Instructions For All Believers

Introduction

Three chefs were working in a restaurant one day, when their kitchen supervisor approached them with an order, and instructions on how to properly prepare it. The first chef looked at the instructions, and said "You can show a recipe to 100 different people, and each of them get a different meaning. You can’t understand recipes, so why even read them?"

The second chef took a slightly different angle. He said "I don’t believe this recipe to be the literal directions of our supervisor. I believe the ingredients all have hidden meanings. I think the meat represents one thing, the spices and other ingredients symbolize something else, and the time and cooking temperature are some sort of mysterious allegory."

While the other two were engaging in their debate, the third chef simply took the recipe, and prepared the dish according to instructions. The dish turned out to be delicious, and I’m sure you can guess what happened next. This chef was rewarded for following directions properly, while the other two were reprimanded, or worse.

While this little story may seem somewhat silly, it sadly illustrates the attitude that many people take toward God and His Word, the Bible, which is to be OUR instructions, our "recipe," for how to live our lives.

I have personally learned that if you are not humble enough to follow instructions God has a way of humbling you.

James 4:6 KJV 1900

6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Paul concludes his letter to the Colossians with instructions on prayer and witnessing, as well as personal notes and greetings.

Devote Yourselves to Prayer (4:2)

Colossians 4:2 KJV 1900

2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;

Colossians 4:2 NLT

2 Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Perhaps their praying has been ragged and hit and miss. Paul gives three characteristics in prayer that they need to work on:

Persistence. "Devote" (NIV, NRSV), "continue in" (KJV) is proskartereō, "to persist in something," here, "busy oneself with, be busily engaged in, be devoted to," 1 from pros, "on, at"+ kartereō, "be steadfast, endure." It's easy to skip times of prayer, to rush over our devotional time because we're so busy. Also, we have a spiritual enemy who tries to distract us from talking to God. But Paul highlights prayer's importance: persist in prayer, be devoted to it!

Alertness. "Being watchful" (NIV), "keeping alert" (NRSV), "watch" (KJV) is grēgoreō, "to stay awake, be watchful," then figuratively as here, "to be in constant readiness, be on the alert." 2 The verb comes from egrēgora, "to have been roused from sleep, to be awake," the perfect of egeirō, "wake, arouse" someone from sleep. Have your prayers ever put you to sleep? Mine have. We can go through the motions of prayer without having our minds in gear. Paul urges attention to what we're doing. This is not just a mindless exercise. It is communication with the Most High God.

Alertness. "Being watchful" (NIV), "keeping alert" (NRSV), "watch" (KJV) is grēgoreō, "to stay awake, be watchful," then figuratively as here, "to be in constant readiness, be on the alert." 2 The verb comes from egrēgora, "to have been roused from sleep, to be awake," the perfect of egeirō, "wake, arouse" someone from sleep. Have your prayers ever put you to sleep? Mine have. We can go through the motions of prayer without having our minds in gear. Paul urges attention to what we're doing. This is not just a mindless exercise. It is communication with the Most High God.

Thankfulness. "Being thankful" (NIV), "thanksgiving" (NRSV, KJV) is eucharistia, "the expression or content of gratitude, the rendering of thanks, thanksgiving," from which we get our English word "Eucharist." 3 Prayer is not just petitioning God to do this or that. It is communication with a person. Prayer includes thankfulness, which is the language of faith. When we thank God for what he has done, it encourages us in faith to expect answers to our other prayers.

Prayer for The Ministry (4:3-4)

Now Paul asks for specific prayers to be made for him.

Colossians 4:3–4 KJV 1900

3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: 4 That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

Notice that Paul doesn't ask prayer for just himself. He sees himself as part of a ministry team -- even while in jail in Rome.

Paul's first request is for an open door:

“that God would open unto us a door of utterance.”

This figure of an open door signifying opportunity occurs several other times in the New Testament.

[Paul and Barnabas] "reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles." ()

"But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me...." ()

"I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me." (2 Corinthians 2:12)

[To the church in Philadelphia]: "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." ()

Jesus himself used this terminology as he instructed his disciples about prayer:

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.... To him who knocks, the door will be opened." ()

Unless God creates an opportunity, we are ineffective.

When God opens the door of opportunity, we need to be ready to step through it.

Prayer for Clarity of Speech (4:4)

“to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:”

Paul isn't asking prayer for a preaching opportunity. That's a different Greek word. Here he seems to be asking for an opportunity to speak personally -- perhaps to Caesar's representative, or the Praetorian Guard, or to his keepers.

"Proclaim clearly" (NIV), "reveal clearly" (NRSV), "make manifest" (KJV) "to cause to become known, disclose, show, make known."

So Paul's request for prayer while he is in prison is not for his welfare, but for effectiveness in personal ministry.

Send an opportunity, O Lord. Then when you provide it, let me speak with such clarity that the message will be communicated.

Wisdom Toward Outsiders (4:5-6)

Colossians 4:5–6 KJV 1900

5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

Colossians 4:5-6

The outsiders that Paul is referring to are those who are outside the community of Christian believers. The way we act or conduct ourselves with non-Christians is important.

We need to be wise and loving.

You've probably seen Christians act in outrageous ways around unbelievers, in ways that might make you want to crawl in a hole and disappear.

That is why Paul calls for practical wisdom.

Sometimes we're so embarrassed by the behavior of fellow Christians that we bend the other way and remain completely silent. That isn't the answer, says Paul.

Instead, we are literally to "redeem the time" (KJV).

What does that mean? The phrase uses two words.

"Opportunity" (NIV), "time" (KJV, NRSV) is kairos, a word that carries the idea here of "favorable opportunity.”

"Make the most of" (NIV, NRSV), "redeeming" (KJV) is exagorazō. The basic meaning is "deliver, liberate," but a figurative sense used here is "to gain something," especially advantage or opportunity, "make the most of."

So Paul tells us to take full advantage of every opportunity we are given. In Ephesians a similar exhortation is followed by a reason: "because the days are evil" ().

Guidelines for Conversations with Non-Christians (4:6)

Colossians 4:6 KJV 1900

6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

We can't afford to miss opportunities to speak an effective word for Christ in our everyday conversation with non-Christians when the opportunity presents itself.

In this context, charis has a widely used meaning in common Greek, "a winning quality or attractiveness that invites a favorable reaction, graciousness, attractiveness, charm, winsomeness."

For example, the same word is used in

Luke 4:22 KJV 1900

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

to describe Jesus' "gracious words."

Paul's instruction concludes with the phrase, "so that you may know how to answer everyone." Peter said it this way:

1 Peter 3:15 KJV 1900

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

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