Глава IV

General exhortations (1–6). The Apostle's messages about his position and greetings to the readers (7-18). Col.4:1. Masters, show your slaves what is due and just, knowing that you also have a Lord in heaven. Having taught instructions to the gentlemen (1), Ap. teaches some instruction on prayer and, in particular, asks for prayers for oneself (Col. 4:2-4), and then teaches how readers should treat non-Christians (Col. 4:5-6). Col.4:2. Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving; Col.4:3. pray also for us, that God will open the door for us to speak, to proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, Col.4:4. so that I may reveal it as I should proclaim it. Col.4:5. Treat outsiders wisely, using your time. Col.4:6. Let your word always be with grace, seasoned with salt, so that you know how to answer everyone. “With outsiders,” that is, those who do not belong to the Church. - “Be reasonable.” What this prudence consists of is shown by the following expression: “using time,” i.e., in accordance with the circumstances of the time. - “The Word... with grace,” that is, with pleasantness (ἐν χάριτι). - “Seasoned with salt,” that is, edifying and apt. According to the explanation of bl. Theophylact, this indicates the restraint of the Christian’s speech. - “How to answer everyone.” A Christian is obliged, for the benefit of others, to respond to others in relation to their personal characteristics. Col.4:7. Tychicus, beloved brother and faithful servant and co-worker in the Lord, will tell you everything about me, At the conclusion of his message, Ap. recommends to the readers Tychicus and Onesimus, who were sent by the Apostle to Colosse (Col. 4:7–9), and then sends greetings to the Colossian church from those who were with him and greets the Laodicean church on his own (Col. 4:10–15). The letter ends with some instructions from the Apostle (Col.4:16–17) and a greeting from him personally to the Colossian church (Col.4:18). Col.4:8. whom I sent to you so that he would learn about your circumstances and comfort your hearts, Col.4:9. with Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is from you. They will tell you about everything here. Here is Ap. says that details about his position in Rome will be reported to the Colossians by Tychicus (see Acts 20:4) and Onesimus, a resident of Colossae, who came to Rome to see Paul (about him, see the epistle to Philemon). They must both inform the Colossians about everything “here,” that is, about the state of the church in Rome. However, only Tychicus should “comfort” the Colossians, as a person more strengthened in the faith (Onesimus was only recently converted). Col.4:10. Aristarchus, imprisoned with me, and Mark, nephew of Barnabas (about whom you received orders: if he comes to you, receive him), greet you. Col.4:11. also Jesus, called Justus, both of the circumcision; they are the only workers for the Kingdom of God who have been my joy. Col.4:12. Epaphras, your servant of Jesus Christ, greets you, always striving for you in prayer, so that you may remain perfect and fulfilled with everything that pleases God. Col.4:13. I testify of him that he has great zeal and care for you and for those in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Col.4:14. Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. Greetings to the Colossians St. conveys from his voluntary fellow prisoner Aristarchus (see Acts 20:4), from Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, about whom the Colossians received some instructions from the Apostle (probably a prohibition for this preacher, who was not firm in his work, from further public activity - see Acts 15:37, 38), but whom now Ap. orders to accept (this, of course, was the Evangelist Mark. See the introduction to the Gospel of Mark). This is followed by greetings from Jesus Justus, probably a Roman Jew, whom church tradition identifies with Joseph Barsaba, who also bore the name Justus (Acts 1:23). These three persons were of Jewish origin. Next come greetings from pagan Christians - namely from Epaphras (cf. Col. 1), who loves his fellow citizens - the Colossians - so much that he constantly prays for their moral improvement (so that they will be fully convinced of the truth of the will of God revealed to them - in Russian: “fulfilled with everything that pleases God") - And care - this is a superfluous word: in Greek. There is only one word ζήλος - jealousy. – About “Luke” – see the introduction to Ev. from Luke. – “Dimas” is probably a shortening of the name Demetrius (see about him 2 Timothy 4:10). Col.4:15. Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and his house church. From myself Ap. orders to greet the Laodicean Christians, neighbors of the Colossians, and especially the Laodicean Nymphas, in whose house (κατ´οἶκον αὐτοῦ) there was a church or the same place of liturgical gatherings of Christians as there was in the house of Philemon (Phil. 1:2). Col.4:16. When this message is read to you, then arrange for it to be read in the Laodicean church; and you also read the one from Laodicea. What is this “message from Laodicea”? There is no such message in the Apostolic writing, which is why it is necessary to admit that Apostle. here he means any of his other 13 epistles, which came to Laodicea at that time, but were originally written for another city. Of all the assumptions here, the most likely seems to be that Ap. here he refers to his letter to the Ephesians, which had the character of a district letter and, in all likelihood, came, shortly before the Colossians received the letter from Paul, to the Laodiceans. The latter were supposed to convey this message to the Ephesians to the Colossian church, which could then transmit it to another, neighboring church. In fact, the epistle to the Ephesians has in the canon of the heretic Marcion the inscription: “epistle to the Laodiceans,” and Tertullian, who reports this, adds that Marcion himself changed the inscription of the epistle. In all likelihood, the prevailing belief in Pontus, Marcion's homeland, was that this epistle was intended for the Laodicean church. Α this assumption was probably based on the fact that in Pontus it was actually received from Laodicea, and not from Ephesus (for an analysis of other opinions about the message from Laodicea, see Mukhin pp. 85–90). Col.4:17. Tell Archippus: see that you fulfill the ministry that you have accepted in the Lord. “Archippus” stood in very close relations with the family of Philemon, who was a Colossian (his servant, Onesimus, is called a Colossian - Col. 4:9) and therefore probably also lived in Colosse. While Paul's message was supposed to be received in Colossae, Archippus, according to the Apostle's calculations, should not have been in Colossae, and meanwhile the message to the Colossians had to be, after reading, transferred to Laodicea. Therefore Ap. and instructs the readers to convey to Archippus, upon his return, instructions from the Apostle on the need for greater attention in the performance of his ministry. But what the service of Arkhippus consisted of is unknown. Col. 4:18. Greetings from my hand, Pavlova. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you all. Amen. Ap. signs the message dictated by him with his own hand in order to certify its authenticity (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:2). He asks to remember his bonds in order not to forget about him in your prayers. You might be interested in: