In an ancient story, it is said that Bios, a wise man of ancient Greece, was sent an animal to sacrifice. He was instructed to send back to the donor the best and worst parts of the animal. He sent the donor the tongue. The tongue is indeed the best and worst of humanity.
In Colossians 4:2–6 the Apostle Paul continues the discussion of the new person in Christ that he began in 3:5. In 3:5–17 he discussed the personal characteristics of the new person. In 3:18–4:1, he discussed the home life of the new person. In this passage he broadens the scope of his discussion to include unbelievers (cf. 4:5). He focuses especially on the speech of the new person, because that is something the watching world will look at carefully when it evaluates Christianity. Next to the thoughts, attitudes, and motives, it is also the most difficult area for believers to control.
If we look at our strained or broken relationships, they most likely occurred due to something regrettable that was said. Like a glass that is shattered once released, when words come out of our mouths, we can't take them back. Although we may apologize, and seek to repair damaged or strained relationship, some speech is so damaging, that relationships are broken. What pain we would save if we could just restrain our tongue. What if it became a transformational instrument of healing and life?
That is exactly what Paul shows here as the way to both control the tongue and use it for the most good. In his discussion of the speech of the new person in Christ; Paul puts the emphasis on four areas: 1) The Speech of Prayer(Colossians 4:2), 2) The Speech of Proclamation (Colossians 4:3–4) , 3) The Speech of Performance (Colossians 4:5), and 4) The Speech of Perfection (Colossians 4:6).
1) The Speech of Prayer (Colossians 4:2)
Colossians 4:2 [2]Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. (ESV)
It is fitting that Paul begins with prayer, because it is the most important speech one can utter. Prayer is the strength of the believer’s fellowship with the Lord and the source of power against Satan and his angels (cf. Eph. 6:18). Through prayer, believers confess their sin, offer praise to God, call on their sympathetic High Priest (Heb. 4:15–16), and intercede for each other. Prayer from a pure heart (Ps. 66:18) is to be directed to God (Matt. 6:9), consistent with the mind and will of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 6:18), in the name of Christ, and for the glory of the Father (John 14:13).
In 4:2, Paul touches on an often overlooked aspect of prayer, that of perseverance. Continue Steadfastly/Devote yourselves means to “adhere to,” or “persist in,” came to be used of a boat that always stands ready for someone (Mark 3:9), or an activity that one was devoted to or busily engaged in. It was in this latter sense that it came to be employed to denote continuance in prayer (Acts 1:14; Rom 12:12; Col 4:2; cf. Acts 2:42, 46) and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4; on the term and its cognate προσκαρτέρησις, “perseverance,” “patience,” (O’Brien, P. T. (1998). Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 44, p. 237). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.)
Please turn to Luke 18
Praying at all times is not necessarily limited to constant vocalizing of prayers to God. Rather, it refers to a God consciousness that relates every experience in life to Him. That does not, however, preclude the need for persistence and earnestness in prayer. Such persistence is illustrated repeatedly in Scripture. The 120 disciples gathered in the Upper Room “were continually devoting themselves to prayer” (Acts 1:14). The early church followed their example (cf. Acts 2:42). This is a PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE, “continue to devote yourselves to prayer.” Prayer is not optional. Prayer is crucial for effective Christian living and ministry (cf. Eph. 6:18–19; Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thess. 5:17). If Jesus’, being God’s incarnate, life was characterized by both public and private prayer, how much more do believers need to pray for the gospel, for themselves, and for one another (Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul Bound, the Gospel Unbound: Letters from Prison (Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, then later, Philippians) (Vol. Volume 8, p. 50). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.).
Our Lord told parables illustrating the importance of persistent prayer:
Luke 18:1-8 [18:1]And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. [2]He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. [3]And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' [4]For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, [5]yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" [6]And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. [7]And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? [8]I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (ESV) (Cf. Luke 11:5-10)
• The point of both those parables is that if unwilling and sinful humans will honor persistence, how much more will our holy, loving heavenly Father?
