Jesus gives every believer a mission to help others know him. In Colossians 4:2-18, Paul closes his letter with three callings. Followers of Jesus are called to devote themselves to prayer, especially for the spread of the gospel. They are called to live wisely and speak graciously toward people outside the church. And they are called to complete the ministry God has given them, just like the ordinary believers Paul names at the end of the letter. The mission isn’t only for professionals. It’s for all of us.
Setting the Scene in Colossians 4:2-18
Paul has just finished the household section, showing how Jesus transforms marriage, family, and work (Colossians 3:22-4:1). Now his focus widens from the home to the world. The letter that began with thanksgiving and prayer for the Colossians (Colossians 1:1-14) ends with prayer, mission, and a long list of friends.
The whole book has argued that Jesus is supreme and that he is enough. Believers don’t need secret knowledge, extra rituals, or mystical experiences to be complete in him. But a people who have everything they need in Jesus don’t just sit back and enjoy it. They share it. People without a purpose often feel that life is pointless. Jesus gives his people a mission that is deeply meaningful because it is about people.
Devote Yourselves to Prayer
The first calling is prayer.
Colossians 4:2-4 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
“Devote yourselves” translates a word that means to persist or keep at something steadily. It’s the same word Luke uses for the first believers, who devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, and prayer (Acts 2:42). Paul adds two qualities. Being “watchful” means staying alert, the opposite of drifting through prayer half asleep. Some commentators hear an echo of Jesus urging his disciples to watch and pray in Gethsemane. Being “thankful” is a theme that runs through the whole letter (Colossians 1:12; 2:7; 3:15-17).
Notice what Paul asks for. He is in chains, yet he doesn’t ask them to pray for his release. He asks them to pray that God will open a door for the message about Christ and that he will proclaim it clearly. The “mystery of Christ” is the plan God kept hidden for ages and has now revealed: Christ in you, the hope of glory, offered to Jews and Gentiles alike (Colossians 1:24-2:5). Paul was imprisoned for that message, traditionally in Rome, though some scholars suggest Ephesus or Caesarea. Either way, his top priority wasn’t comfort. It was the gospel.
We can pray the same way. Many churches encourage members to pick one missionary and one pastor to pray for regularly. Missionaries often say that knowing people are praying for them and hearing from them makes all the difference on hard days.
Wise Toward Outsiders
The second calling is about how believers live among people who don’t follow Jesus.
Colossians 4:5-6 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
“Make the most of every opportunity” literally means buying up the time. Picture a shopper snapping up a bargain before it’s gone. Opportunities to show and share the love of Jesus are valuable and don’t last forever. Paul wants believers to be wise, because careless words and behavior can make Jesus look unattractive to the very people he loves.
Our conversation should be “full of grace, seasoned with salt.” Grace means kindness and generosity, even with people who disagree with us. Salt adds flavor and keeps food from spoiling. In the ancient world, salt was also used as a picture of wit and interesting speech. Christians shouldn’t be bland or harsh. Their words should make people want to keep talking. This is especially important on social media, where it’s easy to complain, mock, or pick fights. What if, for one week, you only used your online voice to encourage? Or met a neighbor you’ve never talked to, or met a practical need? These are ways of representing Jesus, not just our opinions.
The Team Behind the Letter
Many people skip the greetings at the end of Paul’s letters. That’s a mistake. These names show that the mission was carried out by ordinary people.
Colossians 4:7-9 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
Tychicus was a trusted coworker from the province of Asia who also carried Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 6:21). Onesimus was the runaway slave now returning to Colossae as a “faithful and dear brother.” Only months earlier, he had been a fugitive. Now Paul calls him “one of you.” That’s what the gospel does.
Colossians 4:10-14 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.
Aristarchus was a believer from Thessalonica who was caught up in a riot in Ephesus and later sailed with Paul toward Rome (Acts 19:29; 27:2). Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, is the same John Mark who had abandoned Paul on his first missionary journey and caused a sharp split between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:37-39). Now he was back on Paul’s team, a beautiful story of restoration. Later Paul would call him helpful in his ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). Epaphras, who first brought the gospel to Colossae, was still wrestling in prayer for the churches in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis, the three neighboring towns of the Lycus Valley. Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts, is called a doctor only here. Demas is mentioned without comment. Sadly, Paul later wrote that Demas deserted him because he loved this world (2 Timothy 4:10). Even on Paul’s team, faithfulness had to be chosen day by day.
Pass It On and Finish the Work
Paul closes with final instructions.
Colossians 4:15-18 Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.” I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Nympha hosted a church in her home. For the first few centuries, most churches met in houses. Paul also tells the Colossians to swap letters with the church in Laodicea. We don’t know for sure what the letter from Laodicea was. It may have been lost, and some scholars suggest it could be the letter we call Ephesians, which may have circulated among several churches. Either way, it shows that Paul’s letters were meant to be shared and read publicly from the very beginning.
Then comes a message for one man. Archippus is also mentioned in Philemon 2 as a “fellow soldier.” We don’t know exactly what ministry he received, but Paul wanted the whole church to encourage him to complete it. Most of us have never heard of Archippus. That’s the point. God uses ordinary people to carry out his mission. You could put your own name in that verse.
Finally, Paul took the pen from the scribe who had been writing for him and signed the letter in his own hand, a mark of authenticity he mentions in other letters too (2 Thessalonians 3:17). His last words are short: remember my chains, and grace be with you.
What This Means for Us
Jesus gave every follower the same commission before he ascended.
Matthew 28:19-20 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
The Great Commission isn’t multiple choice. Every follower of Jesus has a sphere of influence: family, friends, coworkers, classmates, neighbors. Making disciples starts with entering people’s world, asking good questions about their lives, and looking for ways to bless them. It continues as we help them follow Jesus step by step. If you’ve never been mentored in your faith, ask for a mentor. If you have, consider mentoring someone else. And if you’re still exploring who Jesus is, his mission starts with an invitation to you. How can I become a Christian?
The Takeaway
What mission does Jesus give every believer? To help others know him. Colossians 4:2-18 calls us to devote ourselves to prayer for the spread of the gospel, to live wisely and speak graciously toward outsiders, and to complete the ministry God has given us. Because Jesus is enough, we have something worth sharing, and ordinary people like us get to share it.
