1 Timothy 3

1 Timothy 3:1

Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

Colossians 3:18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

Colossians 3:20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Luke 2:51).

Colossians 3:21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1 Chronicles 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

Colossians 3:23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

Colossians 3:24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

Colossians 3:25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Matthew 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Titus 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Romans 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

1 Timothy 3:2

Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

Colossians 3:18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

Colossians 3:20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Luke 2:51).

Colossians 3:21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1 Chronicles 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

Colossians 3:23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

Colossians 3:24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

Colossians 3:25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Matthew 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Titus 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Romans 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

1 Timothy 3:3

Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

Colossians 3:18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

Colossians 3:20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Luke 2:51).

Colossians 3:21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1 Chronicles 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

Colossians 3:23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

Colossians 3:24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

Colossians 3:25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Matthew 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Titus 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Romans 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

1 Timothy 3:4

Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

Colossians 3:18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

Colossians 3:20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Luke 2:51).

Colossians 3:21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1 Chronicles 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

Colossians 3:23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

Colossians 3:24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

Colossians 3:25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Matthew 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Titus 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Romans 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

1 Timothy 3:5

Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

Colossians 3:18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

Colossians 3:20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Luke 2:51).

Colossians 3:21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1 Chronicles 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

Colossians 3:23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

Colossians 3:24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

Colossians 3:25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Matthew 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Titus 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Romans 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

1 Timothy 3:6

Wives – Husbands – Children – Slaves

Colossians 3:18. Subsequently Paul mentions certain areas in which your daily life and the relationships in which you are placed take place. After the plea not to dwell on things that are on earth you could think that all the earthly things are no longer important. But all the great truths which have to do with your relationship to Christ do not undermine the earthly relationships. On the contrary, these relationships are there so that you show what you have become in Christ.

You cannot live in this world without any relationship with your fellow human beings. In these social contacts you experience the most trials and temptations. It is God’s will that after your conversion you let the light of heaven shine forth in the circle of your old friends and acquaintances. Your conversion does not change anything in your marriage, or in your family situation, or your position in society. What has changed is yourself.

In each of these relationships there are two parties: husband and wife, parents and children, employers and employees. Each is addressed according to one’s vulnerability. The word is always first addressed to the subjected party who is also always brought in relation with the Lord. The relationship with the Lord lifts the position of subjection to a higher level.

The first relationship in which both the parties receive a responsibility is marriage. This bulwark of the good is attacked violently everywhere in the world. It is always necessary to understand God’s original plan, not to be carried away by the world’s view of marriage. In a marriage, two different sexes are interconnected. In the light of the Word of God the suggestion of a marriage between people of the same sex cannot be approved and must not even be considered, but must be rejected right away.

The “wives” are instructed to acknowledge their husbands as the head, and should be subject to them. Subjection is the acknowledgment of the order established by God. This attitude is appropriate and it redounds to her honor. She gets the strength for this from the Lord. If she subjects herself to the authority of her husband she acknowledges the authority of the Lord.

In our age of emancipation and feminism, to be subject is not made easy for her. Women who are conscious of their relationship with Christ are not disturbed by this and they are able to swim against the tide. They can learn from Him what subjection is, for His life on earth is the model of subjection to God.

Colossians 3:19. Husbands are given instructions about some positive and some negative things. The positive for a husband is to love his wife. Here it does not state that he should wait for a certain feeling or a certain act of his wife to reciprocate his love. There is no excuse to evade this obligation to love his wife.

Husbands can learn love from Christ. They can see His caring love, which is sacrificial and unselfish. When husbands treat their wives like that many marital problems can be solved. It is also easy for a wife to be subject to such a husband.

The negative is the admonition not to be embittered against her. This will keep the husband from being moody, ruthless and hard against her. The latter is certainly a danger if the wife is not converted and is constantly doing things that provoke him to those reactions. It does not say that he should subdue his wife or to constrain her to obey him.

Colossians 3:20. Children should obey their parents, not just in things they deem useful or desirable but “in all things”. They must learn to listen and be prepared to follow instructions from the parents. Children are not the highest authority and cannot determine to what extent they have to obey their parents. The Lord Jesus on the earth is the model for children also (Luke 2:51).

Colossians 3:21. In this passage the family is held together by two principles: authority and obedience. After obedience which is expected from children, now comes authority. This word is not addressed to the parents, what might be expected, but to the fathers. They are primarily responsible for education.

Here the fathers are warned not to abuse or use their authority irresponsibly. This happens by inappropriate and even unfair treatment. It appears the apostle points to a constantly inappropriate or unfair correction for the slightest reason.

Fathers have the great model in God the Father. From God they learn that God never treats His children in such a way that they lose heart or feel rejected. If a child receives constant comments, the impression is created that he is always doing everything wrong. It will become despondent and lose all motivation. Believing fathers should avoid this carefully and absolutely.

