Colossians 4
Expanded Bible
4 Masters, give what is good and fair to your slaves. Remember that you have a Master in heaven.
What the Christians Are to Do
2 ·Continue praying [Be devoted to prayer], keeping alert, and always thanking God. 3 Also pray for us that God will ·give us an opportunity [L open a door for us] to tell people his ·message [word]. Pray that we can preach the ·secret that God has made known about Christ [L mystery of Christ; 1:26]. This is why I am in ·prison [chains; C Paul is probably writing from house arrest in Rome, about ad 60; see Acts 28:30–31]. 4 Pray that I can speak in a way that will make it clear, as I should.
5 Be wise in the way you ·act with [behave towards] people who are not believers, making the most of every opportunity. 6 When you talk, you should always be ·kind [gracious] and ·pleasant [winsome; engaging; or wholesome; L seasoned with salt] so you will be able to answer everyone in the way you should.
News About the People with Paul
7 Tychicus [Acts 20:4; Eph. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus 3:12] is my ·dear [beloved] brother in Christ and a faithful ·minister [servant] and ·servant with me [fellow slave/bondservant] in the Lord. He will tell you all the things that are happening to me. 8 This is why I am sending him: so you may know how we are[a] and he may encourage ·you [L your hearts]. 9 I send him with Onesimus [Philem. 10], a faithful and ·dear [beloved] ·brother in Christ [L brother], and one of your ·group [or own people; or fellow-citizens]. They will tell you all that has happened here.
10 Aristarchus [Acts 19:29; 20:4; Philem. 24], a prisoner with me, and Mark [Acts 12:25; 13:13; 15:37–39], the cousin of Barnabas [Acts 4:36; 9:26–27; 11:22, 25, 30; 13:2–4; 15:36–39], greet you. (·I have already told you what to do [L You have received instructions] about Mark. If he comes, welcome him.) 11 Jesus, who is called Justus, also greets you. These are the only ·Jewish believers [L ones of the circumcision] who work with me for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me.
12 Epaphras [1:7], a ·servant [slave; bondservant] of Jesus Christ, from your ·group [or people; or city], also greets you. He always ·prays [prays earnestly; L wrestles/struggles in prayer] for you that you will ·grow to be spiritually mature [or stand complete/perfect] and ·confident that you are in God’s will [L fully assured in all the will of God]. 13 I ·know [can testify/bear witness that] he has worked hard for you and ·the people [or the churches; L those] in Laodicea [2:1] and in Hierapolis [C a city north of Colossae, in present-day southwest Turkey]. 14 Demas [2 Tim. 4:10; Philem. 24] and our ·dear [beloved] friend Luke [2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24], the doctor, greet you.
15 Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea [2:1]. And greet Nympha and the church that meets in her house. 16 After this letter is read to you, be sure it is also read to the church in Laodicea. And you read the letter ·that I wrote to [L from] Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus [Philem. 2], “Be sure to ·finish [fulfill] the ·work [ministry; service] ·the Lord gave you [L you received in the Lord].”
18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember ·me in prison [L my chains]. Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:8 so… are Some Greek copies read “so he may know how you are.”
Colossians 4
Mounce Reverse Interlinear New Testament
4 · ho Masters kyrios, treat parechō your ho slaves · ho justly dikaios and kai · ho fairly isotēs, knowing oida that hoti you hymeis too kai have echō a Master kyrios in en heaven ouranos.
2 Persevere proskartereō in ho prayer proseuchē, being vigilant grēgoreō in en it autos with en thanksgiving eucharistia. 3 At the same time hama, pray proseuchomai also kai for peri us hēmeis, that hina · ho God theos will open anoigō a door thura for our hēmeis · ho message logos, so that we may declare laleō the ho mystery mystērion of ho Christ Christos, for dia which hos · kai I am in chains deō; 4 that hina I may make phaneroō it autos known as hōs I egō should dei. 5 Conduct yourselves peripateō with en wisdom sophia toward pros · ho outsiders exō, making the most of exagorazō the ho time kairos. 6 · ho Your hymeis speech logos should always pantote be winsome en charis, seasoned artyō with salt halas, so that you will know oida how pōs you hymeis must dei answer apokrinomai each person heis.
7 Tychicus Tychikos, a ho beloved agapētos brother adelphos, · kai faithful pistos minister diakonos and kai fellow syndoulos servant in en the Lord kyrios, will tell gnōrizō you hymeis all pas the news ho about kata me egō. 8 I am sending pempō him hos to pros you hymeis for eis this houtos express purpose autos, that hina you may know ginōskō how ho peri we hēmeis are and kai that he may encourage parakaleō · ho your hymeis hearts kardia. 9 With syn him is Onesimus Onēsimos, the ho faithful pistos and kai beloved agapētos brother adelphos, who hos is eimi one ek of you hymeis; they will tell gnōrizō you hymeis about gnōrizō everything pas · ho here hōde.
10 Aristarchus Aristarchos, · ho my egō fellow synaichmalōtos prisoner , sends aspazomai you hymeis greetings aspazomai, as kai does Mark Markos, the ho cousin anepsios of Barnabas Barnabas ( about peri whom hos you received lambanō instructions entolē; if ean he comes erchomai to pros you hymeis, welcome dechomai him autos), 11 and kai Jesus Iēsous who ho is called legō Justus Ioustos. These houtos are eimi the ho only monos Jewish ek peritomē Christians among my fellow synergos workers for eis the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos, and they hostis have been ginomai a comfort parēgoria to me egō. 12 Epaphras Epaphras, who ho is one ek of you hymeis and a servant of Christ Christos Jesus Iēsous, sends aspazomai you hymeis greetings aspazomai, always pantote laboring agōnizomai on hyper your hymeis behalf in en his ho prayers proseuchē, that hina you may stand histēmi firm in en everything pas that God theos wills thelēma, mature teleios and kai fully assured plērophoreō. · ho 13 For gar I bear him autos witness martyreō that hoti he has echō worked ponos tirelessly polys for hyper you hymeis and kai for those ho in en Laodicea Laodikeia and kai · ho in en Hierapolis Hierapolis. 14 Our ho dear friend agapētos Luke Loukas, the ho physician iatros, sends aspazomai you hymeis his greetings aspazomai, as kai does Demas Dēmas. 15 Give aspazomai my greetings to the ho brothers adelphos who are at en Laodicea Laodikeia as kai well as to Nympha and kai the ho church ekklēsia that meets in kata her autos house oikos. 16 And kai after hotan this ho letter epistolē has been read anaginōskō among para you hymeis, see poieō that hina it is read anaginōskō also kai in en the ho church ekklēsia of the Laodiceans Laodikeus, and kai that hina you hymeis read anaginōskō the ho one from ek Laodicea Laodikeia as kai well . 17 And kai tell legō Archippus Archippos, “ See blepō to it that hina you complete plēroō the ho ministry diakonia that hos you have received paralambanō in en the Lord kyrios.”
18 I, Paul Paulos, write this ho greeting aspasmos in ho my emos own hand cheir. Remember mnēmoneuō my egō · ho chains desmos. · ho Grace charis be with meta you hymeis.
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