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Colosenses 4

VBL · Chapter 4/4

1Ustedes, amos, traten a sus siervos de manera recta y justa, reconociendo que ustedes también tienen un Amo en el cielo.

2No olviden seguir en oración, con sus mentes alertas y en agradecimiento.

3Oren también por nosotros para que Dios abra una puerta de oportunidad para predicar el mensaje, para hablar sobre el misterio revelado de Cristo, que es la razón por la que me encuentro prisionero aquí.

4Oren para que pueda hablar claramente y como es debido.

5Compórtense sabiamente con los extraños, haciendo el mejor uso de cada oportunidad.

6Tengan gracia al hablar. Asegúrense de hablar con buen gusto, y piensen en la mejor manera de responder a todos.

7Tíquico les dirá todo lo que me está sucediendo. Él es un hermano muy querido, un fiel ministro y compañero de trabajo en el Señor.

8Lo envío a ustedes por esta misma razón: para que sepan cómo estoy y se animen.

9Onésimo también va con él, un hermano de confianza y muy amado, que también es hermano de ustedes. Ellos les explicarán todo lo que está ocurriendo aquí.

10Aristarco, quien está aquí conmigo en la prisión, les manda sus mejores deseos; del mismo modo Marcos, el primo de Bernabé (ya ustedes han recibido instrucciones para recibirlo si llega a visitarlos),

11y Jesús—también llamado Justo—quienes son los únicos judíos cristianos entre los que trabajan conmigo aquí por el reino de Dios, y son hombres que han sido de gran ayuda para mí.

12Epafras, que es uno de ustedes y siervo de Cristo Jesús, envía sus saludos. Él siempre ora con gran fervor por ustedes, para que se mantengan firmes a medida que crecen como cristianos, plenamente convencidos de todo, como Dios quiere.

13Como testimonio de él puedo decirles que ha hecho mucho por ustedes, y también por los que están en Laodicea y Hierápolis.

14Lucas, nuestro amado médico, y Demas también envían sus saludos.

15Saluden a los creyentes que están en Laodicea. A Ninfa también, así como a la iglesia que se reúne en su casa.

16Y cuando les hayan leído esta carta, asegúrense de que también sea leída a la iglesia de Laodicea, y que ustedes también puedan leer la carta enviada a Laodicea.

17Díganle a Arquipo lo siguiente: “Asegúrate de llevar a cabo el ministerio que Dios te dio”.

18Yo, Pablo, escribo mi saludo de despedida con mi propia mano. No olviden que estoy en prisión. La gracia de Dios sea con ustedes.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

Paul concludes the letter by asking for perseverance in prayer and wisdom in dealing with those outside the church. He sends final greetings through several coworkers, including Tychicus and Onesimus, and asks that the letter also be read in the neighboring church of Laodicea.

Explanation

The final instructions about persevering prayer and wisdom in dealing with "those outside" show Paul's concern for the church's public witness before society at large, encouraging speech that is always "gracious, seasoned with salt" — that is, appealing, yet also substantive and purposeful. The mention of Onesimus, a "faithful brother" (v. 9), is significant: this was the same runaway slave mentioned in Paul's personal letter to Philemon, suggesting that he was returning to Colossae reconciled and now recognized as a brother in the faith, a living example of the social transformation the gospel brought about. The instruction to exchange letters with the church of Laodicea reveals how the early Christian communities actively shared apostolic correspondence with one another. The practical application today involves both intentionality in prayer and care in how we relate to and communicate with people outside the community of faith.

Fun facts

  • Onesimus, briefly mentioned here (v. 9), is the same central figure of the letter to Philemon, a runaway slave whom Paul sent back to his master, but now as a 'beloved brother,' illustrating one of the most touching personal stories in the New Testament.
  • The 'letter from Laodicea' mentioned in verse 16, which Paul asks to also be read in Colossae, is a letter that has been lost to time, generating centuries of speculation among scholars about its contents — some believe it could have been a copy of the letter to the Ephesians itself.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Colosenses 4:1After asking for obedience from slaves in the previous chapter, Paul now holds masters accountable: fair and balanced treatment, reminding them that they too answer to a Master in heaven. This is not a call to abolish slavery as an institution, but a demand that a master’s power over a slave not be used without limit.
  2. Colosenses 4:2Paul calls for perseverance in prayer, describing it as something that requires attention and active watchfulness, always accompanied by gratitude.
  3. Colosenses 4:3Paul asks that they also pray for him and his companions, specifically for an opportunity (a “door”) to proclaim the mystery of Christ, the very reason he is in prison.
  4. Colosenses 4:4Paul specifies his prayer request: that he may be able to present this message with the clarity it truly needs.
  5. Colosenses 4:5Paul asks for wisdom in dealing with people outside the faith, using the same expression as in Ephesians about making the most of every opportunity of time.
  6. Colosenses 4:6Salt was used both to add flavor and to preserve food, so the image suggests speech that is neither bland nor spoiled, but well-seasoned and carefully kept. Paul is asking for care in how they speak to people outside the faith, without losing either clarity or courtesy.
  7. Colosenses 4:7Paul introduces Tychicus, called a beloved brother and faithful co-worker, as the one who will bring the Colossians his personal news.
  8. Colosenses 4:8Paul explains the double purpose of sending Tychicus: to inform them of his situation and, at the same time, to comfort the hearts of the Colossians with this news.
  9. Colosenses 4:9Onesimus is the same runaway slave who appears as the central figure of the letter to Philemon, written by Paul around the same time and sent along with this one. Here he is already publicly introduced to the church as a “faithful brother,” which helps explain the delicate request Paul makes in his personal letter to his former master.
  10. Colosenses 4:10Paul sends greetings from two companions in prison or in work: Aristarchus, imprisoned together with him, and Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, asking that they welcome him well if he comes their way.
  11. Colosenses 4:11Paul mentions one more Jewish co-worker, Jesus called Justus, and comments that these few Jewish Christians working with him have been a great personal comfort.
  12. Colosenses 4:12Paul highlights Epaphras, the probable founder of the church at Colosse, describing his constant effort in prayer that the Colossians remain firm and mature in the will of God.
  13. Colosenses 4:13Paul confirms Epaphras’s genuine zeal, which concerns him not only for Colosse but also for the neighboring churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis.
  14. Colosenses 4:14Paul sends greetings from Luke, described as “the beloved physician,” probably the same author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, and from another co-worker named Demas.
  15. Colosenses 4:15Paul asks that greetings be passed on to the Christians in neighboring Laodicea, including a woman named Nymphas and the church that met in her house.
  16. Colosenses 4:16Paul’s letters circulated among the churches: after being read at Colosse, he asks that this letter be passed on to the neighboring church at Laodicea, and that the Colossians also read a letter that had been sent there. That letter to the Laodiceans has not survived to us — it may have been lost, or perhaps it is another of Paul’s letters that we still have under a different name; no one knows for sure.
  17. Colosenses 4:17Paul gives a direct, public message to Archippus, asking him to pay attention and fulfill the specific ministry he received from the Lord.
  18. Colosenses 4:18It was common at the time to dictate a letter for a secretary to write, and to sign personally only at the end as a guarantee of authenticity, preventing forgeries. Paul makes a point of signing this farewell himself, and also asks them to remember that he is in prison while writing.

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