How sad it would be if a child rejected the truth of God because of an overly strict father. When a father gives a distorted image of God the Father, the child no longer wants God. Certainly a child needs correction and discipline. If need arises for punishment the following three basic rules must be observed: never punish in anger; never punish unjustly; never punish without an explanation.

Parents can alienate their children from God in another way. Many parents say full of sadness about their delinquent son or daughter: “While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone” (1 Kings 20:40). They used their time for everything except for their children. They were left to their fate, perhaps not without care but without attention. Lack of attention will make the child depressed and make it go its own way but not the way of the Lord.

Colossians 3:22. The word for slaves is the same as for the children. Obedience is expected from them in all things. The faithful slave is not governed by the eye of his master but by the fear (reverence) for the Lord.

“With external service” means that you are working hard when the boss is after you; but once he disappears from the scene you relax again or you do things for yourself. As a Christian slave (Christian employee) you should really serve whether or not your earthly master (employer) is watching because the Lord in heaven is always watching. Nothing escapes His eyes.

This awareness might cause you to do your best and then you will not fall out of favor with the Lord. This however is not mentioned here, but it points to the attitude of the heart. “Sincerity of heart” is the attitude of a heart that is free from base motives and in which integrity and unambiguity are present (1 Chronicles 29:17). This is in contrast to hypocrisy. The Lord Jesus on earth is the model for the slave also.

Colossians 3:23. The slave is expected to perform all his duties with all his energy. It is expected that he wholeheartedly does what is commanded of him. This means that he is fully committed to any work, pleasant or unpleasant. The secret behind it is that he works as though the Lord is the Employer.

Paul always focuses the eyes of the slave on the Lord. If pleasing the Lord is above all your work, you will fulfill your responsibility in the power He gives. You will not be rewarded in heaven for the number of people who enjoyed your service or for the success you had or for your talents but for your faithfulness.

Colossians 3:24. And do you know what the reward is? In those days the slaves knew it well: the inheritance. By saying “knowing”, Paul seems to be connecting to the teaching they received earlier. He reminds them. They should always think of it when they do their work. The slave who serves well to the honor of Christ will receive his reward in a place where nothing that he did for the honor of Christ will be forgotten. In this place slaves and masters stand alone before Him Who is no respecter of persons. The slave is always conscious of what is in the future. This is the motive for him to do all his work faithfully.

Here on earth a master will never share his inheritance with his slave. In the future the slaves will have a share in the inheritance of the Lord Whom they serve now. Such a great reward is waiting for them because they serve the Lord Jesus. It is an inheritance which at the same time is also seen as a reward. Our feeble attempts to serve the Lord will be rewarded with a reward that far exceeds all parameters. What a Lord we serve!

Colossians 3:25. After all the encouragement the slave receives, there is also a warning. A slave gets no preferential treatment for any unfortunate situations. He is also not specially rewarded because he went through severe afflictions. He indeed gets a special warning because the flesh can be at work in him like in any other person. He can do something to wrong his master by discrediting him, with the aim that it gives him an advantage in which he sees profit for himself. Therefore he needs to know that God is no respecter of persons.

If the injustice is not detected on the earth it will surely appear before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). The slave will discover that this will have a negative influence on his inheritance. Unfaithfulness will bring a corresponding loss of reward. The point is that the Lord will be able to say: “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things” (Matthew 25:21). Here you also see that for everyone who serves the Lord Jesus as a slave, even if the service is considered great, it is still only a little that has been entrusted to him.

You notice that Paul does not speak about how a slave can be free. When you serve such a Lord and have such a reward in view, the question is if you want to! Christendom does not change social structures, but people. And these changed people in their unchanged circumstances can be tremendous witnesses of the change (Titus 2:9-10). They serve a Person Who delivered them from a much more severe slavery: the slavery to sin (Romans 6:17).

Now read Colossians 3:19-25 again.

Reflection: In what respect does this passage touch you? What can you do to be more in tune in your practice with what it says here?

1 Timothy 3:8

Masters, Prayer, Walk

Colossians 4:1. The previous verses were addressed to the slaves. Now we read a word to the masters. Paul has no purpose to negotiate in order to set the slaves free, but calls upon the masters to give them an appropriate reward. The emphasis is not on favor but on justice.

The reward must be just means that an equal reward should be given to all-in case of equal performance. This excludes favoritism. Fairness means the amount of reward must be based on a correct appreciation of the service provided. Every Christian employer must always ask what is appropriate. He must be conscious of the fact that he too has a Master in heaven Who will mete out to him according as he measured.

All previous instructions can be followed only by God’s children. Marital problems and family disputes must not arise in the families of believers. As Christian employees you should not seek the redress of grievances from a labor union. A Christian employer need not be pressurized to give his workers what they demand. In all these relationships a Christian must show that he is related to Christ. Thus he is in a position to unfold the characteristics of the new man in an old creation. Thus he walks worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). And is this not the reason why we have received this letter?

Colossians 4:2. After addressing several groups in a special way the apostle now turns again to all Christians. He speaks to them about topics that apply to every member of God’s people, whether man or woman, parent or child, slave or master.

