Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: COLOSSIANS #4 - 3:18-4:18)
G. 3:18-4:1 CHRIST IN DOMESTIC RELATIONS
1. 3:18-19 CHRIST IN MARRIAGE
a. 3:18 :Wives, be subject to your:husbands, as is fitting in theLord.
Hai guNAIkes [1135], hu-poTASses-the [5293] tois anDRAsin [435], hos aNEken [433]en KuRIo.
b. 3:19 :Husbands, love your :wives and be not bitter against them.
hoi ANdres, a-gaPAte [25] tas guNAIkas kai me piKRAInes-the [4087] pros auTAS.
2. 3:20-21 CHRIST IN THE HOME
a. 3:20 :Children, obey the parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing in theLord.
Ta TEKna, hu-paKOUe-te [5219]tois goNEUsin kaTA PANta TOUto gar euAreSTON [2101]es-tin en KuRIo,
b. 3:21 :Fathers, provoke not your :children, that they be not discouraged.
hoi paTEres, mee-reTHIze-te [2042]ta TEKna huMON, HIna me a-thuMOsin [120].
3. 3:22-4:1 RESPONSIBILITY TO CHRIST OF BOTH SERVANTS AND MASTERS
a. 3:22-24 THE HEART ATTITUDE OF SERVANTS TO MASTERS
Hoi DOUloi [1401], hu-paKOUe-te [5219] kaTA PANta tois kaTA SARka [4561] kuRIois;
:Bondmen, obey in all things the lords according to theflesh;
meen oph-thal-mo-douLIais [3787-1397], hos an-throPAre-skoi [441],
not with eye-services, as men-pleasers,
all' en haPLOteti [572]karDIas, phoBOUme-noi ton KUri-on; ho eAN poiEte, ek psuCHES erGAzes-the,
but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord; 23whatever you do, work from the soul,
hos to KuRIo, kai ouk anTHROpois; eiDOtes HOti aPO KuRIou
as to the Lord, and not to men; 24knowing that from theLord
a-poLEMpses-the [618]ten an-taPOdo-sin [469]tes kle-ro-noMIas [2817]; to KuRIoChrisTO douLEUe-te.
you shall receive the recompense of the inheritance;you are bondmen of the Lord Christ.
b. 3:25 For who does wrong shall receive again the wrong he has done: and thereis no respect of persons.
ho gar a-diKON [91] koMIse-tai [2865] ho eDIkesen: kai ouk EStin pro-so-po-lemPSIa [4382].
c. 4:1 RESPONSIBILITY OF MASTERS TO SERVANTS
hoi KUri-oi, to DIkai-on kai ten iSOteta [2471]tois DOUlois paREches-the [3930];
:Lords, render to the bondmen what is just and equal;
eiDOtes HOti kai huMEIS Eche-te KUri-on en ou-raNO.
knowing that you also have a lord in heaven.
H. 4:2-6 PRACTICAL RELATIONSHIPS
a. 4:2-4 RELATIONSHIP OF PRAYER AND PREACHING
Tepro-seuCHE [4335]pro-skar-teREIte [4342], gre-goROUNtes [1127]en auTE en eu-cha-risTIa [2169];
Continue steadfastly in :prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
pro-seuCHOme-noi [4336] HAma kai peRI heMON,
3withal praying for us also,
HIna ho TheOS aNOIxe[455]heMIN THUran [2374]tou LOgou,
that :God open us a door for the word,
laLEsai to musTEri-on [3466]tou ChrisTOU, di' ho kai DEde-mai [1210];
to speak the mystery of the Christ, for which I am also in bonds;
HIna pha-neROso[5319]auTO, hos DEI me laLEsai.
4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
b. 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward those without, redeeming the season.
