Colossians 4:1

Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that
you also have a Master in heaven.
Masters, [on your part] deal with your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you
also have a Master in heaven.
The first verse of this chapter concludes the instructions to bondservants
and masters from the previous chapter. After giving instructions to
bondservants, Paul noted in Colossians 3:25 that all men would be given
an impartial judgment by God. With that in mind, Paul here warns
masters to be fair in their dealings with their servants. This was contrary
to the cultural norm of Colossae and most other ancient cities. Though
mistreatment may have been culturally acceptable, it was not suitable
for a believer in Christ. This command to "treat your bondservants justly
and fairly" is consistent with the many teachings of the Old Testament
to treat servants well, in addition to Christ's emphasis on "love your
neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:39–40).

Paul's most pressing reason for this perspective, however, is that the
freedman has a Master of his own: the Lord in heaven. If a human
master was unjust, God (their Master) knew about it. Again repeating the
theme of Colossians 3:17—doing all for God's glory—Paul emphasized
proper treatment of people as something God sees, knows, and holds
with deep regard.
Colossians 4:2
Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life
with an attitude of thanksgiving.
Verses 2–6 discuss how a Christian speaks. Paul begins by asking for
constant and loyal prayer. God does not intend for prayer to be an event
taking place only at certain times. It is meant to be an ongoing dialogue
with the Lord. First Thessalonians 5:17 notes believers are to "pray
without ceasing" or without end."

Paul mentions two important aspects of prayer. First, believers are to be

"watchful" in prayer. This carries the idea of standing guard, or staying
awake at night to make sure a location is safe. Prayer demands ongoing
attention, just like the guard at a city gate. In practical terms, this means
prayer is not supposed to be a careless, casual, or frivolous act. We
should pray with specific purpose and with deliberate intent.

Second, prayer should be thankful. The Colossian believers were already

connected with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7), with Paul thanking God
for them in his prayers (Colossians 1:3). A major benefit of prayer is
aligning our will with God's will, which leads to greater understanding
and to a greater sense of gratitude.
Colossians 4:3
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may
proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
At the same time pray for us, too, that God will open a door [of opportunity] to
us for the word, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I have been
imprisoned;
In addition to praying for themselves, Paul asks the Colossian Christians
to pray for him and those with him. Paul was honest about his need for
prayer, especially since he was bound under house arrest at the time. It's
interesting to note that Paul does not specifically ask the Christians of
Colossae to pray for his freedom. Instead, he asks them to petition God
for opportunities to share the gospel. Paul also spoke of a "doors"
opened for his preaching ministry in both 1 Corinthians 16:9 and 2
Corinthians 2:12. The "mystery" he speaks of is the same as mentioned
in Colossians 2:2.

Though only under house arrest in this particular imprisonment, Paul he

had no ability to leave or travel freely. The reason for his captivity was
his work for the gospel. Paul had been arrested in Jerusalem by those
who opposed him and would remain incarcerated until appealing to
Caesar, in order to avoid an assassination attempt. At the time of his
writing, he was awaiting trial in Rome.
Colossians 4:4
Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
That I may make it clear [and speak boldly and unfold the mystery] in the way I
should.
Paul's personal request for prayer is for clarity in preaching the gospel.
This short phrase packs a great deal of meaning into few words. First,
the gospel is no longer a mystery, but is a clear message (Colossians
1:26). Second, Paul recognizes that the gospel should be presented
clearly, without confusion or complication. The false teachings Paul
condemned earlier in this letter were characterized by trickery and
deception (Colossians 2:8). This included changing the gospel, or adding
to it, making it unclear to the young believers in Colossae.

Paul's simple message of faith in Jesus was based on the teachings of

Jesus and the apostles (1 Corinthians 15). It included belief in Jesus as
the way of salvation (John 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12), proclaiming, "If you
confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart
that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9).
Salvation is not by works, but rather leads to good works by those who
believe (Ephesians 2:8–10).
Colossians 4:5
Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every
opportunity.
Conduct yourself with wisdom in your interactions with outsiders (non-believers),
make the most of each opportunity [treating it as something precious].
Part of proclaiming the gospel and making it clear (Colossians 4:3–4) is
found in the believer's actions toward unbelievers. Two important
principles are presented here. First, wisdom or discernment should be
used regarding our actions—our "walk"—toward unbelievers. What we
do and what we say must be consistent, over time, and with each other,
in order to clearly present the message of Jesus.

Second, we are to make effective use of our time. Some translations

interpret this phrase as "making the most of every opportunity." Every
moment of life is important and should be maximized in service to
Christ. More than most, Paul was acutely aware of this, having been
beaten, imprisoned, and shipwrecked over the course of his ministry.
This perspective inspired Paul to boldly share faith in Jesus with
unbelievers.

This is a fundamental part of the gospel message: time is short. Whether

by accident, nature, or the return of Christ, each person can be face-to-
face with God at any moment. Believers should be motivated by the
knowledge that the people around us will die apart from Christ unless
they hear and receive the gospel.
Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you
may know how to answer everyone.
Let your speech at all times be gracious and pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that
you will know how to answer each one [who questions you].
So far, Paul has presented evangelism as a work of prayer (Colossians
4:2–3), a work of clear communication (Colossians 4:4), and a matter of
wisdom and making the most of each opportunity (Colossians 4:5). A
fifth principle for effective outreach is given here, the idea of gracious or
kind speech.
In Paul's time, salt served primarily as a preservative, keeping meat from
spoiling. It was valuable enough to be used as a form of currency. And,
of course, it changes the flavor of whatever it is added to. In that regard,
Paul's use of this metaphor has more than one meaning. The believer's
words are to preserve the message of Christ, helping it effectively reach
as many people as possible. What a Christian says ought to add value to
the conversation; our words should be uplifting or helpful. Finally, the
truth of our renewed Christian lives ought to be clear in the different
"flavor" of how we speak and act.

Another aspect of gracious speech is the ability to answer the questions

of unbelievers. Peter also noted the importance of this area of ministry,
saying, "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being
prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the
hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).
Communicating Christ includes both a positive presentation of the
gospel and the ability to defend it (Titus 1:9). Mere knowledge is not all
that is required. In order to give an answer in a truly "Christian" way, a
person must present truth using proper words and a proper attitude.