COLOSSIANS 4:2-6 - PRAY PERSISTENTLY-PROCLAIM POSITIVELY AND PEACEFULLY

COLOSSIANS 4:2-6

PRAY PERSISTENTLY –

PROCLAIM POSITIVELY AND PEACEFULLY

Colossians 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

The saints (believers) are to be courageously, tenaciously, consistently in prayer. They should intercede for one another with intentional alertness, remembering to approach the Lord with gratitude for all He has already done and what He will do in the future.

Colossians 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:      4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Paul then voices his own prayer request. Envision Paul’s message as being in a suitcase. He asks that the churches at Colossae and Laodicea pray that He will be able to unpack the message God has given him that more people may come to understand the Gospel. He wants to boldly proclaim the mystery that Jesus indwells all believers, not just Jews but Gentiles as well. His blessings are for all who have trusted in Jesus, all who are a part of the Messianic Community, the bride of Christ. Paul asked that they would pray for him to be fearlessly bold in fulfilling his God-given duty to preach the Gospel even though he was already imprisoned as a result of that obedience to the Lord.  

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

Those who are without what? Perhaps another translation will help us here:

Colossians 4:5 (AMPC) Behave yourselves wisely [living prudently and with discretion] in your relations with those of the outside world (the non-Christians), making the very most of the time and seizing (buying up) the opportunity.

Those who are “without” are people who are not yet a part of the Messianic Community. Non-believers. Christians need to live in such a way that the encounter they have had with Jesus is evident, not only in our words, but in the manner in which we live our lives before the world. We are to be wary of unbelievers and yet gentle and kind toward them, sharing the truth of God’s message.

Matthew 10:16 (AMPC)   Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves.

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

In talking with unbelievers, we should be gracious and kind, sharing the good news of Jesus with them. Our dealings with those who are not yet Christians should reflect the new nature Jesus has given us and be a positive representation of our Lord.

John MacArthur Study Bible:

seasoned with salt. Just as salt not only flavors, but prevents corruption, the Christian’s speech should act not only as a blessing to others, but as a purifying influence within the decaying society of the world.

Salt intensifies flavor. That is why even recipes for sweet desserts call for a touch of salt. Our speech should bring out the bold sweetness of the Gospel message. We should speak in a way that proves that the Lord is alive and active in our lives and that draws people toward the truth of the Scriptures, the Holy Bible.

Psalm 34:8 (KJV) O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

After talking with us, the non-believer should want a taste of what we have in our relationship with the Lord. We should be prepared to answer questions about the Lord which means we need to know His word. We need to have studied the Bible and internalized it. We should not be afraid to say, “I do not know the answer to that, but I will be happy to look into it and get back with you.” Then we should carefully, prayerfully study in order to give an answer later.

1 Peter 3:15 (AMPC) But in your hearts set Christ apart as holy [and acknowledge Him] as Lord. Always be ready to give a logical defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope that is in you, but do it courteously and respectfully.

We cannot beat people over the head with the word of God. We must approach them with respect and dignity, remembering that we are ambassadors of the Most-High God and our attitudes and actions reflect on Him.

Ponder This: Notice that before discussing how to deal with non-believers, the Lord (through the pen of Paul) stressed the importance of persistent, continual prayer. We cannot defend the Gospel graciously to non-believers in our own strength. We must first seek the Lord and be right with Him.