He begins with prayer to which he encourages to devote themselves. To devote yourself to prayer does not mean that you pray now and then or if you have a hard time. Anyone can call out to God if he is in distress. Whoever devotes himself to prayer remains in fellowship with God and is always conscious of his dependence on Him. You stay close to Him in prayer and trust in His willingness to listen to you.

When something goes wrong in your life you discover that it is very often because you did not devote yourself to prayer. Or you have indeed prayed but you didn’t keep alert in it (Matthew 26:41). This means that you ensure that you do not fall asleep during prayer time and do not allow your thoughts to wander in all directions. Your prayer would then no longer be effective and when you say ‘amen’ you do not know what you prayed for.

If you devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it, you are conscious that God is at work and that He will never leave you. Therefore your prayer can always be with thanksgiving. Prayer and thanksgiving go together. Thanksgiving is not just for answered prayers. You can thank the Lord because everything you speak to Him about is in good hands with Him.

Colossians 4:3. If you pray and are also watchful you will be totally committed to the Lord’s work. This is what Paul means when he asks that people pray for him and for his co-workers. Exactly like Paul, anyone who serves God needs the prayer support of others. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door. By this he means not the door of the prison, but an open door for the Word. Open doors are opportunities God gives to preach (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). How grateful the Colossians will be that the Word of God came to them (Colossians 1:5-6). Surely the call for prayer will have found an echo in them.

Just think about what you have received because someone brought you the Word. This should encourage you to pray that others will hear this liberating and rich Word. You will pray that God gives His slaves opportunities to preach His Word.

People are not waiting to hear a sermon with this content. This is what Paul also experienced. Talking about the mystery brought him to imprisonment. This makes it clear that the mystery was not revealed only during his imprisonment, but already before. Some proclaim the error that the mystery only was revealed during his imprisonment, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the place here to elaborate on that, but its good that you know this. By now you have well understood from the letter to the Ephesians and this letter what the mystery is.

Colossians 4:4. Paul lived and suffered to proclaim this mystery and asked for intercession. He asks for prayer not only for the free flow of the message but also for clarity and boldness. He did not want to draw attention to himself with a profound sermon which would go over their heads. He sought no human gratification. The Word of God is clear and simple. Let us pray that all those who minister through preaching the Word of God do it in plain and simple language which can be understood easily by all. Only then hearts and consciences can be reached and they will open themselves to the riches of the Word.

Colossians 4:5. After encouraging them to pray and intercede, Paul now talks about the walk of the Colossians. It is important that what you ask for in prayer is not undone by repulsive behavior. The unbelievers around you stand outside the circle of Christians. They are the ones who are called outsiders (1 Corinthians 5:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:7). They belong to the world and they are not connected to the Lord Jesus, but they are still keen observers.

Added to that, the world is hostile to Christians, so do not let the often seemingly friendly face of the world cheat you. In fact it so quickly takes offence at what you do, even though you do not have any intention to hurt. So make sure that you avoid any possible occasion that the unbeliever could use to discredit your being a Christian. Wisdom is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 14:16) and even from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

In the first part of Col 4:5 you saw that your walk as a Christian in the world has to be with wisdom. Then you escape from all kinds of pitfalls and avoid wrong impressions. But that is not the only thing where we can see wisdom. If that were so, wisdom would cause a negative attitude. You escape from this by doing the second part of this verse.

There it is said that you can make positive use of wisdom by “making the most of the opportunity”, literally “redeeming the time”. That means that you make the maximum profit out of every opportunity the Lord gives. This has to do with the highest market value of something, in this case of time. This is in contrast to squandering or wasting your time and thereby doing little for God.

You come into contact with people every day. These are generally people who are preoccupied with their own affairs and evade serious issues of life. Such an attitude gives the Christian little opportunity to present to them the grace and truth of the gospel. He will however take the opportunities God gives to speak about the gospel.

Sometimes an unbeliever reveals something of himself, and if we are good listeners, we will notice that God in the unbeliever‘s life has spoken to his conscience. That can happen by a certain event or by something that he has read. Satan can mislead a man but he cannot prevent that God speaks to his heart. It is nice to know that God wants to use you as His voice to speak to lost sinners.

You do not have wisdom yourself. You may ask for it (James 1:5). In the context of this letter it is nice to see that you can find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (Colossians 2:3). If you keep occupied with Him you will see what wisdom is and you will know how to apply it. Wisdom is already dealt with in connection with your dealing with fellow believers (Colossians 3:16). Here your view is directed to wisdom with regard to your contact with unbelievers. So you can see that God wants to equip you with all wisdom in all circumstances and for each contact.

Now read Colossians 4:1-5 again.

Reflection: What believers who bring the Word of God you are praying for? Do you pray also that they really bring the Word of God?

