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Colossians Chapter Four

 
Chapter Four General Review
 
OBJECTIVES IN STUDYING THIS CHAPTER
 
1) To consider the importance of prayer, and proper conduct toward
 those who are not Christians
 
2) To appreciate the value of God's "second string", those workers in
 the kingdom who assisted key players like Paul and contributed so
 much to the spread of the gospel
 
SUMMARY
 
Paul concludes his section on "The Christian Solution" as an 
alternative to the heresies being proposed at Colosse with exhortations
to prayer and proper conduct. His desire is that they devote 
themselves to prayer with vigilance and thanksgiving. A special
request for prayer in his behalf is made, that God might give him an
open door for the word of God, and that he might make the mystery of 
Christ known. Their own conduct is to be with wisdom toward outsiders,
making good use of their time. This includes speaking with grace, 
knowing how one ought to answer others (1-6).
 
Paul then mentions several companions, starting with Tychicus and 
Onesimus who were evidently the bearers of this epistle, and who would
inform them of Paul's circumstances. Special greetings are also sent 
from brethren with Paul. These included three Jewish brethren 
(Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus called Justus), a brother who was from 
Colosse (Epaphras), a beloved physician (Luke), and one we know from
another epistle (Demas, cf. 2 Ti 4:9) who later forsook Paul (7-14).
 
Finally, greetings are sent to those in Laodicea and the church meeting
in the home of Nymphas, along with a charge to exchange epistles with
the church in Laodicea. With a final exhortation for Archippus to 
fulfill his ministry, Paul signs off using his personal signature, 
asking that they remember his chains, and praying for grace on their
behalf (15-18).
 
OUTLINE
 
I. EXHORTATIONS TO PRAYER AND PROPER CONDUCT (2-6)
 
 A. DEVOTE YOURSELVES TO PRAYER (2-4)
 1. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant with thanksgiving
 (2)
 2. Pray for ministers of God, like Paul (3-4)
 a. That God would open a door for the Word (3a)
 b. That Paul would make the mystery of Christ manifest (3b-4)
 
  B. CONDUCT YOURSELVES PROPERLY (5-6)
 1. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of your time
 (5)
 2. Speak with grace, properly answering each one (6)
 
II. PAUL'S COMPANIONS (7-14)
 
 A. COMMENDATION OF HIS MESSENGERS (7-9)
 1. Tychicus (7-8)
 a. A beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in
 the Lord (8a)
 b. Sent by Paul to inform them of his circumstances, and to 
 comfort their hearts (8b-9)
 2. Onesimus (9)
 a. A faithful and beloved brother, from Colosse (9a)
 b. He also will inform them of Paul's circumstances (9b)
 
 B. GREETINGS FROM HIS FRIENDS (10-14)
 1. From Aristarchus, a fellow prisoner (10a)
 2. From Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, whom they are to welcome if
 he comes (10b)
 3. From Jesus, called Justus, who together with Aristarchus and
 Mark are Paul's only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who
 are of the circumcision (11)
 4. From Epaphras (12-13)
 a. One of their number at Colosse (12a)
 b. A servant of Christ in their behalf (12b)
 1) Laboring fervently for them in prayers
 2) Praying that they may stand perfect and complete in all
  the will of God
 c. Paul bears witness of his great zeal (13)
 1) For those at Colosse (13a)
 2) For those in Laodicea and Hierapolis (13b)
 5. From Luke, the beloved physician (14a)
 6. From Demas (14b)
 
III. CONCLUDING REMARKS (15-18)
 
 A. PERSONAL MESSAGES (15-17)
 1. Greet the brethren (15)
 a. Those who are in Laodicea (15a)
 b. Nymphas and the church in his house (15b)
 2. Exchange epistles (16)
 a. Once this epistle is read, see that it is read in the 
 church of the Laodiceans (16a)
 b. You also read the epistle from the church in Laodicea (16b)
 3. A charge to Archippus, that he take heed to his ministry
 received from the Lord, and to fulfill it (17)
 
