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The Coworkers of the Apostle Paul

  The Coworkers of the Apostle Paul   Colossians 4:10 – 11: "Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions — if he comes to you, welcome him). Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only ones among the circumcised who are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me." Aristarchus heard the gospel and came to believe in Jesus while Paul was preaching in Macedonia; he joined Paul immediately thereafter. Although Paul ’ s missionary journeys were a continuous series of arduous and intense hardships, Aristarchus remained a faithful coworker, never once leaving Paul ’ s side from the moment he joined him. The "circumcised" refers to those of the circumcision party — legalists. Among these legalists, however, there were some who grasped the gospel and held fast to the faith; one such person was Jesus, who is cal...
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Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.

  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt.   Colossians 4:1 – 2: "Masters, treat your slaves justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master (*hoi kyrioi*) in heaven. Devote yourselves to prayer (*t ē proseuch ē *); keep alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving." *Hoi kyrioi* refers to Christian masters. It means that masters should treat their slaves with justice and fairness in Christ. Colossians 4:1 is linked to 3:25; its placement in Chapter 4 is somewhat disconnected from the immediate flow of the text. *T ē proseuch ē * refers to the act of approaching God — who sits upon the throne and is present within the believer's spirit — to pray (specifically, contemplative prayer). Generally, prayer in other religions is termed *euch ē *; it is petitionary in nature, focused on the supplicant asking for the fulfillment of their own desires. In contrast, Christian prayer is called *proseuch ē *, formed by adding the prefix *pros-* to *euch ...
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Wives, Submit to Your Husbands

  Wives, Submit to Your Husbands   Colossians 3:18 – 19: "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them." The word *hypotassesthe* ( ὑ ποτ ά σσεσθε ) signifies the act of submitting. *Pikrainesthe* ( πικρα ί νεσθε ) means to treat someone harshly or bitterly. Spiritually, the wife represents one who has departed from God, while the husband symbolizes Christ, who comes to save them. Thus, the one who had left God becomes a saint who returns to God through Christ. Just as a saint submits to Christ, a wife and husband — existing within Christ — are called to relate to one another in this same manner. God molded the dust and breathed a spirit — one that had sinned — into it to create a human being (Adam). The first man, Adam, was a human being. From Adam, the woman was separated; thus, Adam — the original human — became the male, and the one separated from him became the female. Man and woman are distinc...
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Put to Death the Members That Are on the Earth

  Put to Death the Members That Are on the Earth   Colossians 3:5 – 6: "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming." The reason a saint fails to shine forth the glory of Christ is that the members belonging to the earth remain alive and active. That is why we are commanded to put them to death. The root of these earthly members is covetousness. Covetousness is the desire to become like God — what can be described as one's own righteousness. God ’ s wrath arises because created beings harbor a desire to depart from God in their wish to become like Him. Everyone living in this world, often without realizing it, strives to fulfill the desire to become like God and to establish their own righteousness. Consequently, the evil *sarx* (flesh) known as covetousness takes root in the heart, leading one to commit the sins o...
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