1 Timothy 3:9

Masters, Prayer, Walk

Colossians 4:1. The previous verses were addressed to the slaves. Now we read a word to the masters. Paul has no purpose to negotiate in order to set the slaves free, but calls upon the masters to give them an appropriate reward. The emphasis is not on favor but on justice.

The reward must be just means that an equal reward should be given to all-in case of equal performance. This excludes favoritism. Fairness means the amount of reward must be based on a correct appreciation of the service provided. Every Christian employer must always ask what is appropriate. He must be conscious of the fact that he too has a Master in heaven Who will mete out to him according as he measured.

All previous instructions can be followed only by God’s children. Marital problems and family disputes must not arise in the families of believers. As Christian employees you should not seek the redress of grievances from a labor union. A Christian employer need not be pressurized to give his workers what they demand. In all these relationships a Christian must show that he is related to Christ. Thus he is in a position to unfold the characteristics of the new man in an old creation. Thus he walks worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). And is this not the reason why we have received this letter?

Colossians 4:2. After addressing several groups in a special way the apostle now turns again to all Christians. He speaks to them about topics that apply to every member of God’s people, whether man or woman, parent or child, slave or master.

He begins with prayer to which he encourages to devote themselves. To devote yourself to prayer does not mean that you pray now and then or if you have a hard time. Anyone can call out to God if he is in distress. Whoever devotes himself to prayer remains in fellowship with God and is always conscious of his dependence on Him. You stay close to Him in prayer and trust in His willingness to listen to you.

When something goes wrong in your life you discover that it is very often because you did not devote yourself to prayer. Or you have indeed prayed but you didn’t keep alert in it (Matthew 26:41). This means that you ensure that you do not fall asleep during prayer time and do not allow your thoughts to wander in all directions. Your prayer would then no longer be effective and when you say ‘amen’ you do not know what you prayed for.

If you devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it, you are conscious that God is at work and that He will never leave you. Therefore your prayer can always be with thanksgiving. Prayer and thanksgiving go together. Thanksgiving is not just for answered prayers. You can thank the Lord because everything you speak to Him about is in good hands with Him.

Colossians 4:3. If you pray and are also watchful you will be totally committed to the Lord’s work. This is what Paul means when he asks that people pray for him and for his co-workers. Exactly like Paul, anyone who serves God needs the prayer support of others. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door. By this he means not the door of the prison, but an open door for the Word. Open doors are opportunities God gives to preach (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). How grateful the Colossians will be that the Word of God came to them (Colossians 1:5-6). Surely the call for prayer will have found an echo in them.

Just think about what you have received because someone brought you the Word. This should encourage you to pray that others will hear this liberating and rich Word. You will pray that God gives His slaves opportunities to preach His Word.

People are not waiting to hear a sermon with this content. This is what Paul also experienced. Talking about the mystery brought him to imprisonment. This makes it clear that the mystery was not revealed only during his imprisonment, but already before. Some proclaim the error that the mystery only was revealed during his imprisonment, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the place here to elaborate on that, but its good that you know this. By now you have well understood from the letter to the Ephesians and this letter what the mystery is.

Colossians 4:4. Paul lived and suffered to proclaim this mystery and asked for intercession. He asks for prayer not only for the free flow of the message but also for clarity and boldness. He did not want to draw attention to himself with a profound sermon which would go over their heads. He sought no human gratification. The Word of God is clear and simple. Let us pray that all those who minister through preaching the Word of God do it in plain and simple language which can be understood easily by all. Only then hearts and consciences can be reached and they will open themselves to the riches of the Word.

Colossians 4:5. After encouraging them to pray and intercede, Paul now talks about the walk of the Colossians. It is important that what you ask for in prayer is not undone by repulsive behavior. The unbelievers around you stand outside the circle of Christians. They are the ones who are called outsiders (1 Corinthians 5:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:7). They belong to the world and they are not connected to the Lord Jesus, but they are still keen observers.

Added to that, the world is hostile to Christians, so do not let the often seemingly friendly face of the world cheat you. In fact it so quickly takes offence at what you do, even though you do not have any intention to hurt. So make sure that you avoid any possible occasion that the unbeliever could use to discredit your being a Christian. Wisdom is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 14:16) and even from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

In the first part of Col 4:5 you saw that your walk as a Christian in the world has to be with wisdom. Then you escape from all kinds of pitfalls and avoid wrong impressions. But that is not the only thing where we can see wisdom. If that were so, wisdom would cause a negative attitude. You escape from this by doing the second part of this verse.

There it is said that you can make positive use of wisdom by “making the most of the opportunity”, literally “redeeming the time”. That means that you make the maximum profit out of every opportunity the Lord gives. This has to do with the highest market value of something, in this case of time. This is in contrast to squandering or wasting your time and thereby doing little for God.

You come into contact with people every day. These are generally people who are preoccupied with their own affairs and evade serious issues of life. Such an attitude gives the Christian little opportunity to present to them the grace and truth of the gospel. He will however take the opportunities God gives to speak about the gospel.