 B. A PERSONAL SIGNOFF (18)
 1. Salutation written by his own hands (18a)
 2. A plea to remember his chains (18b)
 3. A prayer that grace be with them (18c)
 
REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAPTER
 
1) What are the main points of this chapter?
 - Exhortations to prayer and proper conduct (2-6)
 - Paul's companions (7-14)
 - Concluding remarks (15-18)
 
2) In calling them to earnest prayer, what four things does Paul ask of
 them? (2-4)
 - That they pray with vigilance
 - That they pray with thanksgiving
 - That they pray for God to provide an open door for the word
 - That they pray for him to be able to make the mystery of Christ
 manifest
 
3) How were they to walk? (5)
 - In wisdom toward outsiders, making good use of their time
 
4) How were they to speak? (6)
 - With grace, knowing how to answer each one
 
5) How is Tychicus described? Why was Paul sending him? (7-8)
 - A beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the
 Lord
 - To inform them of Paul's circumstances and comfort their hearts
 
6) How is Onesimus describe? What was Paul sending him? (9)
 - A faithful and beloved brother, one of them
 - To make known the things happening in Rome
 
7) What three men were Paul's only fellow workers for the kingdom of
 God who were of the circumcision, i.e. Jews? (10-11)
 - Aristarchus, Mark, Justus
 
8) What is said about Epaphras in relation to the churches in Colosse,
 Laodicea, and Hierapolis? (12-13)
 - Labors fervently for them in prayer, that they might stand perfect
 and complete in all the will of God
 - Has a great zeal for them
 
9) Who else sends greetings? (14)
 - Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas
 
10) To what two groups does Paul send greetings? (15)
 - To the brethren in Laodicea
 - To Nymphas and the church in his house
 
11) What was to be done with the epistle after it had been read to the
 church? (16)
 - It was to be read to the church of the Laodiceans
 
12) What was to be done with an epistle coming from Laodicea? (16)
 - They were to read it
 
13) What special charge does Paul tell them to give to Archippus? (17)
 - Take heed to fulfill the ministry received from the Lord
 
14) How does Paul confirm that this epistle was from him? (18)
 - By writing his name in his own hand
 
15) What final request does Paul ask of the Colossians? (18)
 - Remember my chains
 
16) What final prayer does Paul offer in behalf of the brethren? (18)
 - Grace be with you
 
Essentials For Living The Christ-Like Life (4:2-6)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. In the last two chapters in his epistle to the Colossians, Paul
 exhorts them to live the kind of life that demonstrates their faith
 in Jesus Christ as the "All-Sufficient And Pre-Eminent Savior"
 a. In Co 3:1-11, he describes the "basics" of Christian living
 b. In Co 3:12-17, he describes the Christians' "apparel"
 c. And in Co 3:18-4:1, he discusses "guidelines" to govern 
 Christian families
 
2. Prior to making his closing comments, he now gives three exhortations
 to his brethren that I am calling in this lesson, "Essentials To 
 Living The Christ-Like Life"
 
[Beginning in Co 4:2-4, then, the Colossians as well as all Christians
are exhorted to...]
 
I. CONTINUE IN PRAYER (2-4)
 
 A. PRAYER THAT IS "FAITHFUL"...
 1. As Paul writes, "continue earnestly in prayer"
 a. Just as he wrote to the Romans - Ro 12:12
 b. And also to the Thessalonians - 1 Th 5:17
 2. That people faithfully continue in prayer was a concern of our
 Lord as well
 a. He taught a parable the men always ought to pray - Lk 18:1
 b. He was concerned that when He returned, He might not find 
 faith on the earth! - Lk 18:8
 3. We have several wonderful examples to serve as role models...
 a. David, a man after God's own heart - Ps 55:16-17
 b. Daniel, a man greatly beloved by God - Dan 6:10
 c. Anna, an elderly widow blessed to see the Christ-child
 - Lk 2:36-38
 d. Of course, Paul himself- Co 1:9
 e. And also Epaphras, himself a member of the church at Colosse 
 - Co 4:12
 4. Many people pray only when there is a crisis - may that not be 
 true of us!
 