• Who have you been praying for years, perhaps decades with apparently no result? Has you husband, your son or someone close to you seem fixed in their ways apart from God? Have you just resigned yourself that it will never change?
• God has a purpose in His seeming delay. There is a purpose for you and for the one you are praying for. Your role is not to try and discover this hidden purpose but just be persistent in prayer. God is not deaf to your prayers and the anguish of your heart. For a result to be reached in our timing, is like pulling off a scab before the healing is finished. God is working the perfect result in His perfect time to achieve His perfect will. Trust Him. Keep praying.
True prayer also involves being watchful/keeping alert. The term implies mental alertness. The Colossians’ prayers were to be in tune with the times. Paul used the same word in 1 Thess 5:6–9 in parallel with the verb “alert” (nephō) so that two exhortations occur. The term “watch” has definite mental, perceptional associations, whereas the term “alert” implies a moral readiness (Melick, R. R. (1991). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (Vol. 32, p. 321). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Quote: If believers wish to be wide awake in their prayer life, the insight of C. S. Lewis can be helpful: "No one in his senses, if he has any power of ordering his own day, would reserve his chief prayers for bedtime—obviously the worst possible hour for any action which needs concentration.… My own plan, when hard pressed, is to seize any time, and place, however unsuitable, in preference to the last waking moment.… The body ought to pray as well as the head” (The Joyful Christian, New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1977, 88–89).
Mental, emotional and physical effort is involved in prayer, and one can feel exhausted by it all. This is because it has to do with the whole person. Thus when we pray the mind is engaged (1 Cor. 14:15), the will is involved (Acts 12:5) and the heart is burdened (James 5:16) (McNaughton, I. S. (2006). Opening up Colossians and Philemon (p. 83). Leominster: Day One Publications.)
Believers should look for those things about which they ought to be praying. Christians sometimes pray vague, general prayers that are difficult for God to answer because they do not really ask anything specific. To be devoted to prayer requires something specific to pray for. We will never persistently pray for something we are not concerned about. And to be concerned, we must be alert to specific needs. An old pastor in Georgia used to make this statement: “When a farmer prays for a corn crop, God expects him to say ‘Amen’ with a hoe.” If you are praying about a certain matter, get busy with it (McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 5, pp. 362–363). Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
• General prayer requests or requests not vocalized neither direct petitions nor involve others on your behalf. When you share a specific request, it enables the fellowship of believers for specific petitionary prayer.
A third element in prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving. When believers pray, they can begin by being thankful for the following spiritual blessings and privileges. First, believers are to be thankful for God’s presence. In Psalm 75:1, the psalmist writes, “We give thanks to Thee, O God, we give thanks, for Thy name is near.” Second, believers are to be thankful for God’s provision. Adrift at sea in the midst of a raging storm, Paul nevertheless was grateful to God for the food He provided: “He took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all” (Acts 27:35). Third, believers are to be thankful for God’s pardon. Paul said in Romans 6:17, “Thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed.” Christians should be grateful for their salvation. Fourth, believers are to be thankful for God’s promise: “Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:57; cf. 2 Cor. 2:14). “For as many as may be the promises of God, in Him they are yes; wherefore also by Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us” (2 Cor. 1:20). Finally, believers are to be thankful for God’s purpose: “We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
Prayer and thanksgiving can never be dissociated from each other in the Christian life. The remembrance of former mercies not only produces spontaneous praise and worship; it is also a powerful incentive to renewed believing prayer. ... Men and women of persistent prayer are those who are constantly on the alert, alive to the will of God and the need of the world...(Bruce, F. F. (1984). The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (p. 172). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Quote: Virginia Stem Owens wrote the following about wrestling with God in earnest prayer: "Christians have always interpreted the splitting of the temple veil during the crucifixion as symbolic of their liberation from the mediated presence of God. Henceforth they were “free” to approach him directly—which is almost like telling someone he is “free” to stick his head in the lion’s jaws. For once you start praying there is no guarantee that you won’t find yourself before Pharaoh, shipwrecked on a desert island, or in a lion’s den. This is no cosmic teddy bear we are cuddling up to. As one of the children describes him in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, “he’s not a tame lion.”
