COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 4

OBSERVATIONS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and by the book of Colossians. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Note that similar or the same subject matter describing an historic event which matter is essentially the same as the subject matter in another passage in Scripture does not necessarily prove that the passages in view portray the same event.

On the other hand, passages in Scripture which not only have similar or the same subject matter describing an event but which also have different subject matter from one another, may or may not have the same event in view depending upon a full examination of the context of each of the passages. Given the brevity of the bible - the limited time, space and resources such as paper, ink, etc. - not everything was capable of being included in each of the writings or even in all of the writings together. There are going to be similarities and differences. But a careful examination of Scripture will reveal that there is nevertheless a miraculous harmony and complete absence of contradiction.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

Note: references to Manuscript Evidence are largely quotations from New Testament Text and Translation Commentary, by Phillip W. Comfort, Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, IL, 2008.

****** EXCERPT FROM COLOSSIANS CHAPTER THREE ******

OR

MOVE TO CHAPTER FOUR

[(Col 3:18) Commentary on Col 3:18-25]:

IN COL 3:18-25, PAUL GOES ON TO WRITE, WIVES SUBMIT TO YOUR OWN HUSBANDS, AS IS FITTING IN THE LORD LIMITED TO ACTIONS WHICH ARE GODLY / BIBLICAL. HUSBANDS, EXPRESS AGAPE / GODLY, SELF-SACRIFICIAL LOVE FOR YOUR WIVES AND DO NOT BE BITTER TOWARD THEM. CHILDREN, OBEY YOUR PARENTS IN ALL THINGS, FOR THIS IS WELL PLEASING TO THE LORD. FATHERS, DO NOT PROVOKE YOUR CHILDREN, LEST THEY BECOME DISCOURAGED. BONDSERVANTS ARE TO OBEY IN ALL THINGS THEIR MASTERS ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, NOT WITH EYESERVICE AS MEN-PLEASERS, BUT IN SINCERITY OF HEART, FEARING GOD. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO YOUR WORK HEARTILY, AS FOR THE LORD RATHER THAN FOR MEN, KNOWING THAT FROM THE LORD YOU WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE; FOR YOU SERVE THE LORD CHRIST. FOR HE WHO DOES WRONG WILL RECEIVE THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE WRONG WHICH HE HAS DONE, AND THAT WITHOUT PARTIALITY

[(Col 3:18-25) Bible Knowledge Commentary On Col 3:18-25]:

[(Col 3:18-25) Expositor's Commentary On Col 3:18-25]:

****** END OF EXCERPT FROM COLOSSIANS CHAPTER THREE ******

I) [Col 4:1-18]:

A) [(Col 3:22-4:1) BONDSERVANTS ARE TO OBEY IN ALL THINGS THEIR MASTERS ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, NOT WITH EYESERVICE AS MEN-PLEASERS, BUT IN SINCERITY OF HEART, FEARING GOD. WHATEVER YOU DO, DO YOUR WORK HEARTILY, AS FOR THE LORD RATHER THAN FOR MEN, KNOWING THAT FROM THE LORD YOU WILL RECEIVE THE REWARD OF THE INHERITANCE; FOR YOU SERVE THE LORD CHRIST. FOR HE WHO DOES WRONG WILL RECEIVE THE CONSEQUENCE OF THE WRONG WHICH HE HAS DONE, AND THAT WITHOUT PARTIALITY. ON THE OTHER HAND MASTERS ARE GO GRANT THEIR SLAVES JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS, KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE A MASTER IN HEAVEN.

B) [(Col 4:2-6) BELIEVERS ARE TO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO PRAYER, KEEPING ALERT IN IT WITH THANKSGIVING, PRAYING ALSO TO PRAY FOR PAUL AND HIS GROUP THAT GOD OPENS THE DOOR FOR SPREADING THE WORD, SPEAKING THE SECRET OF CHRIST FOR WHICH PAUL HAS BEEN BOUND IN CHAINS TO MAKE HIS MESSAGE CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE. AND BELIEVERS ARE TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH GOD'S WISDOM WHEN SPEAKING TO OUTSIDERS / NON-BELIEVERS MAKING THE MOST OF THAT OPPORTUNITY, LETTING THEIR SPEECH ALWAYS BE WITH GRACE AND SEASONED WITH SALT / THE WISDOM OF GOD AS THEY ANSWER THE REASON FOR THEIR SURE HOPE IN CHRIST]:

1) [(Col 4:3) Manuscript Evidence for Col 4:3]:

2) [(Col 4:2-6) BELIEVERS ARE TO DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO PRAYER, KEEPING ALERT IN IT WITH THANKSGIVING, PRAYING ALSO TO PRAY FOR PAUL AND HIS GROUP THAT GOD OPENS THE DOOR FOR SPREADING THE WORD, SPEAKING THE SECRET OF CHRIST FOR WHICH PAUL HAS BEEN BOUND IN CHAINS TO MAKE HIS MESSAGE CLEAR AND UNDERSTANDABLE. AND BELIEVERS ARE TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES WITH GOD'S WISDOM WHEN SPEAKING TO OUTSIDERS / NON-BELIEVERS MAKING THE MOST OF THAT OPPORTUNITY, LETTING THEIR SPEECH ALWAYS BE WITH GRACE AND SEASONED WITH SALT / THE WISDOM OF GOD AS THEY ANSWER THE REASON FOR THEIR SURE HOPE IN CHRIST]:

