Colossians 4
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 4
1 Masters, be just and fair in your treatment of your slaves, knowing that you too have a Master in heaven.
Assiduous Prayer.[a] 2 Persevere in prayer, with alert minds and thankful hearts. 3 At the same time, pray for us too, so that God may open a door to us to proclaim the word, the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it as clearly as I should.
Christian Behavior.[b] 5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of your opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with wisdom, so that you will know how to respond properly to all.
Conclusion
Tychicus and Onesimus.[c] 7 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, so that you will know how we are and that he may cheer your hearts. 9 He will be accompanied by Onesimus, our trustworthy and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything that has happened here.
10 Paul’s Coworkers. Aristarchus,[d] my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, make him welcome.) 11 And Jesus who is called Justus also greets you. Of all those who are of the circumcision, these are the only ones who are working with me for the kingdom of God, and they have been a great comfort to me.
12 Epaphras sends you greetings. He is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, and he is always pleading earnestly in his prayers on your behalf so that you may seek perfection and fulfill the will of God. 13 I can testify for him that he has worked tirelessly for you and those in Laodicea and Hierapolis.[e] 14 Luke,[f] the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.
15 Notes for the Laodiceans. Give my greetings to the brethren in Laodicea, and to Nymphas[g] and the Church in her house. 16 Then when this letter has been read to you, see to it that it is also read to the Church at Laodicea; and I ask you in turn to read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. 17 Also tell Archippus:[h] “See that you carry out fully the ministry that you received in the Lord.”
18 Paul’s Signature.[i] I, Paul, write this farewell in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Footnotes
- Colossians 4:2 Prayer keeps the conscience watchful and revives the concern for the apostolate.
- Colossians 4:5 The behavior of Christians must serve as a sign to those who do not share their faith. The present period is the time of the Church, which must be regarded as a final time of grace, both short (see 1 Cor 7:29) and perilous (see Eph 5:16), in which human beings can open themselves to salvation while waiting for Christ’s Second Coming (see Gal 6:10).
- Colossians 4:7 Tychicus is assigned to carry the Letter to the Colossians. Onesimus, his companion, is the slave whom Paul has converted and is now sending back to Colossae, while recommending him to his former owner (Letter to Philemon). Also named are Mark, who was for a short time Paul’s associate in the apostolate and is generally regarded as the author of the Second Gospel; then Luke, to whom we owe the Third Gospel and the Book of Acts; and finally Epaphras, founder of the Church of Colossae. The Letter to the Laodiceans (v. 16) may be the Letter to the Ephesians, which probably circulated in the communities of the region.
- Colossians 4:10 Aristarchus: a native of Thessalonica and companion of Paul at Ephesus and on the journey to Macedonia (see Acts 19:29; 20:4).
- Colossians 4:13 Hierapolis: a town six miles from Laodicea and 14 miles from Colossae. Its Church may have been founded during Paul’s stay at Ephesus (Acts 19) but probably not by Paul himself (see Col 2:1).
- Colossians 4:14 Luke: this is the only place where the author of the Third Gospel is described as a medical doctor; see Philem 24 and 2 Tim 4:11. Demas: a Christian who later deserted Paul (2 Tim 4:10).
- Colossians 4:15 Nymphas: probably a Laodicean in whose house Christians met for church services. The early Church had no buildings of its own and so Christians were accustomed to meeting at the homes of individuals for instruction and services, e.g., Prisca and Aquila (Rom 16:5; 1 Cor 16:19), Philemon (Philem 2), and Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).
- Colossians 4:17 Archippus: perhaps the son of Philemon (Philem 2); he was to take care of the Church of Colossae in the absence of Epaphras.
- Colossians 4:18 Paul ordinarily dictated his Letters, but added to them a few words in his own hand (1 Cor 16:21; Gal 6:11; 2 Thes 3:17).
Colossiens 4
Louis Segond
4 Maîtres, accordez à vos serviteurs ce qui est juste et équitable, sachant que vous aussi vous avez un maître dans le ciel.
2 Persévérez dans la prière, veillez-y avec actions de grâces.
3 Priez en même temps pour nous, afin que Dieu nous ouvre une porte pour la parole, en sorte que je puisse annoncer le mystère de Christ, pour lequel je suis dans les chaînes,
4 et le faire connaître comme je dois en parler.
5 Conduisez-vous avec sagesse envers ceux du dehors, et rachetez le temps.
6 Que votre parole soit toujours accompagnée de grâce, assaisonnée de sel, afin que vous sachiez comment il faut répondre à chacun.
7 Tychique, le bien-aimé frère et le fidèle ministre, mon compagnon de service dans le Seigneur, vous communiquera tout ce qui me concerne.
8 Je l'envoie exprès vers vous, pour que vous connaissiez notre situation, et pour qu'il console vos coeurs.
9 Je l'envoie avec Onésime, le fidèle et bien-aimé frère, qui est des vôtres. Ils vous informeront de tout ce qui se passe ici.
10 Aristarque, mon compagnon de captivité, vous salue, ainsi que Marc, le cousin de Barnabas, au sujet duquel vous avez reçu des ordres (s'il va chez vous, accueillez-le);
11 Jésus, appelé Justus, vous salue aussi. Ils sont du nombre des circoncis, et les seuls qui aient travaillé avec moi pour le royaume de Dieu, et qui aient été pour moi une consolation.
12 Épaphras, qui est des vôtres, vous salue: serviteur de Jésus Christ, il ne cesse de combattre pour vous dans ses prières, afin que, parfaits et pleinement persuadés, vous persistiez dans une entière soumission à la volonté de Dieu.
13 Car je lui rends le témoignage qu'il a une grande sollicitude pour vous, pour ceux de Laodicée et pour ceux d'Hiérapolis.
14 Luc, le médecin bien-aimé, vous salue, ainsi que Démas.
15 Saluez les frères qui sont à Laodicée, et Nymphas, et l'Église qui est dans sa maison.
16 Lorsque cette lettre aura été lue chez vous, faites en sorte qu'elle soit aussi lue dans l'Église des Laodicéens, et que vous lisiez à votre tour celle qui vous arrivera de Laodicée.
17 Et dites à Archippe: Prends garde au ministère que tu as reçu dans le Seigneur, afin de le bien remplir.
18 Je vous salue, moi Paul, de ma propre main. Souvenez-vous de mes liens. Que la grâce soit avec vous!