En soPHIa [4678] pe-ri-paTEIte pros tous Exo, ton kaiRON [2540] e-xa-go-raZOme-noi [1805].
c. 4:6 RELATIONSHIP OF GRACE AND WITNESSING
ho LOgos huMON PANto-te en CHAri-ti [5485], Ala-ti [217]er-tuMEnos [741],
Let your :speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt,
eiDEnai pos dei huMAS heNI heKAStoa-poKRInes-thai [611].
that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
I. 4:7-9 COMMENDATION TO THE FAITHFUL BEARERS OF GOOD NEWS
a. 4:7-9a GOOD NEWS SHOULD BE SHARED
Ta kat' eME PANta gnoRIsei [1107]huMIN Tu-chiKOS, ho a-ga-peTOS a-delPHOS
:All my affairs shall Tychicus make known to you, the beloved brother
kai piSTOS diAko-nos [1249] kai SUNdou-los [4889] en KuRIo:
and faithful minister and fellow-bondman in theLord:
hon Epem-psa pros huMAS eis auTO TOUto,
8whom I have sent unto you for this very purpose,
HIna GNOte ta peRI heMON, kai pa-ra-kaLEse[3870]tas karDIas huMON;
that you may know :concerning us, and that he may comfort your :hearts;
sun OneSImo, to piSTOkai a-ga-peTOa-delPHO, HOS es-tin ex huMON.
9a with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is oneof you.
b. 4:9b They shall make known unto you all the affairshere.
PANta huMIN gnoRIsou-sin [1107] ta HOde.
J. 4:10-17 INSTRUCTIVE GREETINGS
a. 4:10-11 GREETINGS
AsPAze-tai [782] huMAS A-RIStar-chos ho su-naichMAloTOS [4869]mou, kai MARkos,
Aristarchus my :fellow-prisoner greets you, and Mark,
ho a-ne-psiOS BarNAba (peRI hou eLAbe-te en-toLAS [1785];
the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received commandments;
eAN ELthepros huMAS, DExas-the [1209]auTON),
if he come unto you, receive him),
kai IeSOUS ho leGOme-nos IOUStos, hoi ONtes ek pe-ri-toMES [4061]:
11 and Jesus :called Justus, who are from thecircumcision:
HOUtoi MOnoi su-nerGOI [4904] eis ten ba-siLEIan tou TheOU, HOIti-nes e-geNEtheSAN moi pa-re-goRIa.
these my only fellow-workers unto the kingdom of :God,who have been a comfort to me.
b. 4:12 FULLNESS OF GOD'S WILL: PRAYER DESIRE OF EPAPHRAS
asPAze-tai huMAS E-paPHRAS, ho ex huMON, DOUlos [1401]ChrisTOU IeSOU,
Epaphras who is one of you, bondman of Christ Jesus, greets you,
PANto-te a-go-niZOme-nos [75]huPER huMON en tais pro-seuCHAIS [4335],
always striving for you in his:prayers,
HIna staTHEte [2476]TElei-oi [5046]kai pe-ple-ro-pho-reMEnoi [4137]en panTI theLEma-ti tou TheOU,
that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all of :God's will.
c. 4:13 PAUL'S COMMENDATION FOR THE LABORS OF EPAPHRAS
mar-tuRO[3140]gar auTO, HOti Echei poLUN POnon [2205]huPER huMON kai ton en La-o-diKIa,
For I bear him witness, that he has much labor for you and those in Laodicea,
kai ton en Hi-e-raPOlei.
and those in Hierapolis.
d. 4:14 Luke, the beloved :physician, and Demas greet you.
asPAze-tai huMAS LouKAS, ho i-aTROS [2395] ho a-ga-peTOS, kai DeMAS.
e. 4:15 Greet the brethren in Laodicea, and Nympha, and the church in her house.
asPAsas-the tous en La-o-diKIa a-delPHOUS, kai NumPHAN, kai ten kat' OIkon [3624]auTES ek-kleSIan.
kai HOtan a-nag-kosTHE[314]par' huMIN hee-pis-toLE [1902],
And when the letter has been read among you,
poiEsa-te [4160]HIna kai en teLa-o-diKEon ek-kleSIa a-nag-nosTHE;
cause that it be read also in the church of theLaodiceans;
kai ten ek La-o-diKIas HIna kai huMEIS a-nagNOte.
and that you also read the onefrom Laodicea.
g 4:17 And say to Archippus,Look to the ministry which you have received in theLord, that you fulfill it.
kai EIpa-te ArCHIPpo, BLEpe [991] ten di-a-koNIan hen paREla-bes [3380] en KuRIo, HIna auTEN pleROIS.
K. 4:18 PAUL'S CLOSING GREETINGS
a. 4:18a The greeting of mePaul with my :hand. Ho as-pasMOS te eME cheiRI PAUlou.
b. 4:18b Remember my :bonds. mne-moNEUeTE [3421]mou ton desMON [1199] .
c. 4:18c :Grace be with you. heCHAris meth' huMON.
NOTE: 3:18-19 - G. Campbell Morgan of England many years ago said: “Watch what takes precedence in the world. In a decade it will have come into the church!” True? Yes, true. Jesus through the Gospel brought great liberty to women in the church. But balance is difficult to maintain. Through “The Women's Liberation Movement” an extreme form of liberty took place, and the relationship to husbands was disdained and rejected. One early woman of this move said: “I could knock Paul's head off with a rolling-pin for saying it isn't 50/50!”
But wasthis Paul speaking here and in his other letters - or Jesus the Lord throughPaul? See 1 Corinthians 14:37 - Paul believed it was the Lordcommanding throughhim. Whenever he a few times spoke apart from the Lord, he alwaysalerted his readers to this fact.
But also consider God's Bible Numerics; His signature to validate His truetext in the Word. Here is an absolute mathematical proof that our 66 Bible books are trulyGod's books. It is therefore impossible to say - “Oh - that's just Paulspeaking. I am under no obligation to pay attention to that!”
Really? One day we will allstand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (His BEma), if we are professing believers, and give account for our deeds done while in the body, including our attitude as disciples to HisWord!
3:21 - Children are commanded to obey their parents in all things, even though parents are not perfect like God. This is the first command with promise. Children who dishonor their parents will give answer for this one day. Are then the 10 commandments God gave Israel through Moses still for us today? Certainly! They are repeated in the NT by Jesus and His apostles. As a matter of fact, Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount enlarges upon them, giving them not onlythe outward meaning of the OT, but an inner spiritual meaning for the New Covenant!
However - fathers are notto overdo discipline, but speak and do the truth in love with their children according to this passage.
3:22-4:1 - And what of the relationship of Management and Labor? Andrew Carnegie did not understand his role in this. Taking legitimate wages from laborers and giving philanthropy like libraries - is an infringement on labor rights. But labor unions insisting on favors that kill the goose that lays the golden egg - is also an infringement or lack of balance. Balance is the most difficult goal to achieve - but this scripture portion demands that we retain it as a goal and seek by the grace of God and the inner control of Christ's Spirit - to achieve this goal.
4:10-17 - Here is a picture of a spiritual leader, and his care for his fellow-workers, and for the people to whom they minister. Paul's prayer-life must have been extraordinary. See how he remembers the names of all his fellow-laborers! He saw each one as a member of Christ's spiritual body in the Church - Jew and Gentile alike - the One New Man!
4:18b - Why did Paul want the Colossians and Laodiceans and all other of the 14 city churches he founded - to remember “his bonds”? Because it would keep them humble as they remembered the price he paid to bring them the Gospel. And then it would be easier to perpetually remember the Redeeming Death of Jesus on our behalf as we partake of the bread and cup, symbols of His body and blood. As often as we partake of these symbols, let us remember His death till He returns. 1 & 2 Thessalonians center on the Return of Jesus again - thistime as Lord of lords and King of kings - this time as Judge of all the earth.
Following is a prayer by Peter Marshall that my wife Marie found in “Hymns for the Family of God” - The PTL Club Special Edition, 1976. She felt it would be a challenge and blessing to all of us. - J.A.W.
LIBERATION FROM MATERIALISM
Forbid it, Lord,
that our roots become too firmly attached to this earth,
that we should fall in love with things.
Help us to understand that the pilgrimage of this life is but an introduction,
a preface, a training school for what is to come.
Then shall we see all of life in its true perspective.
Then shall we not fall in love with the things of time,
but come to love the things that endure.
Then shall we be saved from the tyranny of possessions which we have no leisure to enjoy,
of property whose care becomes a burden.
Give us, we pray, the courage to simplify our lives.
So may we be mature in our faith,
childlike but never childish,
humble but never cringing,
understanding but never conceited.
So help us, O God, to live and not merely to exist,
that we may have joy in our work,
In Thy name, who alone can give us moderation and balance and zest for living,
we pray. Amen