Colossians 4:5 - Forerunner Commentary

Colossians 4:5

3 ^ameanwhile praying also for us, that God would ^bopen to us a door for the word, to speak ^cthe mystery of Christ, ^dfor which I am also in chains,

4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

5 ^aWalk in ^bwisdom toward those who are outside, ^credeeming the time.

6 Let your speech always be ^awith grace, ^bseasoned with salt, ^cthat you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Final Greetings

7 ^aTychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

8 ^aI am sending him to you for this very purpose, that¹ he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts,

Commentaries:

No entry exists in Forerunner Commentary for Colossians 4:5.

Colossians 4:5-6

We see a bit of this in Colossians 4. So let us go back there, where Paul actually uses salt in this way, which gives it actually an edge on the preservation one. Preservation by salt is not used in the Bible, but at least flavor of salt is.

As I said, the Bible includes this interpretation of salt as adding flavor and seasoning to a wicked world. Our conduct here, specifically our speech, makes a witness for God by the way we live and speak in a godly, gracious way. Is this what Christ meant when He said that? "Be the salt of the earth, be the flavor of the earth, be the seasoning of the earth, be the spice of the earth." Ah, perhaps. But I do not want to say this is the one. Because salt has other possible metaphorical interpretations. We have only just started.

Excerpted from Matthew 5:13: 'What is the Salt of the Earth?' by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

<< Colossians 4:4

Colossians 4:6 >>