Sometimes an unbeliever reveals something of himself, and if we are good listeners, we will notice that God in the unbeliever‘s life has spoken to his conscience. That can happen by a certain event or by something that he has read. Satan can mislead a man but he cannot prevent that God speaks to his heart. It is nice to know that God wants to use you as His voice to speak to lost sinners.

You do not have wisdom yourself. You may ask for it (James 1:5). In the context of this letter it is nice to see that you can find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (Colossians 2:3). If you keep occupied with Him you will see what wisdom is and you will know how to apply it. Wisdom is already dealt with in connection with your dealing with fellow believers (Colossians 3:16). Here your view is directed to wisdom with regard to your contact with unbelievers. So you can see that God wants to equip you with all wisdom in all circumstances and for each contact.

Now read Colossians 4:1-5 again.

Reflection: What believers who bring the Word of God you are praying for? Do you pray also that they really bring the Word of God?

1 Timothy 3:10

Masters, Prayer, Walk

Colossians 4:1. The previous verses were addressed to the slaves. Now we read a word to the masters. Paul has no purpose to negotiate in order to set the slaves free, but calls upon the masters to give them an appropriate reward. The emphasis is not on favor but on justice.

The reward must be just means that an equal reward should be given to all-in case of equal performance. This excludes favoritism. Fairness means the amount of reward must be based on a correct appreciation of the service provided. Every Christian employer must always ask what is appropriate. He must be conscious of the fact that he too has a Master in heaven Who will mete out to him according as he measured.

All previous instructions can be followed only by God’s children. Marital problems and family disputes must not arise in the families of believers. As Christian employees you should not seek the redress of grievances from a labor union. A Christian employer need not be pressurized to give his workers what they demand. In all these relationships a Christian must show that he is related to Christ. Thus he is in a position to unfold the characteristics of the new man in an old creation. Thus he walks worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). And is this not the reason why we have received this letter?

Colossians 4:2. After addressing several groups in a special way the apostle now turns again to all Christians. He speaks to them about topics that apply to every member of God’s people, whether man or woman, parent or child, slave or master.

He begins with prayer to which he encourages to devote themselves. To devote yourself to prayer does not mean that you pray now and then or if you have a hard time. Anyone can call out to God if he is in distress. Whoever devotes himself to prayer remains in fellowship with God and is always conscious of his dependence on Him. You stay close to Him in prayer and trust in His willingness to listen to you.

When something goes wrong in your life you discover that it is very often because you did not devote yourself to prayer. Or you have indeed prayed but you didn’t keep alert in it (Matthew 26:41). This means that you ensure that you do not fall asleep during prayer time and do not allow your thoughts to wander in all directions. Your prayer would then no longer be effective and when you say ‘amen’ you do not know what you prayed for.

If you devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it, you are conscious that God is at work and that He will never leave you. Therefore your prayer can always be with thanksgiving. Prayer and thanksgiving go together. Thanksgiving is not just for answered prayers. You can thank the Lord because everything you speak to Him about is in good hands with Him.

Colossians 4:3. If you pray and are also watchful you will be totally committed to the Lord’s work. This is what Paul means when he asks that people pray for him and for his co-workers. Exactly like Paul, anyone who serves God needs the prayer support of others. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door. By this he means not the door of the prison, but an open door for the Word. Open doors are opportunities God gives to preach (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). How grateful the Colossians will be that the Word of God came to them (Colossians 1:5-6). Surely the call for prayer will have found an echo in them.

Just think about what you have received because someone brought you the Word. This should encourage you to pray that others will hear this liberating and rich Word. You will pray that God gives His slaves opportunities to preach His Word.

People are not waiting to hear a sermon with this content. This is what Paul also experienced. Talking about the mystery brought him to imprisonment. This makes it clear that the mystery was not revealed only during his imprisonment, but already before. Some proclaim the error that the mystery only was revealed during his imprisonment, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the place here to elaborate on that, but its good that you know this. By now you have well understood from the letter to the Ephesians and this letter what the mystery is.

Colossians 4:4. Paul lived and suffered to proclaim this mystery and asked for intercession. He asks for prayer not only for the free flow of the message but also for clarity and boldness. He did not want to draw attention to himself with a profound sermon which would go over their heads. He sought no human gratification. The Word of God is clear and simple. Let us pray that all those who minister through preaching the Word of God do it in plain and simple language which can be understood easily by all. Only then hearts and consciences can be reached and they will open themselves to the riches of the Word.

Colossians 4:5. After encouraging them to pray and intercede, Paul now talks about the walk of the Colossians. It is important that what you ask for in prayer is not undone by repulsive behavior. The unbelievers around you stand outside the circle of Christians. They are the ones who are called outsiders (1 Corinthians 5:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:7). They belong to the world and they are not connected to the Lord Jesus, but they are still keen observers.

