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At the beginning of this study we looked closely at how Paul said he prayed for the Christians in Colossae. We noted that Paul wasn’t necessarily concerned about the circumstances the Colossians were facing, but rather his prayers focused on how the Colossians might grow in Christ-like maturity. He prayed for their sanctification and the furthering of their ministry.
Now, at the end of the letter, Paul is asking that the Colossians reciprocate his prayers for them. Paul asks the Colossians to pray for the success of his ministry. He asks them to do this so that the gospel might continue to be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. He also gives them some brief instructions on what gospel proclamation should look like.
All in all, these final instructions in Paul’s letter to the Colossians are a charge to continue the hard work of preaching the good news of the gospel to the nations. He also gives them some information on some of the people who are doing just that, that they might be encouraged and that they might know how best to pray for them.
Today we’re going to look at this charge and consider how we might best pray for those who serve alongside us as we preach the good news of the gospel to our neighbors.
Devote Yourselves to Prayer
Prayer is the glue of Christian ministry and the lifeline of the Christian. Without prayer, there is no ministry, there is no growth.
Therefore, it is fitting that one of Paul’s final instructions to the Colossian believers is to pray. And not just pray, but to continue steadfastly in prayer (vs. 2). The NIV says to “devote yourselves to prayer”. This is more than simply praying before meals to bless the food. Being devoted to prayer means to engage in an unending conversation with the God of all creation asking that he might move on our behalf. To devote ourselves to prayer is to labor in prayer, to struggle in prayer on behalf of others, and to pour out our heart’s desires to God.
Paul describes some of the things they are to do as they continue steadfastly in prayer. He instructs them to be watchful in it with thanksgiving (vs. 2). The word watchful reminds us of Jesus’s exhortations to be watchful, first for the day of his return (Matthew 25:13) and second so that we might not enter into temptation (Matthew 26:41). To be watchful in prayer therefore is to be alert to our own sinful tendencies as well as the needs of others. It also means to be expectant. Expectant that the Lord will work in the best interest of his church and also that Christ will indeed one day return again. To be watchful in prayer with thanksgiving, means to be alert and expectant all the while recognizing that it is because of God’s grace to us through Christ that we are able to petition God at all. Thankfulness for what God has done is what motivates watchful prayers.
Paul also specifically asks the Colossians to pray for his minisrty. He asks that they would pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ (vs 3) and that he may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak (vs. 4). In the middle of this request, Paul mentions, for the very first time in this letter, that he in prison because he has been proclaiming the gospel to the nations. What is striking about this is that, Paul, being imprisoned, never asks the Colossians to pray that he might be set free, but rather asks them to pray for continued opportunities to clearly declare the mystery of Christ even while he is imprisoned. Paul’s biggest concern, from the beginning of this letter to the very end, is that the gospel might grow and bear fruit. And he wants nothing, not even his own imprisonment, to slow down that growth.
Gospel Conversations
Perhaps thinking about his own calling to clearly declare the mystery of Christ, made Paul think about the Colossians calling to do the same thing. Therefore, he gives some instructions on how they are to go about doing that. His instructions apply to us too.
To clearly declare the mystery of Christ, we need to:
walk in wisdom toward outsiders (vs. 5)
It is important to the gospel message that the gospel messengers appear wise. Gospel messengers who act foolishly in the eyes of others will negate the true wisdom of their message. It is important that others see the wisdom of the gospel in our actions and are compelled to want to know more about that wisdom.
making the best use of time (vs.5)
Just like Paul requested, we are to pray for opportunities to declare the mystery of Christ. But we are reminded that we must watch for those opportunities and take them when the come. We must not waste time on trivial matters when an opportunity for gospel declaration presents itself.
let your speech always be gracious (vs. 6)
The NIV translates this verse as “let your conversation be always full of grace”. We are not to ungraciously preach the gospel at people, we are to declare the gospel with love and grace as we enter into conversations with people. We do not need to prove ourselves right, but rather lovingly point others to the beauty of Christ.
seasoned with salt (vs. 6)
My commentaries say that the phrase “seasoned with salt” was a common phrase at the time and it meant to keep things lively and interesting. This is probably true. However, from my experience with Paul’s letters, I’ve often noticed that when Paul uses a common phrase of the time, he usually puts his own gospel-centered spin on it’s meaning. In Mark 9, Jesus instructs believers to “have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” And again in Matthew 5, Jesus tells believers that they are the “salt of the earth” and instructs them to remain “salty.” From these two uses of the word salt, we get the picture that to be “salty” is to be life-giving. Salt preserves food from decay. We likewise are to preserve life within others by making our words and actions life-giving. I think Paul possibly had this in mind when he instructed the Colossians to let their speech be “seasoned with salt.”
so that you may know how you ought to answer each person (vs. 6)
We are to be wise, gracious, life-giving so that we can answer any questions that come our way as we declare the gospel in our conversations with others. Those who are not privy to the mystery of Christ are going to have questions about how such a mystery could be true. We are to be ready with answers to their questions so that the gospel will be made known and so Jesus will seem as beautiful as he truly is.
Servants of Christ
In the last verses of the book, Paul mentions the names of some of the people who are doing ministry with him. We don’t know much about these people, but the fact that their names have been written down and preserved in our Bibles for nearly 2,000 years is significant and we need to learn what we can from these fellow servants of the cross.
Below is a table I created listing the servants of Christ that Paul has mentioned at the end of this letter. I’ve included some information that we know about each of these servants, and how their inclusion in the scriptures might remind us to pray for similar servants of the cross that work within our own communities and churches. Click the image to download a PDF of the table.
Paul’s letter up until this point has been dictated, but for the final line, Paul picks up the pen and signs the letter in his own hand. He ask the Colossians to remember his chains in their prayers and as a way of standing in solidarity with him. His final prayer for them is that God’s grace would be with them, and Paul’s letter was a means of that grace.
Advancing the Gospel
I don’t have any questions for you to consider as part of your application today, rather I have a prayer list for you to think through. In our text today, Paul exhorts the Colossians and us to devote ourselves to praying for the advancement of the gospel. Below is a prayer list that you can download and fill in with people that you know who are working for the advancement of the gospel, just like the people Paul mentions in today’s text.
Click the image to download the prayer sheet!