Awful things happen to people who pray. Their plans are frequently disrupted. They end up in strange places. Abraham “went out, not knowing where he was to go”.… After Mary’s magnificent prayer at the annunciation, she finds herself the pariah of Nazareth society.… How tempting to up the stakes, making prayer merely another consumer product. How embarrassing to have to admit not only that prayer may get you into a prison, as it did Jeremiah, but also that while you’re moldering away in a miry pit there, you may have a long list of lamentations and unanswered questions to present to your Lord. How are we going to tell them they may end up lame and vagrant if they grasp hold of this God? (“Prayer—Into the Lion’s Jaws,” Christianity Today, November 19, 1976, pp. 222–23; italics in the original)
2) The Speech of Proclamation (Colossians 4:3–4)
Colossians 4:3-4 [3]At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison-- [4]that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. (ESV)
Paul turns from prayer, which is speech directed to God, to the proclamation of the gospel, which is speech directed to people. Having exhorted the Colossians to pray, he gives them a specific request, at the same time pray also for us. The plural pronoun us probably includes the list of Paul’s friends and co-workers that begins in 4:7. The content of Paul’s request was that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare/so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ. A door in the New Testament usually refers to an opportunity (cf. 1 Cor. 16:8-9; 2 Cor. 2:12).
Paul desired an open door so he could declare/speak forth the mystery of Christ. The term mystery refers to something hidden in the Old Testament but manifest in the New. In the present context, it refers to the content of the gospel. Paul asks the Colossians to pray that he would have an open door to speak the full truth of the gospel.
Please turn to Ephesians 6
It was for the sake of the gospel that Paul was in prison. In Jerusalem, at the end of his third missionary journey, he was falsely accused of bringing a Gentile into the area of the Temple forbidden to them. He was rescued from the angry crowd by the Romans and eventually sent by them to Felix, the governor of Judea. After languishing in custody for two years, Paul exercised his right as a Roman citizen and appealed his case to Caesar (Acts 25:11). Following a harrowing voyage, during which he was shipwrecked following a violent storm, he reached Rome. The book of Acts closes with Paul under house arrest there (Acts 28:16, 30).
Ephesians 6:18-23 [18]praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, [19]and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, [20]for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. [21]So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. [22]I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. [23]Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [24]Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible. (ESV)
• For Paul, there were no devastating circumstances, only unique opportunities.
• How often we pray for safe travel, safe experiences and safe relationships.
• It is often with disrupted plans, difficult situations and interpersonal conflict that we find ourselves in, that real growth and change occur.
• Safe often produces nothing. Pray for growth don't pray to be safe.
Paul further asked the Colossians to pray in verse 4 that when God opened a door for the gospel, I may make it clear, which/in the way I ought to speak. Ought can be understood in two ways. First, it refers to the compulsion Paul felt to preach the gospel. That was a constant burden in his life. In 1 Corinthians 9:16 he said, “If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”
Second, ought to speak refers to the mandate for using the God-ordained method of presenting the gospel. Paul preached the gospel by “solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). “Solemnly testifying” is from diamarturomai, which means to give a thorough and complete testimony. The gospel should be proclaimed clearly, boldly (Eph. 6:19), wisely (Prov. 25:11), and graciously (Eph. 4:15). When a good message is proclaimed in a bad way it can do more harm than good (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of Colossians and Philemon (Vol. 6, p. 181). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
Paul wanted people to pray that he would speak as he ought to speak, as God wanted him to speak. That should be our prayer for everyone who proclaims Christ.
