Chapter 4 – One God Translation

Colossians

   4 Masters, do what is right and fair for your servants, since you know that you also have a master in heaven.
    2 Persevere in prayer, with alertness and thanksgiving. 3 At the same time pray also for us that God may open to us a door for the Gospel-word — to speak the revealed mystery[1290] of the Messiah, for which I am in prison. 4 Pray that I may explain it clearly, as I should.
    5 Conduct yourselves in wisdom towards outsiders, making full use of each opportunity. 6 Your speech should always be gracious, as if flavored with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person.
    7 Tychicus, a dear brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, will give you all my news. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us and so that he may encourage your hearts. 9 With him is Onesimus, a faithful and much loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything going on here.
    10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and so does Mark, Barnabas’ cousin, about whom you have received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him. 11 Jesus who is called Justus greets you too. These are the only ones of the circumcision, the Jews, who are my co-workers for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Messiah Jesus, greets you. He is always contending for you in his prayers, so that you may stand mature, fully assured of everything God wills. 13 For I can testify about him that he works very hard for you, for those in Laodicea and for those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke,[1291] the much-loved physician, and Demas greet you. 15 Pass on my greetings to the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church which meets in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, see that it is read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and make sure you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 Tell Archippus, “Pay attention to the ministry you received in the lord, so that you carry it out fully.”
    18 This greeting is in my own handwriting — Paul. Do remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.

Colossians

[1290]

This is of course not a mystification! It is the unfolding immortality, Kingdom program of God and the Messiah summed up as the Gospel of the Kingdom of God announced by Jesus (Mk. 1:14- 15; Lk. 4:43; Acts 19:8; 20:24-25; 28:23, 31, etc).

[1291]

Luke wrote more of the NT than any other writer (if we assume Paul did not write Hebrews) and he had the unique privilege and responsibility of recording the life of Christ and the history of the church after the ascension. Luke strove to show us that the saving Gospel of the Kingdom was preached by Jesus, and that exactly the same Kingdom of God Gospel was preached by Paul and the other NT writers after Jesus had gone to heaven (Lk. 4:43; Acts 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:24-25; 28:23, 31).