Col 4:6 | KingComments | STEP | . Walk in wisdom is about your behavior. “Let your speech always be with grace, [as though] seasoned with salt”, is about what you speak. The kind of words and the content of your speech should express that you yourself have received grace. The grace in you will resonate with your words. Your listeners will hear an invitation to accept the grace in order to be among those who are inside, and no longer belong to the outsiders. With grace means that your speech is friendly and gentle. It must be seasoned with salt. This prevents you from just babbling or having irritation hidden in your words ( ; ; ). It also prevents to use popular speech expressions to attract those who are outside. This takes you down to the level of the world but it will not attract unbelievers. They will regard you as one of their own, rather than your words inviting them to say good-bye to the world and become a Christian. Salt is an agent that prevents spoilage. Where salt is, there is no spoilage. This is what your words should be. On the one side your words must be an invitation in an expression of grace and on the other side they must be inaccessible to the corruption of the world. Your words can be seen here as a response to what others say and do. This is what is referred to by the term “respond”. The point is not to react to everything. Do not think that you are obliged to give your opinion on everything. Silence can be a wise response. Also, you do not have the right answer for all things. Sometimes it is wise to say that you do not know the answer for something. This is also a response. Often it is wise to say that you do not have the right words for a particular situation because you have not gone through similar situations. Therefore it is not said here that you will know what you should respond, but how you should respond. This means a proper language by which the questioner gets a proper answer ( ). Everyone is different, therefor the right answer is different for everyone. No pattern answer can be used for all people in all circumstances (cf. ). . After this general admonition Paul begins the final words of his letter. They contain some information about his own circumstances, and then he refers to certain individuals by name. He wants to let them know how he was doing and would also like to know how they were doing. Tychicus carries Paul’s wishes. What he says of Tychicus should be able to be said of every believer. “Beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord” are titles more valuable than all sorts of theological and scientific titles people can give or get. Those titles say something about someone’s intellect but they say nothing about one’s love, spiritual attitude, willingness to serve or ability. . Because these titles are used in connection with the Lord, “in the Lord”, this means that Tychicus shows the Lord Jesus in his dealings with the fellow believers. The Colossians must acknowledge this to their joy when he goes to them. He will tell them of the circumstances of Paul and Timothy. Paul’s purpose is not to evoke more compassion with him. He shares information not for his own sake but for the benefit of the Colossians. They in fact were worried about Paul. But now the information passed on by Tychicus will relieve them of their anxiety and they will be encouraged. . One more person will go with Tychicus and that is Onesimus. Thus the information about Paul’s situation will remove all anxieties and encourage them. Onesimus was also a Colossian, “one of your [number]”. Paul’s warm recommendation of this runaway slave (see the letter to Philemon) shows his confidence in him. At the same time the apostle trusts that he would be helpful to the Colossians. By the way, Onesimus must go back to Philemon and has with him the letter to Philemon that we also have in the Bible. However Paul does not mention anything about it here. The sin of Onesimus is a private matter between him and Philemon. Paul knows how to separate things that should be handled differently. Onesimus was converted through the ministry of Paul during his imprisonment ( ). He therefore had first-hand knowledge of Paul’s circumstances. With his testimony, therefore, he could support Tychicus when he shared the information. Thus, he is directly employed in the service of the Lord. Now read Colossians 4:6-9 again. Reflection: How can you be a witness in accordance with this passage?

‏ Colossians 4:6

Word, Comfort, Encouragement

Col 4:6. Walk in wisdom is about your behavior. “Let your speech always be with grace, [as though] seasoned with salt”, is about what you speak. The kind of words and the content of your speech should express that you yourself have received grace. The grace in you will resonate with your words. Your listeners will hear an invitation to accept the grace in order to be among those who are inside, and no longer belong to the outsiders.

With grace means that your speech is friendly and gentle. It must be seasoned with salt. This prevents you from just babbling or having irritation hidden in your words (Ecc 12:10; Isa 50:4; Pro 15:23). It also prevents to use popular speech expressions to attract those who are outside. This takes you down to the level of the world but it will not attract unbelievers. They will regard you as one of their own, rather than your words inviting them to say good-bye to the world and become a Christian.

Salt is an agent that prevents spoilage. Where salt is, there is no spoilage. This is what your words should be. On the one side your words must be an invitation in an expression of grace and on the other side they must be inaccessible to the corruption of the world.

Your words can be seen here as a response to what others say and do. This is what is referred to by the term “respond”. The point is not to react to everything. Do not think that you are obliged to give your opinion on everything. Silence can be a wise response. Also, you do not have the right answer for all things. Sometimes it is wise to say that you do not know the answer for something. This is also a response. Often it is wise to say that you do not have the right words for a particular situation because you have not gone through similar situations.

Therefore it is not said here that you will know what you should respond, but how you should respond. This means a proper language by which the questioner gets a proper answer (1Pet 3:15). Everyone is different, therefor the right answer is different for everyone. No pattern answer can be used for all people in all circumstances (cf. 1Cor 9:22).

Col 4:7. After this general admonition Paul begins the final words of his letter. They contain some information about his own circumstances, and then he refers to certain individuals by name. He wants to let them know how he was doing and would also like to know how they were doing. Tychicus carries Paul’s wishes. What he says of Tychicus should be able to be said of every believer.

“Beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord” are titles more valuable than all sorts of theological and scientific titles people can give or get. Those titles say something about someone’s intellect but they say nothing about one’s love, spiritual attitude, willingness to serve or ability.

Col 4:8. Because these titles are used in connection with the Lord, “in the Lord”, this means that Tychicus shows the Lord Jesus in his dealings with the fellow believers. The Colossians must acknowledge this to their joy when he goes to them. He will tell them of the circumstances of Paul and Timothy. Paul’s purpose is not to evoke more compassion with him. He shares information not for his own sake but for the benefit of the Colossians. They in fact were worried about Paul. But now the information passed on by Tychicus will relieve them of their anxiety and they will be encouraged.

Col 4:9. One more person will go with Tychicus and that is Onesimus. Thus the information about Paul’s situation will remove all anxieties and encourage them. Onesimus was also a Colossian, “one of your [number]”. Paul’s warm recommendation of this runaway slave (see the letter to Philemon) shows his confidence in him. At the same time the apostle trusts that he would be helpful to the Colossians.

By the way, Onesimus must go back to Philemon and has with him the letter to Philemon that we also have in the Bible. However Paul does not mention anything about it here. The sin of Onesimus is a private matter between him and Philemon. Paul knows how to separate things that should be handled differently.

Onesimus was converted through the ministry of Paul during his imprisonment (Phlm 1:10). He therefore had first-hand knowledge of Paul’s circumstances. With his testimony, therefore, he could support Tychicus when he shared the information. Thus, he is directly employed in the service of the Lord.

Now read Colossians 4:6-9 again.

Reflection: How can you be a witness in accordance with this passage?