 B. PRAYER THAT IS "WATCHFUL"...
 1. Or as Paul put it in our text, "be vigilant in it"
 2. On several occasions, Jesus warned His disciples to be watchful
 in prayer - Mt 13:32-33; Mt 26:41
 3. So His apostles warn us...
 a. Paul, in Ep 6:18
 b. Peter, in 1 Pet 4:7
 4. Through "watchful" praying, we will not be caught unprepared
 by:
 a. Satan, and the temptation to sin
 b. Death, and the judgment to follow
 c. Christ, and the glories for those who are ready when He
 comes again
 
 C. PRAYER THAT IS "THANKFUL"...
 1. "with thanksgiving", Paul says
 2. Throughout his epistle to the Colossians, there has been an 
 emphasis on being thankful - Co 1:3,12; 2:7; 3:15,17; 4:2
 3. As someone said, "We should thank God just as diligently in our
 prayers as we make requests of Him." - cf. also Ph 4:6
 4. Let's be sure to "abound with thanksgiving"!
 a. Especially in light of Ro 1:21
 b. Where we see that ingratitude was one reason why God's wrath
 was being revealed from heaven!
 
 D. PRAYER THAT IS "PURPOSEFUL"...
 1. As Paul requested of his brethren in Colosse, "praying also for
 us..."
 2. Prayers are often too general in their requests, lacking 
 specific purpose
 3. But as here in our text, Paul often asked for specific prayers 
 in his behalf - e.g., Ro 15:30-32
 4. From our text in Colossians and elsewhere, what specific 
 requests can we make for those preach and teach God's Word?
 a. Opportunity ("an open door") - Co 4:3; cf. 2 Th 3:1
 b. Wisdom ("as I ought to speak") - Co 4:4
 c. Boldness - Ep 6:19-20
 
[As we endeavor to live the Christ-like life, make the right kind of 
prayer a crucial element! Prayer that is:
 
 * faithful
 * watchful
 * thankful
 * purposeful
 
The exhortation in verse 5 of our text is also crucial to living a
Christ-like life, especially when among those who are not Christians...]
 
II. WALK IN WISDOM (5)
 
 A. CHRISTIANS NEED TO BE CONCERNED WITH HOW THEY "WALK"...
 1. In other words, how they conduct themselves
 2. We are to walk in wisdom especially "toward those who are 
 outside"
 a. By proper conduct, we can influence them for good - e.g., 
 1 Pe 3:1-2
 b. The world is constantly making judgments concerning us by
 our conduct, and according to Jesus, this is their privilege
 - cf. Jn 13:35; 17:20-21
 
 B. ANOTHER REASON SUCH WISDOM IS IMPERATIVE IS "TIME"...
 1. To be exact, the lack of time! - cf. Ep 5:15-17
 a. The time we have in this life is short
 b. We cannot afford to waste much of it through foolishness
 c. And there are some people who need Christ whose time left on
 this earth is even shorter than ours!
 2. So we need to "redeem" the time; i.e., make the most of the
 time we have
 
[Finally, as we consider these "Essentials To Living The Christ-Like
Life" found in our text, let's remember that it was said of Jesus that
people...
 
 "...marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His
 mouth." (Lk 4:22)
 
As His disciples, we should also...]
 
III. SPEAK WITH GRACE (6)
 
 A. THE POWER OF THE TONGUE IS VIVIDLY ILLUSTRATED IN JAMES 3...
 1. It effects the entire body - Ja 3:2
 2. It can have great destructive power - Ja 3:6
 3. It is inconsistent for us to use it for both good and evil 
 - Ja 3:9-12
 
 B. THEREFORE WE NEED TO LEARN TO SPEAK "WITH GRACE"...
 1. As Paul also commanded in Ep 5:29
 a. No corrupt communication is to proceed out of our mouths
 b. Only that which edifies, imparting "grace to the hearers"
 2. Our speech is to be "seasoned with salt"
 a. Not to be confused with the "salty language" of some 
 sailors!
 b. But rather speech properly flavored so that it well received
 by others
 3. We especially need to watch our language around those who are 
 NOT Christians
 a. "that you may know how to answer each one" - Co 4:6
 b. "a servant of the Lord must not quarrel..." - 2 Ti 2:23-26
 4. Are we as careful with our own speech, as we want others to be 
 with their lives?
 a. Do we, who claim to be the disciples of Jesus Christ...
 b. ...speak the words of truth that come by Him in the same 
 gracious manner He did?
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. These three simple exhortations, if truly heeded, can have a powerful
 impact on our lives:
 a. Our "prayer life" will likely be very different!
 b. Our "walk" (conduct) will be noted for its wisdom
 c. Our "speech" will be a source of encouragement to others
 
2. This is the essence of following Jesus Christ! To allow Him to so
 live in us that by God's grace we experience a transformation that
 affects every aspect of our lives!
 
Speaking of the GRACE of God, have you taken advantage of what TIME it
is...? (cf. 2 Co 6:1-2)

God's "Second String" (4:7-18)
 
INTRODUCTION
 
1. We have stressed throughout this study of Colossians that we are
 "complete in Christ" - cf. Co 2:9
 
2. To be "complete in Christ", or "perfect in Christ" (Co 1:28), is 
 certainly to be the goal of every Christian
 a. Does this mean that those who are in Christ are to be exactly 
 alike in every way?
 b. Should we expect every mature Christian to be duplicates of one 
 another in ability and service?
 
3. No, it does not, and that becomes especially clear as we consider 
 Paul's closing comments concerning several individuals who were 
 instrumental to the success of Paul's ministry
 
4. Reading Paul's comments about these individuals reminds me of the key
 to any successful sports team: the strength of the "second string" 
 that supports the key players
 
5. So as we come to this last section of the Book of Colossians, I hope 
 we do not consider these closing comments of Paul as something to 
 quickly gloss over
 a. There are important lessons we can glean from these verses
 b. We are reminded of the need and the value of "God's Second String"
 
[First, we are introduced to...]
 
I. THE MEN WHO WERE MESSENGERS (7-9)
 
 A. TYCHICUS (7-8)
 1. Described as "a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a 
 fellow servant in the Lord"
 a. We read of him in Ac 20:7, as one of those who accompanied
 Paul
 b. Again in Ep 6:21-22, where he performed the same duties as
 outlined in Co 4:7-8
  c. And also in Ti 3:12 and 2 Ti 4:12, where he continues to
 serve Paul as a messenger
 2. He might have been one of the brethren referred to in 2 Co 8:
 23, who were called "messengers of the churches, the glory of
 Christ"
 
 B. ONESIMUS (9)
 1. Also "a faithful and beloved brother"
 2. Who was from Colosse (cf., "who is one of you")
 3. We learn from the Epistle to Philemon that Onesimus was a 
 runaway slave who was converted by Paul and sent back to 
 Philemon
 4. He, too, was serving as a messenger for Paul
 
[Because of men like these, the influence of the apostles was able to 
spread much farther than if they were by themselves. And that also 
means the influence of the gospel spread much farther!
 
Next, we read of...]
 
II. THE MEN WHO WERE COMFORTERS (10-11)
 
 A. ARISTARCHUS (10a)
 1. A "fellow prisoner" 
 2. He also had been a fellow traveler of Paul - Ac 20:4
 a. Who nearly lost his life to the riot in Ephesus - Ac 19:29
 b. Who sailed with Paul to Rome - Ac 27:2
 3. And was now in Rome with Paul, sending greetings
 
 B. MARK (10b)
 1. The writer of the second Gospel, he was the cousin (nephew) of 
 Barnabas
 a. The church in Jerusalem met in his mother's house - Ac
 12:12
 b. Started out with Paul and Barnabas on their first journey, 
 but then turned back - Ac 13:1-13
 c. He later became a bone of contention between Paul and 
  Barnabas - Ac 15:36-41
 d. But eventually proved "profitable" to Paul for service - 
 2 Ti 4:11
 2. Even now, he is included with those who Paul said "proved to be
 a comfort to me"
 
 C. JESUS, CALLED JUSTUS (11)
  1. Little is known of this man, except that he was a Jew ("of the 
 circumcision") and a "fellow worker for the kingdom"
 2. He, too, was a comfort to Paul
 
[No man can produce what they are capable of producing, unless they 
receive the right kind of encouragement.
 
