04:01 .. masters .. grant to your slaves justice and fairness .. knowing that you too have a master in heaven 04:02 .. devote yourselves to prayer .. keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving 04:03 .. praying at the same time for us as well .. that God will open up to us a door for the word .. ......... so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ .. for which I have also been imprisoned 04:04 .. that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak 04:05 .. conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders .. making the most of the opportunity 04:06 .. let your speech always be with grace .. as though seasoned with salt .. so that you will know how you should respond to each person
04:07 .. as to all my affairs .. Tychicus .. our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord .. will bring you information 04:08 .. for I have sent him to you for this very purpose .. that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts 04:09 .. and with him Onesimus .. our faithful and beloved brother .. who is one of your number .. they will inform you about the whole situation here 04:10 .. Aristarchus .. my fellow prisoner .. sends you his greetings .. and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark ......... (about whom you received instructions .. if he comes to you .. welcome him) 04:11 .. and also Jesus who is called Justus .. these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision .. ......... and they have proved to be an encouragement to me 04:12 .. Epaphras .. who is one of your number .. a bondslave of Jesus Christ .. sends you his greetings .. always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers .. ......... that you may stand dperfect and fully assured in all the will of God 04:13 .. for I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis 04:14 .. Luke .. the beloved physician .. sends you his greetings .. and also Demas 04:15 .. greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house 04:16 .. when this letter is read among you .. have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans .. and you .. ......... for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea 04:17 .. say to Archippus . . . take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord .. that you may fulfill it 04:18 .. I .. Paul .. write this greeting with my own hand .. remember my imprisonment . . . grace be with you
The friendship and fellowship together of fellow servants in the Lord .. is a great refreshment under the sufferings and difficulties in the way .. It adds much to the beauty and strength of the Gospel ministry when Christ’s servants are loving and not condescending towards one another .. let the people of God pray particularly for those over them in the Lord .. that God may enable them to speak as they ought to speak and that doors of utterance may be opened