Colossians 4:2-6 | Exhortations

Verse 2 - Blue

In Colossians 4:2, Paul exhorts the Colossians to "continue in prayer." He assumes that a praying lifestyle is already in place and does not provide detailed instructions on how to pray. This simplicity suggests that prayer should not be overcomplicated. How should you pray? However you want to!

Paul's command to "watch in the same" is a directive to be watchful in prayer. The Greek word γρηγορέω [gregoreo] emphasizes alertness rather than mere eyesight. Our prayers should be focused, alert, and conducted "with thanksgiving." The English name “Gregory” comes from the Greek gregoreo and means “watchful.”

Verses 3-4 - Black

I have color-coded this section in black to indicate that it is not a direct application for us. This is because it is a specific prayer for Paul and Timothy as his companion. These two have been deceased for nearly 2,000 years, and thus the prayer, directly anyway, cannot be answered.

The prayer is that Paul, who is "in bonds" (v. 3), would, along with Timothy, have an open "door of utterance" (v. 3) to make the "mystery of Christ" (v. 3) known.

This “mystery of Christ” is the pauline mystery (compare Ephesians 3:4). Paul says that he was “in bonds” due to this mystery (v. 4). This brings up a conflict with Paul’s testimony in Acts 26:6. We know that the mystery was not previously known (Col. 1:26), but in Acts 26:6 Paul says that he was being “judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers.” How can these different testimonies be reconciled?

There are a few options to consider when reconciling Paul's testimonies regarding his imprisonment:

Metaphorical Interpretation: We can take "in bonds" to be more metaphorical, such as "I am constrained to share the mystery." This interpretation is difficult in light of the way Paul uses the word elsewhere, where it is clearly meant to indicate physical imprisonment.
Different Imprisonments: We can surmise that there were two different imprisonments—one for teaching Jesus as the Christ in line with Old Testament teaching (Acts 26:6) and another for teaching the mystery of Christ. However, it is hard to imagine how teaching the mystery would get him arrested by the Jews and lead to an appeal to Rome. The Jews had little concern for and no jurisdiction over Gentile religions within the Roman Empire.
Misunderstanding by Jewish Leadership: We could surmise that the teaching of the mystery to Gentiles was misunderstood by Jewish leadership as being directed to Jews. Consequently, the Jewish leadership might have had Paul arrested for teaching Jews to disregard Jewish laws and customs, even though Paul insists he never did this (see Acts 26:20, 22).

This misunderstanding by the Jewish leadership provides a coherent explanation for the apparent discrepancy between Paul's statements in Colossians 4:3-4 and Acts 26:6. The Jewish leaders, concerned with preserving the law and Jewish identity, likely misunderstood Paul's proclamation of the mystery of Christ as a direct challenge to their religious traditions, leading to his imprisonment. This scenario aligns with the broader narrative of Paul's ministry and the consistent opposition he faced from those who felt threatened by the radical implications of his gospel.

Verse 5 - Blue

Paul transitions to discussing those who are "outside" (i.e., those who do not know the mystery of Christ as mentioned in verse 3) likely because he has emphasized the importance of making the mystery known. Believers are instructed to act wisely towards these individuals.

Part of this wise-walk is “redeeming the time.” Essentially, all our time is spent in exchange for something valuable or needed, otherwise, it is wasted rather than redeemed. In this context, Paul specifically refers to the time spent with those who are outside of the knowledge of the mystery.

To determine the best use of our time with those who are unknowing, consider the following questions: