Colossians 4

Colossians 4:1

And, as servants ought to obey their masters in all lawful things, so ye Christian masters ought to deal justly and equitably with them, allowing them proper work, provision, and wages, and giving them proper reproofs or encouragements in their work, knowing that ye yourselves serve the Lord Jesus Christ, and must give an account of your treatment of servants, as well as of every part of your conduct, to him who now inspects, and will hereafter judge and reward, you

Colossians 4:2

But, to return to general exhortations, let all of you daily, at set seasons, in secret, private, or public, prayer to God, in the name of Christ, plead for his blessing, temporal, spiritual, or eternal. Watch for special calls of providence, and needful assistances of spiritual influence, to make you ever ready, fervent, and persevering, in prayer; and watch against all hindrances of it, or deadness or wandering in it. And let all your supplications for mercies be joined with grateful praises and cheerful thanksgivings for what ye have received or expect

Colossians 4:3

And, in all your addresses to God, earnestly plead with him that I, and my fellow-labourers in the ministry, may be favoured with extensive opportunities and abilities to preach the gospel in a right manner, and with remarkable success, and to lay open the deep things, and exhibit and offer the unsearchable riches, of Christ, (for doing of which I am now a prisoner in bonds)

Colossians 4:4

That, as far as providence shall grant me opportunities, I may be eminently assisted in declaring the whole counsel of God with a proper frame of spirit, and in a duly free, extensive, and plain, manner

Colossians 4:5

And let the whole of your conversation toward your unbelieving neighbours be managed with such Christian skill, circumspection, and prudence, that ye may not be defiled by them, or encourage them in sin; but may, by your example, win them to Christ. In this manner improve and extend every opportunity of doing your proper duty, and doing good to them. And let your speech be always such as proceeds from the grace of God in your heart, and as may recommend his free favour to others, and promote in them a gracious temper, that thereby ye may know how to give a reason of your hope with all modesty, meekness, and wisdom; and how to answer scrupulous doubts, serious inquiries, and captious cavillings, relative to any point of Christian faith, duty, or experience, which may be proposed to you

Colossians 4:7

And as to my outward circumstances and inward comforts, Tychicus, my beloved fellow Christian and faithful minister of Christ, who brings you this letter, will fully inform you

Colossians 4:8

And, being desirous to know how matters in religion stand with you, I have ordered him to make a thorough inquiry, and inform me of them—while he comforts you by his good counsels, and his informations of God’s kindness to me

Colossians 4:9

He, and Onesimus your countryman, who is now a noted convert to Christ, and comes along with him, will inform you fully of every thing important about this place. 10, 11. Aristarchus the Macedonian, who endangered his life for my sake, and is now my fellow prisoner; and John Mark, nephew to Barnabas, my dear old colleague in apostolic labours, (whom, if he come to you, I hope ye will respectfully receive, according to the recommendations he hath received;—) and Joshua Justus;—the only three Jewish preachers who have here assisted me in propagating the gospel, and comforted me under my sufferings;—send you their heartiest wishes of temporal and spiritual blessings

Colossians 4:12-14

Epaphras your fellow citizen; who spends much of his time in earnest wrestlings with God in prayer that ye may continue stedfast in the faith, be fully instructed in, and eminently confirmed to, the will of God; and who manifests an uncommon concern for your present and eternal happiness, and your neighbours in Laodicea and Hierapolis:—Luke the beloved physician and evangelist,—and Demas,—send you their Christian respects

Colossians 4:15

Present my cordial love to your brethren at Laodicea; and particularly at Nymphas, and his regular, holy, and religious, family, or other Christians who meet at his house for public worship

Colossians 4:16

And when ye have, in a proper and public manner, read this letter among yourselves, let an exact copy of it be sent to, and read in like manner by the church in Laodicea; and let the letter from the Laodiceans be also publicly read among you

Colossians 4:17

And, as ye are surrounded by subtle enemies, who seek to pervert you, entreat and respectfully admonish Archippus, under a deep sense of the excellent nature, design, and importance, of his ministerial work, to lay out himself to his utmost, in the authority and strength of Jesus Christ, and for his glory, to fulfil the duties of his office with all wisdom, diligence, faithfulness, and perseverance; explaining, confirming, vindicating, and enforcing, the great doctrines of revelation, in exemplifying them in his own conduct, in reproving sin and confuting error, and in every other thing in his power, for the furtherance of the gospel in the conversion of sinners and the edification and comfort of saints

Colossians 4:18

To conclude in my usual manner, I send you, in my own hand writing, my hearty respects, wishing that the free favour of God, with all the precious manifestations and effects thereof, may abound towards you. This I heartily desire and hope for; and that my letter may have the greater weight with you, and render you the more earnest in prayer for me, remember that I am suffering, with patience and cheerfulness, in bonds, for preaching the gospel to you Gentiles. ~~~~~

REFLECTIONS UPON CHAP. IV.—With great equity, mildness, and mercy, ought masters to treat their servants, in the view of God’s authority over them, and of their accounting to him. Great is the necessity of fervent and persevering prayer for fellow Christians, and especially for ministers—that they may preach the gospel with proper wisdom, courage, and success. And much wisdom and grace are necessary to make Christians improve their time and order their speech to the honour of Jesus Christ and the edification of their neighbours! Much mutual esteem of one another, and fervent wrestlings for the church; great sympathy towards the distressed; courtesy to all men, especially the saints; and stadiated care to fulfil their ministry in the Lord; ought to prevail in every minister of Christ.—And earnest care to vie with one another in every grace and duty, and to edify one another in love, and even to render their pastors duly diligent and faithful, ought to take place among all Christian professors