Colossians
Chapter 4
As for you, masters, treat your servants fairly and reasonably, aware that you also have a Master in heaven.
Epilogue and compilation
Be persistent in prayer, including spending the night praying and giving thanks.
Pray especially for us and our preaching: may the Lord open a door for us so we can proclaim the mystery of Christ. Because of this, I am in chains;
pray that I may be able to reveal this mystery as I ought to.
Deal wisely with those who are not part of the Church; seize every opportunity.
Make your conversations enjoyable with a touch of wit. Know how to speak to everyone in the best way.
Final Greetings
Tychicus will bring news of me. He is our dear brother and, for me, a faithful helper and fellow worker for the Lord
I am intentionally sending him to share updates about me and to encourage you.
Along with him, I am sending Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will inform you about everything happening here.
My friend in prison, Aristarchus, sends his greetings, as does Mark, Barnabas’ cousin, about whom you have already heard. If he visits you, welcome him warmly.
Jesus, called Justus, also sends his greetings. They are the only Jewish believers working with me for God’s kingdom, and they have been a comfort to me because of that.
Greetings from your fellow countryman, Epaphras, a dedicated servant of Christ Jesus. He continually prays for you, asking that you may be made perfect and steadfast in everything God calls you to do.
I assure you that he has worked hard for you, as well as for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Greetings from Luke, our dear doctor, and Demas.
Greet the brothers and sisters of Laodicea, and remember Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
After reading this letter, ensure it is read in the Church of the Laodiceans, and have the letter they received read in yours
And say to Archipus, “Do not forget the ministry given to you in the Lord.”
Greetings in my hand, Paul. Remember that I am in chains. Grace be with you.
Commentaries
Family and Social Duties.
These family recommendations appear in many epistolary writings of the New Testament, as if they constituted a “literary genre” used to carefully close the letters (cf. Eph 5:22-6:9; 1 Pet 2:13-3:12; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 5:3-8; Tit 2:1-10). Their purpose may be apologetic, meaning to reassure pagans who suspected that Christianity was disrupting the harmony of relationships between wives and husbands, children and parents, masters and slaves, within the “domestic household” or family of the time. Paul’s advice is ambivalent. On one hand, he is influenced by the patriarchal and sexist culture and prejudices of his era, as well as the institution of slavery. Still, on the other hand, he clearly emphasizes the principle that should guide all domestic relationships: “as is pleasing to the Lord” (3:20), “as serving the Lord” (3:23), “ you serve the Lord Christ” (3:24), “you also have a Master in heaven” (4:1). This is the core message of the Apostle, which will gradually diminish all inequality and subjugation, both at home and in society, beyond what he or we can initially envision.
Epilogue and Summary.
In his final practical exhortation, Paul highlights two main themes that have appeared throughout the letter and which he considers most important. First, “perseverance and vigilance,” core attitudes of Christians that can only be attained through constant prayer (cf. Rom 13:12; 1 Thes 5:6; 1 Cor 16:13; Mt 24:42; Mk 13:33-37; Lk 21:36). Second, the preaching and proclamation of the “mystery of Christ” (3), which should be the missionary mission of all believers. The Apostle, now imprisoned precisely because of this proclamation, asks for prayers so that he can explain it clearly (3). Regarding the Colossians, he urges them not to miss any opportunity to share the message, but to do so with wisdom and “with salt” ( a touch of wit) (6), so that it can be adapted, understood, and resonate with each person as appropriate. This represents the beautiful lesson of how the Gospel can be inculturated, which the Apostle concludes his letter with.
Final Greetings.
The list of collaborators and followers, men and women, is long and detailed. Paul remembers and speaks kindly of each one, offering words of affection, praise, and encouragement. Something endearing unites them all and keeps them grounded in an unbreakable friendship: their shared mission to proclaim the Mystery of Christ. This mission led each one, in their own way, to bear witness to the Lord, many even with their blood. And finally, they share in the same Word of God: “Once you have read this letter, have it read in the church of the Laodiceans, and you, in turn, read the one from Laodicea” (16).