C) [(Col 4:7-18) TYCHICUS WAS SENT TO COLOSSE WITH PAUL'S LETTER, TO TELL THE BELIEVERS THE NEWS ABOUT PAUL, LEARN EVERYTHING CONCERING THE COLOSSIANS AND TO COMFORT THEM. ONESIMUS A COLOSSIAN, A FAITHFUL AND BELOVED BROTHER SENT BY PAUL WITH TYCHICUS TO REPORT ON THE NEWS ABOUT PAUL. ARISTARCHUS, FELLOW WORKER AND PRISONER GREETS THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS. PAUL INSTRUCTED THE BELIEVERS TO WELCOME MARK THE COUSIN OF BARNABAS, AND ALSO JESUS WHO IS CALLED JUSTUS. ARISTARCHUS, MARK AND JUSTUS ARE THE ONLY FELLOW WORERS WHO ARE JEWS, HAVE PROVED TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO PAUL. EPAPHRAS, A COLOSSIAN AND BONDSLAVE OF CHRIST, GREETS THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS. FOR HE IS ALWAYS LABORING FERVENTLY FOR THE BELIEVERS IN COLOSSE AND THROUGHOUT THE LYCUS VALLEY - COLOSEE, LAODICEA AND HIERAPOLIS IN PRAYER THAT THEY MAY ALL STAND COMPLETE / PERFECTED IN ALL THE WILL OF GOD. PAUL'S BELOVED FRIEND AND PHYSICIAN LUKE AND ALSO DEMAS SEND GREETINGS. THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS ARE TO GREET THE BRETHREN IN LAODICEA AND NUMPHA, A BELIEVER IN LAODICEA INCLUDING THE CHURCH GROUP WHICH MEETS IN HER HOUSE. AND HE COMMANDED HIS LETTER READ IN THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS, AND TO THEMSELVES READ PAUL'S LETTER TO THE LAODICEANS. FINALLY,PAUL WRITES, "SAY TO ARCHIPPUS, 'TAKE HEED TO THE MINISTRY WHICH YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN THE LORD, THAT YOU MAY FULFILL IT.' " PAUL THEN CLOSES HIS LETTER WITH "I, PAUL, WRITE THIS GREETING WITH MY OWN HAND. REMEMBER MY IMPRISONMENT. GRACE BE WITH YOU."]:

1) [(Col 4:7-18) Manuscript Evidence for Col 4:7-18]:

a) [(Col 4:8) Manuscript Evidence for Col 4:8]:

b) [(Col 4:12) Manuscript Evidence for Col 4:12]:

c) [(Col 4:13) Manuscript Evidence for Col 4:13]:

d) [(Col 4:15) Manuscript Evidence For Col 4:15]:

e) [(Col 4:18) Manuscript Evidence For Col 4:18]:

2) [(Col 4:7-18) TYCHICUS WAS SENT TO COLOSSE WITH PAUL'S LETTER, TO TELL THE BELIEVERS THE NEWS ABOUT PAUL, LEARN EVERYTHING CONCERING THE COLOSSIANS AND TO COMFORT THEM. ONESIMUS A COLOSSIAN, A FAITHFUL AND BELOVED BROTHER SENT BY PAUL WITH TYCHICUS TO REPORT ON THE NEWS ABOUT PAUL. ARISTARCHUS, FELLOW WORKER AND PRISONER GREETS THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS. PAUL INSTRUCTED THE BELIEVERS TO WELCOME MARK THE COUSIN OF BARNABAS, AND ALSO JESUS WHO IS CALLED JUSTUS. ARISTARCHUS, MARK AND JUSTUS ARE THE ONLY FELLOW WORERS WHO ARE JEWS, HAVE PROVED TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO PAUL. EPAPHRAS, A COLOSSIAN AND BONDSLAVE OF CHRIST, GREETS THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS. FOR HE IS ALWAYS LABORING FERVENTLY FOR THE BELIEVERS IN COLOSSE AND THROUGHOUT THE LYCUS VALLEY - COLOSEE, LAODICEA AND HIERAPOLIS IN PRAYER THAT THEY MAY ALL STAND COMPLETE / PERFECTED IN ALL THE WILL OF GOD. PAUL'S BELOVED FRIEND AND PHYSICIAN LUKE AND ALSO DEMAS SEND GREETINGS. THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS ARE TO GREET THE BRETHREN IN LAODICEA AND NUMPHA, A BELIEVER IN LAODICEA INCLUDING THE CHURCH GROUP WHICH MEETS IN HER HOUSE. AND HE COMMANDED HIS LETTER READ IN THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS, AND TO THEMSELVES READ PAUL'S LETTER TO THE LAODICEANS. FINALLY,PAUL WRITES, "SAY TO ARCHIPPUS, 'TAKE HEED TO THE MINISTRY WHICH YOU HAVE RECEIVED IN THE LORD, THAT YOU MAY FULFILL IT.' " PAUL THEN CLOSES HIS LETTER WITH "I, PAUL, WRITE THIS GREETING WITH MY OWN HAND. REMEMBER MY IMPRISONMENT. GRACE BE WITH YOU."]