sufficient Christ. The final purpose clause, “so that you may know in what way it is necessary for you to answer each one” (v. 6), can also point to the need for believers to stand firm in what they believe. This is explicitly noted in the closely related letter written to Philemon: I pray “that your partnership in the faith may become effective in gaining the knowledge of every good thing that is in us for Christ” (Phlm 6). Being a witness to outsiders, therefore, can in turn strengthen one’s faith in Jesus Christ. Moreover, to witness how others come to Christ becomes the most powerful testimony of the grace of God, to both believers and to “outsiders.”