Conclusion

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Public Life

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Then Paul turns to our public life, those things that we do that the public will see. Treatment of employees. Paul says that we are to treat them justly and fairly. My first employer had me sacking crackers, putting them up in one pound bags. I was told to break a cracker in half, if necessary, to make the pound, and no more. I also sacked beans. Not one bean over the pound was allowed. I was quite young and this bugged me very much. I thought he was a greedy old man. But you know, he always treated everyone fairly and justly, including me, as long as I did what he said. Paul says that we must always treat people "justly and fairly" knowing that we have a Master in Heaven, for people will judge us, as Christians, on this basis.

Then Paul goes to another area of our public life and that is prayer. Paul believed that prayer was necessary if we were to grow in our spiritual life. The person who has grown spiritually will show it in his public life. Paul says that we should continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful and thankful. We all need to improve in our prayer life. The following is a good outline for any one to use.

1. Be faithful, continue steadfastly, pray daily, make it a habit.
2. Be careful of what you pray for, you might get it. Pray unselfishly, always, in everything, seeking God's will.
3. Always give thanks. Make a list of answered prayers, blessings and good friends.
4. Be concerned for others. Keep a list of the sick, the bereaved, the pastor, your teacher and others.
5. Pray for the lost. Use names. Pray knowing that it is God who gives the increase.
6. Pray for the message. That which is taught, that which is preached, that which is lived, that which is read.
7. Phrase God from whom all blessings flow.

If you use this outline, your prayer life will grow, your spiritual life will grow and your concern for others will grow. A good prayer life will help us in our lives out there where people see us. It will aid us in our conduct toward others. It will aid us in our witness to others, and Paul says that we are to do this, "making the most of our time". Time is a very precious thing. There is never enough of it.

Notice here that Paul asks you their prayers for himself that God might open up a door for the Word and that he might make it clear to them. We who teach or preach need to continue to pray for that blessing, to be able to present the Word, clearly and truthfully, that all we do and say, might be to God's honor and glory.

So in our public life, we are to conduct ourselves wisely toward outsiders, letting our speech be gracious and seasoned with salt. Salt, in Paul's day, was very precious. It was often used for money. It was used for preserving and seasoning. Thus Paul was telling us that our speech should always be worth while, and containing those truths that are "saving" and "preserving". Things that will "season" a person's life and make it wonderful.

Paul says that it is important that we know how to answer those who ask questions about the faith that is in us. Remember, we only have to plant a seed, it is God who gives the increase. People are often "turned off" by doctrine, so we need a great deal of Grace to witness to people's questions. Pray that God will lead you in this area of your Christian life.

Commendation

It appears that Paul was sending a man by the name of Tychicus to deliver this letter to the Colossians. Tychicus was a Roman citizen but an Asian by race. He accompanied Paul on a missionary journey through his home providence after Paul had spent 3 months in Greece. He had also delivered Paul's letter to the Ephesians.

What was Tychicus to Paul? First, he was a "beloved brother". He had shared, from time-to-time, Paul's imprisonment. This was a great sacrifice of his freedom, but he stayed there to help and comfort Paul and meet his needs. Roman prisoners had to furnish their own necessities. It was a great encouragement to Paul to have these fellow Christians stand by him and meet these needs. Tychicus was truly a "beloved brother".

Secondly, Tychicus was a fellow servant and minister to Paul. He was not an Apostle, but he was a true witness of Jesus Christ. He assisted Paul in every way that he could. In serving Paul, he brought much difficulty into his own life. It would have been so easy for Tychicus to have stayed in Ephesus, but this would not have given him the opportunity to learn from Paul nor to serve him.

Why was Paul sending him to Colossae? He was to deliver this letter and to tell the Colossians about Paul's affairs. He was also sent to encourage the believers. Paul wanted them to know the true reason why he had been sent to Rome and he wanted them to know of the conditions under which he lived. He was not asking for help nor was he seeking sympathy. He was seeking their prayers.

Many "so-called" ministers of that day was jealous of Paul and when he was imprisoned, they took the opportunity to make false charges against Paul. Paul knew that he could trust Tychicus to straighten out the Colossians about this. He also believed that Tychicus could straighten out some of the problems that they were having and deal with the false teachings that were creeping into the church there.

Notice Paul sent a second man along with Tychicus. His name was Ones'imus. His name literally meant "helpful". He was the run away slave of Philemon, who lived in Colossae. He is believed to have gone to Rome as a fugitive and sought out Paul because of Paul's attitude toward slaves. Through Paul, Ones'imus became a Christian and on Paul's insistence, he returned to Philemon with Tychicus as an intercessor (see the book of Philemon). According to tradition, Philemon not only forgave him but also granted him his freedom.