Illustration: Paul acknowledged that prayer makes all the difference in communicating the gospel. There is a great story that comes from the life of Hudson Taylor. There was a mission station that was particularly blessed in the China Inland Mission, far above the others. There seemed to be no accounting for this, because others were equal in devotion and in ability. Hudson Taylor was traveling and speaking in England, and after a meeting a man came up and began to ask him about that particular station. Then he began to ask many personal questions. It turned out that the man had been the college roommate of the missionary at that station many years earlier, and he had committed himself to daily praying for the work there. Hudson Taylor said, “Then I knew the answer.” (Hughes, R. K. (1989). Colossians and Philemon: the supremacy of Christ (p. 138). Westchester, IL: Crossway Books.)
3) The Speech of Performance (Colossians 4:5)
Colossians 4:5 [5]Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. (ESV)
What believers are gives credibility to what they say. Paul refers to practical and transformational wisdom—not intellectual insight (1 Cor 1:21, 27). Those who apply such wisdom can reflect God’s values and character (Barry, J. D., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Col 4:5). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.).
To Walk in wisdom involves properly evaluating circumstances and making godly decisions. Believers are to exhibit a carefully planned, consistent, righteous Christian life. This is another PRESENT ACTIVE IMPERATIVE, “always conduct yourselves with wisdom.” Believers are to be intentional evangelists. Evangelism is God’s will for the church (cf. Matt. 28:19–20). Every believer is a full time minister of the gospel (cf. Eph. 4:11–12).( Utley, R. J. (1997). Paul Bound, the Gospel Unbound: Letters from Prison (Colossians, Ephesians and Philemon, then later, Philippians) (Vol. Volume 8, p. 55). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
The vocabulary of insiders and outsiders parallels a Jewish way of thinking and speaking. The outsiders, figuratively speaking, are foreigners, those banished and not recognized by the synagogue, or simply Gentiles. Jesus used the term with respect to those outside the kingdom (Mark 4:11). Paul uses these terms (1 Cor. 5:12–13; 1 Thess. 4:12; 1 Tim. 3:7), not in a derogatory sense, but as an honest and straightforward recognition of a basic division between unbelievers and believers. If we ask, Inside and outside of what? the answer from Colossians is, The kingdom of God’s dear Son (1:13). (Martin, E. D. (1993). Colossians, Philemon (pp. 203–204). Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.)
To “be wise in the way you act toward outsiders” is to show practical Christian wisdom in dealing with secular society. Paul’s words imply that believers are to be cautious and tactful so as to avoid needlessly antagonizing or alienating their pagan neighbors. In a positive sense, they also imply that believers should conduct themselves so that the way they live will attract, impress, and convict non-Christians and give the pagan community a favorable impression of the gospel. (See 1 Cor 5:12, 13; 1 Thess 4:12; 1 Tim 3:7 )( Vaughan, C. (1981). Colossians. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon (Vol. 11, p. 222). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
Paul not advocate cloistering oneself away all day to devote oneself exclusively to prayer, but rather that saints be in constant prayerful contact with God and in evangelistic contact with the world around them. Taken together, this instruction is that one should go through each day in prayerful relationship with God, all the while seeking to display Him to the lost around (Mills, M. S. (1993). Colossians: A Study Guide to Paul’s epistle to the Saints at Colossae (Col 4:2). Dallas: 3E Ministries.).
Living a godly life also involves making the best use of the time/the most of the opportunity. This word for time (kairos) carries the meaning of moment or opportunity, in distinction from another word (chronos) which indicates time as measured by clocks and calendars. (Martin, E. D. (1993). Colossians, Philemon (p. 200). Scottdale, PA: Herald Press.)