Just as Barnabas (the "son of encouragement" - Ac 4:36) had been the 
one to encourage a young man who made a mistake (i.e., John Mark) and 
made him profitable, so now that young man with two others were 
comforting the apostle Paul in his trials. With such comfort, Paul was 
able to continue his work while awaiting trial before Caesar.
 
Now let's notice...]
 
III. THE MAN WHO PRAYED (12-13)
 
 A. EPAPHRAS, THE PERSON WHO STARTED THE CHURCH AT COLOSSE - CO 1:7-8
 1. He was from Colosse ("one of you")
 2. He cared deeply for them and those in Laodicea and Hierapolis
 3. He too was a "fellow prisoner" (Phile 23); what could he do 
 for those so far away?
 
 B. EPAPHRAS, A MAN OF PRAYER...
 1. He could at least pray for his brethren!
 2. And pray he did...
 a. He prayed "constantly" ("always")
 b. He prayed "fervently" ("laboring fervently")
 c. He prayed "personally" ("for you") 
 d. He prayed "with a goal in mind" ("that you may stand perfect
 and complete...")
 
[Just as one does not have to be on the court to contribute to a team's 
success, one does not have to be present to be a blessing to others! 
So Paul himself realized, and often solicited the prayers of others on 
his behalf (e.g., 2 Th 3:1-2).
 
On a bittersweet note, we now consider...]
 
IV. TWO MEN OF CONTRAST (14)
 
 A. LUKE, THE "BELOVED PHYSICIAN"...
 1. A fellow traveler with Paul on a number of his journeys - Ac 
 16:10; 20:5; 27;1 (note the personal pronoun "we")
 2. He was used by the Holy Spirit to write over half of the New 
 Testament!
 a. He penned both the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts
 b. In total volume, they constitute the majority of the New 
 Testament
 3. He was faithful to Paul to the end - 2 Ti 4:11
 
 B. DEMAS, WHO LATER FORSOOK PAUL...
 1. At the time Colossians and Philemon was written, Demas was a 
 "fellow laborer"
 2. But not long after, it was said of him, "Demas has forsaken me, 
 having loved this present world" - 2 Ti 4:10
 
CONCLUSION
 
1. Demas serves as a sober reminder of the need to remain steadfast to 
 the end - cf. also Re 2:10
 
2. But the others in this passage remind us that the spread of the 
 gospel during the first century was not accomplished through the 
 efforts of great men like Paul and the twelve apostles alone
 
3. It was greatly assisted by humble men and women willing to serve as 
 "God's Second String"
 a. Who served as messengers, comforters, prayer warriors, and 
 servants to those in positions of greater influence than 
 themselves (7-14)
 b. Who opened their hearts and their homes to the service of the 
 church, as did Nymphas (15)
 
4. If the gospel is to spread today, there is also a need for "God's 
 Second String"!
 a. Are we willing to do whatever we can in service to the Lord, 
 whether it be great or small?
 b. Then let Paul closing remarks to a man named Archippus serve as an
 admonition to us as well:
 
 "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord,
 that you may fulfill it." - Co 4:17
 
5. Whatever our calling, whatever our ability, let us be faithful to the
 Lord!
 
As Paul closed his epistle to the Colossians in his own personal 
handwriting (18), so we close this series of sermon outlines:
 
 "Grace be with you. Amen"
 
If we truly let Jesus be our "All-Sufficient And Pre-Eminent Savior", 
then God's grace will certainly be with us!

－－《Executable Outlines》