Added to that, the world is hostile to Christians, so do not let the often seemingly friendly face of the world cheat you. In fact it so quickly takes offence at what you do, even though you do not have any intention to hurt. So make sure that you avoid any possible occasion that the unbeliever could use to discredit your being a Christian. Wisdom is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 14:16) and even from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

In the first part of Col 4:5 you saw that your walk as a Christian in the world has to be with wisdom. Then you escape from all kinds of pitfalls and avoid wrong impressions. But that is not the only thing where we can see wisdom. If that were so, wisdom would cause a negative attitude. You escape from this by doing the second part of this verse.

There it is said that you can make positive use of wisdom by “making the most of the opportunity”, literally “redeeming the time”. That means that you make the maximum profit out of every opportunity the Lord gives. This has to do with the highest market value of something, in this case of time. This is in contrast to squandering or wasting your time and thereby doing little for God.

You come into contact with people every day. These are generally people who are preoccupied with their own affairs and evade serious issues of life. Such an attitude gives the Christian little opportunity to present to them the grace and truth of the gospel. He will however take the opportunities God gives to speak about the gospel.

Sometimes an unbeliever reveals something of himself, and if we are good listeners, we will notice that God in the unbeliever‘s life has spoken to his conscience. That can happen by a certain event or by something that he has read. Satan can mislead a man but he cannot prevent that God speaks to his heart. It is nice to know that God wants to use you as His voice to speak to lost sinners.

You do not have wisdom yourself. You may ask for it (James 1:5). In the context of this letter it is nice to see that you can find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (Colossians 2:3). If you keep occupied with Him you will see what wisdom is and you will know how to apply it. Wisdom is already dealt with in connection with your dealing with fellow believers (Colossians 3:16). Here your view is directed to wisdom with regard to your contact with unbelievers. So you can see that God wants to equip you with all wisdom in all circumstances and for each contact.

Now read Colossians 4:1-5 again.

Reflection: What believers who bring the Word of God you are praying for? Do you pray also that they really bring the Word of God?

1 Timothy 3:11

Masters, Prayer, Walk

Colossians 4:1. The previous verses were addressed to the slaves. Now we read a word to the masters. Paul has no purpose to negotiate in order to set the slaves free, but calls upon the masters to give them an appropriate reward. The emphasis is not on favor but on justice.

The reward must be just means that an equal reward should be given to all-in case of equal performance. This excludes favoritism. Fairness means the amount of reward must be based on a correct appreciation of the service provided. Every Christian employer must always ask what is appropriate. He must be conscious of the fact that he too has a Master in heaven Who will mete out to him according as he measured.

All previous instructions can be followed only by God’s children. Marital problems and family disputes must not arise in the families of believers. As Christian employees you should not seek the redress of grievances from a labor union. A Christian employer need not be pressurized to give his workers what they demand. In all these relationships a Christian must show that he is related to Christ. Thus he is in a position to unfold the characteristics of the new man in an old creation. Thus he walks worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). And is this not the reason why we have received this letter?

Colossians 4:2. After addressing several groups in a special way the apostle now turns again to all Christians. He speaks to them about topics that apply to every member of God’s people, whether man or woman, parent or child, slave or master.

He begins with prayer to which he encourages to devote themselves. To devote yourself to prayer does not mean that you pray now and then or if you have a hard time. Anyone can call out to God if he is in distress. Whoever devotes himself to prayer remains in fellowship with God and is always conscious of his dependence on Him. You stay close to Him in prayer and trust in His willingness to listen to you.

When something goes wrong in your life you discover that it is very often because you did not devote yourself to prayer. Or you have indeed prayed but you didn’t keep alert in it (Matthew 26:41). This means that you ensure that you do not fall asleep during prayer time and do not allow your thoughts to wander in all directions. Your prayer would then no longer be effective and when you say ‘amen’ you do not know what you prayed for.

If you devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it, you are conscious that God is at work and that He will never leave you. Therefore your prayer can always be with thanksgiving. Prayer and thanksgiving go together. Thanksgiving is not just for answered prayers. You can thank the Lord because everything you speak to Him about is in good hands with Him.

Colossians 4:3. If you pray and are also watchful you will be totally committed to the Lord’s work. This is what Paul means when he asks that people pray for him and for his co-workers. Exactly like Paul, anyone who serves God needs the prayer support of others. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door. By this he means not the door of the prison, but an open door for the Word. Open doors are opportunities God gives to preach (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). How grateful the Colossians will be that the Word of God came to them (Colossians 1:5-6). Surely the call for prayer will have found an echo in them.

Just think about what you have received because someone brought you the Word. This should encourage you to pray that others will hear this liberating and rich Word. You will pray that God gives His slaves opportunities to preach His Word.

People are not waiting to hear a sermon with this content. This is what Paul also experienced. Talking about the mystery brought him to imprisonment. This makes it clear that the mystery was not revealed only during his imprisonment, but already before. Some proclaim the error that the mystery only was revealed during his imprisonment, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the place here to elaborate on that, but its good that you know this. By now you have well understood from the letter to the Ephesians and this letter what the mystery is.