Please turn to Romans 13
Opportunity is fleeting. Life is short, and every day more people die without Christ. Our Lord may return at any moment. Paul expressed the urgency of redeeming the time in Romans 13:11–14:
Romans 13:11-14 [11]Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. [12]The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. [13]Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. [14]But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (ESV)
While it is true that the Christian is to use time wisely, there is more here than that. We are to live “existentially,” alert to Christ and for Christ in every moment. We are to be alive to every opportunity to witness in the chance encounter, the unexpected turn in conversation, the opening that comes in the expression of a need or the asking of a question, the signal given by what may appear casual but reflects something deeper, the unplanned incident that brings the “outsider” into our life in a way that mind and heart can meet. We are to seize the critical moment when it comes (Dunnam, M. D., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1982). Galatians / Ephesians / Philippians / Colossians / Philemon (Vol. 31, p. 392). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.).
Illustration: Jeanette shared in our Wednesday night Bible study and prayer time about the discussions with her friend Sylvia. She wanted to talk to her about spiritual matters but Sylvia was resisting. We encouraged her to seize the opportunity and talk to Sylvia. Jeanette spoke to Sylvia on Sylvia's level linking the things Sylvia was interested in. Shortly after returning from seeing her, Sylvia died. Jeanette retuned to Ottawa this weekend to speak at Sylvia's funeral and minister in music. What could have been a bitter period of regret of not speaking to Sylvia, was turned into a time of confidence that the word of God was shared and ministry to a broader circle of family can occur.
• Who is on your mind right now? Don't let this day close without calling them and getting together. We don't know when we will have another opportunity. When we seize the moment, making the best use of the time, God can use our courage with His Word, empowered by His Spirit. Christ can take a life of loneliness and despair and shine hope with the assurance of eternal life.
4) The Speech of Perfection (Colossians 4:6)
Colossians 4:6 [6]Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. (ESV)
Consistency of life must be followed by consistency of speech. Paul is not speaking here of preaching the gospel, but general conversation. Believers’ speech must always be gracious, as was Christ’s (Luke 4:22). There is no place for those things that characterize the unredeemed mouth. Whether undergoing persecution, stress, difficulty, or injustice, whether with your spouse, children, believers, or unbelievers—in all circumstances believers are to make gracious speech a habit.
Please turn to Ephesians 4
To be gracious in speech means to say what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complementary, gentle, truthful, loving, and thoughtful. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:
Ephesians 4:29-32 [29]Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. [30]And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [31]Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. [32]Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)
The speech of the new person must also be seasoned with salt. It is not only to be gracious, but also to have an effect. Salt can sting when rubbed into a wound (cf. Prov. 27:6). It also prevents corruption. Believers’ speech should act as a purifying influence, rescuing conversation from the filth that so often engulfs it. Salt also adds flavor, and the speech of the new person should be intelligent, alluring adding captivating wit to conversation. Speech that is seasoned with salt is interesting (as opposed to dull), invites interaction (as opposed to refusing to listen and discuss), adds “spice” to a discussion (by penetrating to deeper levels), and is pure and wholesome (as opposed to “filthy language,” 3:8) (Barton, B. B., & Comfort, P. W. (1995). Philippians, Colossians, Philemon (p. 229). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.).
• The picture is as far as we can imagine from that of the Christian who has no interest in affairs outside those of faith or church and so no “small talk,” no ability to maintain an interesting conversation. In contrast, it envisages opportunities for lively interchanges with non-Christians on topics and in a style which could be expected to find a positive resonance with the conversation partners (Dunn, J. D. G. (1996). The Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 267). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: William B. Eerdmans Publishing; Paternoster Press.)
Finally, believers must also know how they ought to answer/respond to each person. They must know how to say the right thing at the right time. In Peter’s words, they must be “ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Pet. 3:15).
The speech of the new person is vitally important: As James 3:2 says: “..if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body” . Unlike the ungodly, who say “Our lips are our own; who is lord over us?” (Ps. 12:4), we as believers should echo the prayer of the psalmist in Psalm 141:3: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.”
(Format Note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1992). Colossians (pp. 174–185). Chicago: Moody Press.)