Note that Paul, in sending him back, made note of the fact that Ones'imus was a faithful and beloved brother and also he was a Colossian. Paul could not tell Philemon what to do but he certainly hoped that he would, at least, see fit to forgive Ones'imus.

Greetings

Here Paul sends greetings from his friends in Rome to the Colossians. Six men are mentioned, three Jews and three Gentiles. Note who they were.

1. Aristar'chus, a fellow prisoner, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. He had been arrested with Paul in Ephesus when Paul protested against the worship of the pagan god Diana. He was a faithful traveling companion for Paul and shared a great deal to Paul's time in prison.
2. Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, called John Mark in the Book of Acts. He was a Jerusalem Jew. His mother was named Mary and owned property in Jerusalem where Jesus and the Disciples often stayed. Mark was quite young when he started out with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Soon after they left Antioch, he quit and returned to Jerusalem. When Mark asked to go along on their second journey, Paul said no because he had quit before. This caused a split between Paul and Barnabas. Barnabas went to Cyprus and took Mark and Paul went into Asia Minor by himself. From that point on we don't hear anything about Mark for 10 years. Here, all of a sudden, he shows up in Rome with Paul. Note that Paul is sending "instructions" to the Colossians about Mark, most believe that Paul had said something earlier about Mark being immature and undependable and now, after giving Mark another chance at some point in the last 10 years, he wanted to correct that impression, so he was sending to them a "revised" opinion about the young man.
3. Jesus, who was called Justus, whose name literally meant "just" or "righteous". He and Matthias were nominated to replace Judas as the 12th. Disciple, and as you may remember, Matthias won by the casting of lots. He lived in Corinth and shared his home with Paul while Paul was there. He joined Paul in Rome where he brought him much comfort.

These were the three Jews that were with Paul at the time he wrote this letter and Paul sends, to the Colossians, greetings from them.

Three others are mentioned:

1. Ep'aphras, a Colossian who is credited with establishing the church at Colossae. He had taken to Paul a report about the heresy that was going on at Colossae which had prompted this letter. Paul calls him his dear fellow servant, fellow minister and fellow prisoner. It would also appear that he was instrumental in starting the churches at La'odica and Hi'erap'olis.
2. Luke, the beloved physician, the writer of the third Gospel and the Book of Acts. Luke joined Paul on his second missionary journey. Some believe that Luke was the "Macedonian" who appealed to Paul to go over into Macedonia. He was with Paul when he was imprisoned at Caesarea. He was with Paul on his journey to Rome and was ship wrecked with him. He was a Greek with a Jewish background. His knowledge of medicine was invaluable to Paul's well being as well as his faithful service was invaluable to his personal being. His close relationship with Paul led to his writing the third Gospel and the Book of Acts.
3. Demas, about whom little is known. He apparently was with Paul at this time but later, according to Timothy, he left Paul and went home to Thessalonica.

These six men were with Paul at the writing of this letter and certainly brought him much aid and comfort.

Introductions

The churches at Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis were called "sister churches" and were only a few miles apart. None of these people had ever seen Paul, yet they were interested in him and he in them. So introductions were necessary.

He introduces himself first to the brethren at Laodicea, then to a woman by the name of Nympha who apparently had a church that met in her house. Nympha is a name like Frances, if you change the "e" to "i" (Francis) you have a man's name. Here, if you add an "s" (Nymphas) it becomes a man's name.

To these three churches and to the one in the ladies house, Paul sends instructions that this letter was to be read in the presence of the congregation along with another letter that had been written by the Laodiceans. There appears to have been two letters written to Paul, one from Colossae and one from Laodicea, but spelling out similar problems, so Paul wanted this letter to be read in both churches, hoping that it would resolve their problems.

Then he speaks of a man by the name of Archip'pus, who was the son of Philemon and is believed, by some, to have been the owner of the slave, Onesimus. It is also believed that Philemon was the minister at Colossae. Some students believe that the opposite is true, never-the-less, Paul instructs Archippus to fulfill the ministry to which the Lord had called him.

Paul closes the letter with a greeting to them from him and indicating that he had written the letter, which he probably dictated and had written for him. He asks them not to forget that he was bound in prison and to keep him in their prayers.

He ends with a sincere wish that "Grace", unmerited favor of God, "would be with them".

THUS ENDS THE BOOK OF COLOSSIANS

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