Colossians 4:4. Paul lived and suffered to proclaim this mystery and asked for intercession. He asks for prayer not only for the free flow of the message but also for clarity and boldness. He did not want to draw attention to himself with a profound sermon which would go over their heads. He sought no human gratification. The Word of God is clear and simple. Let us pray that all those who minister through preaching the Word of God do it in plain and simple language which can be understood easily by all. Only then hearts and consciences can be reached and they will open themselves to the riches of the Word.

Colossians 4:5. After encouraging them to pray and intercede, Paul now talks about the walk of the Colossians. It is important that what you ask for in prayer is not undone by repulsive behavior. The unbelievers around you stand outside the circle of Christians. They are the ones who are called outsiders (1 Corinthians 5:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:7). They belong to the world and they are not connected to the Lord Jesus, but they are still keen observers.

Added to that, the world is hostile to Christians, so do not let the often seemingly friendly face of the world cheat you. In fact it so quickly takes offence at what you do, even though you do not have any intention to hurt. So make sure that you avoid any possible occasion that the unbeliever could use to discredit your being a Christian. Wisdom is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 14:16) and even from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

In the first part of Col 4:5 you saw that your walk as a Christian in the world has to be with wisdom. Then you escape from all kinds of pitfalls and avoid wrong impressions. But that is not the only thing where we can see wisdom. If that were so, wisdom would cause a negative attitude. You escape from this by doing the second part of this verse.

There it is said that you can make positive use of wisdom by “making the most of the opportunity”, literally “redeeming the time”. That means that you make the maximum profit out of every opportunity the Lord gives. This has to do with the highest market value of something, in this case of time. This is in contrast to squandering or wasting your time and thereby doing little for God.

You come into contact with people every day. These are generally people who are preoccupied with their own affairs and evade serious issues of life. Such an attitude gives the Christian little opportunity to present to them the grace and truth of the gospel. He will however take the opportunities God gives to speak about the gospel.

Sometimes an unbeliever reveals something of himself, and if we are good listeners, we will notice that God in the unbeliever‘s life has spoken to his conscience. That can happen by a certain event or by something that he has read. Satan can mislead a man but he cannot prevent that God speaks to his heart. It is nice to know that God wants to use you as His voice to speak to lost sinners.

You do not have wisdom yourself. You may ask for it (James 1:5). In the context of this letter it is nice to see that you can find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (Colossians 2:3). If you keep occupied with Him you will see what wisdom is and you will know how to apply it. Wisdom is already dealt with in connection with your dealing with fellow believers (Colossians 3:16). Here your view is directed to wisdom with regard to your contact with unbelievers. So you can see that God wants to equip you with all wisdom in all circumstances and for each contact.

Now read Colossians 4:1-5 again.

Reflection: What believers who bring the Word of God you are praying for? Do you pray also that they really bring the Word of God?

1 Timothy 3:12

Masters, Prayer, Walk

Colossians 4:1. The previous verses were addressed to the slaves. Now we read a word to the masters. Paul has no purpose to negotiate in order to set the slaves free, but calls upon the masters to give them an appropriate reward. The emphasis is not on favor but on justice.

The reward must be just means that an equal reward should be given to all-in case of equal performance. This excludes favoritism. Fairness means the amount of reward must be based on a correct appreciation of the service provided. Every Christian employer must always ask what is appropriate. He must be conscious of the fact that he too has a Master in heaven Who will mete out to him according as he measured.

All previous instructions can be followed only by God’s children. Marital problems and family disputes must not arise in the families of believers. As Christian employees you should not seek the redress of grievances from a labor union. A Christian employer need not be pressurized to give his workers what they demand. In all these relationships a Christian must show that he is related to Christ. Thus he is in a position to unfold the characteristics of the new man in an old creation. Thus he walks worthy of the Lord (Colossians 1:10). And is this not the reason why we have received this letter?

Colossians 4:2. After addressing several groups in a special way the apostle now turns again to all Christians. He speaks to them about topics that apply to every member of God’s people, whether man or woman, parent or child, slave or master.

He begins with prayer to which he encourages to devote themselves. To devote yourself to prayer does not mean that you pray now and then or if you have a hard time. Anyone can call out to God if he is in distress. Whoever devotes himself to prayer remains in fellowship with God and is always conscious of his dependence on Him. You stay close to Him in prayer and trust in His willingness to listen to you.

When something goes wrong in your life you discover that it is very often because you did not devote yourself to prayer. Or you have indeed prayed but you didn’t keep alert in it (Matthew 26:41). This means that you ensure that you do not fall asleep during prayer time and do not allow your thoughts to wander in all directions. Your prayer would then no longer be effective and when you say ‘amen’ you do not know what you prayed for.

If you devote yourself to prayer, keeping alert in it, you are conscious that God is at work and that He will never leave you. Therefore your prayer can always be with thanksgiving. Prayer and thanksgiving go together. Thanksgiving is not just for answered prayers. You can thank the Lord because everything you speak to Him about is in good hands with Him.

