VII. Final Greetings and Farewell (Colossians 4:2-18)
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VII. Final Greetings and Farewell (4:2-18)
4:2 Paul urges the Colossians to pray. Christians must take prayer seriously and not casually. Like a lookout watching for the enemy, we must stay alert in prayer. A believer who is outfitted with “the full armor of God” (Eph 6:11-17) but refuses to “pray” (Eph 6:18) is like a front-line soldier outfitted with the best weapons technology and protective gear but who has no communication with his command authority. He won’t last long.
4:3-6 Paul also requests prayer for the sake of his own gospel ministry (4:3). This is a reminder that Christians must pray for pastors, missionaries, and themselves—that God would open doors with unbelievers so that they will hear the mystery of Christ (4:3). Behave wisely with regard to non-believers (4:5), and don’t waste opportunities to share the gospel. Combine tact with spice. Our witness should be crafted for each person in his unique situation (4:6) so that the gospel message is applied rightly to those who need to know about the Christian faith.
4:7-9 Not wanting to deliver all of his news by letter, Paul placed it in the hands of Tych-icus and Onesimus, each a trusted and dearly loved brother (4:7, 9). They could give the Colossian church a personal update and encouragement (4:8-9).
4:10-17 Paul sent greetings from six fellow workers, and then he asked the Colossians to send greetings to the believers in Laodicea (4:10-15)—located about ten miles from Colossae. He also wanted these churches to pass around the letters he had written, which shows how Paul’s letters were first circulated (4:16). Though we do not have a copy of Paul’s letter to the Laodiceans, we do have the risen Lord Jesus’s letter to the church in Laodicea that the apostle John records in the book of Revelation (Rev 3:14-22).
4:18 Paul provided a handwritten greeting as a stamp of authenticity that the letter was indeed from him. He also made a final request to be remembered in prayer during his time of imprisonment.