Colossians 4:3. If you pray and are also watchful you will be totally committed to the Lord’s work. This is what Paul means when he asks that people pray for him and for his co-workers. Exactly like Paul, anyone who serves God needs the prayer support of others. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for an open door. By this he means not the door of the prison, but an open door for the Word. Open doors are opportunities God gives to preach (1 Corinthians 16:9; 2 Corinthians 2:12). How grateful the Colossians will be that the Word of God came to them (Colossians 1:5-6). Surely the call for prayer will have found an echo in them.

Just think about what you have received because someone brought you the Word. This should encourage you to pray that others will hear this liberating and rich Word. You will pray that God gives His slaves opportunities to preach His Word.

People are not waiting to hear a sermon with this content. This is what Paul also experienced. Talking about the mystery brought him to imprisonment. This makes it clear that the mystery was not revealed only during his imprisonment, but already before. Some proclaim the error that the mystery only was revealed during his imprisonment, but don’t be fooled. It’s not the place here to elaborate on that, but its good that you know this. By now you have well understood from the letter to the Ephesians and this letter what the mystery is.

Colossians 4:4. Paul lived and suffered to proclaim this mystery and asked for intercession. He asks for prayer not only for the free flow of the message but also for clarity and boldness. He did not want to draw attention to himself with a profound sermon which would go over their heads. He sought no human gratification. The Word of God is clear and simple. Let us pray that all those who minister through preaching the Word of God do it in plain and simple language which can be understood easily by all. Only then hearts and consciences can be reached and they will open themselves to the riches of the Word.

Colossians 4:5. After encouraging them to pray and intercede, Paul now talks about the walk of the Colossians. It is important that what you ask for in prayer is not undone by repulsive behavior. The unbelievers around you stand outside the circle of Christians. They are the ones who are called outsiders (1 Corinthians 5:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:12; 1 Timothy 3:7). They belong to the world and they are not connected to the Lord Jesus, but they are still keen observers.

Added to that, the world is hostile to Christians, so do not let the often seemingly friendly face of the world cheat you. In fact it so quickly takes offence at what you do, even though you do not have any intention to hurt. So make sure that you avoid any possible occasion that the unbeliever could use to discredit your being a Christian. Wisdom is to fear the Lord and turn away from evil (Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 14:16) and even from every form of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22).

In the first part of Col 4:5 you saw that your walk as a Christian in the world has to be with wisdom. Then you escape from all kinds of pitfalls and avoid wrong impressions. But that is not the only thing where we can see wisdom. If that were so, wisdom would cause a negative attitude. You escape from this by doing the second part of this verse.

There it is said that you can make positive use of wisdom by “making the most of the opportunity”, literally “redeeming the time”. That means that you make the maximum profit out of every opportunity the Lord gives. This has to do with the highest market value of something, in this case of time. This is in contrast to squandering or wasting your time and thereby doing little for God.

You come into contact with people every day. These are generally people who are preoccupied with their own affairs and evade serious issues of life. Such an attitude gives the Christian little opportunity to present to them the grace and truth of the gospel. He will however take the opportunities God gives to speak about the gospel.

Sometimes an unbeliever reveals something of himself, and if we are good listeners, we will notice that God in the unbeliever‘s life has spoken to his conscience. That can happen by a certain event or by something that he has read. Satan can mislead a man but he cannot prevent that God speaks to his heart. It is nice to know that God wants to use you as His voice to speak to lost sinners.

You do not have wisdom yourself. You may ask for it (James 1:5). In the context of this letter it is nice to see that you can find all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ (Colossians 2:3). If you keep occupied with Him you will see what wisdom is and you will know how to apply it. Wisdom is already dealt with in connection with your dealing with fellow believers (Colossians 3:16). Here your view is directed to wisdom with regard to your contact with unbelievers. So you can see that God wants to equip you with all wisdom in all circumstances and for each contact.

Now read Colossians 4:1-5 again.

Reflection: What believers who bring the Word of God you are praying for? Do you pray also that they really bring the Word of God?

1 Timothy 3:13

Word, Comfort, Encouragement

Colossians 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 (Ecclesiastes 12:10; Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 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 (1 Peter 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. 1 Corinthians 9:22).

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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 (Philemon 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?

1 Timothy 3:14

Word, Comfort, Encouragement

Colossians 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 (Ecclesiastes 12:10; Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 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 (1 Peter 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. 1 Corinthians 9:22).

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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 (Philemon 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?

1 Timothy 3:15

Word, Comfort, Encouragement

Colossians 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 (Ecclesiastes 12:10; Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 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 (1 Peter 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. 1 Corinthians 9:22).

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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 (Philemon 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?

1 Timothy 3:16

Word, Comfort, Encouragement

Colossians 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 (Ecclesiastes 12:10; Isaiah 50:4; Proverbs 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 (1 Peter 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. 1 Corinthians 9:22).

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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.

Colossians 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 (Philemon 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?