THE K I N G ’ S BUS I NESS must go “ thanksgiving” (cf. Phil. 4: 6). With prayer for new blessings must go thanksgiving for the blessings already received. We must watch “ in (the) thanksgiving” (that is the force of the Greek). Some are more watchful in the prayer than in the thanksgiving. Thanksgiving feeds the name of faith. With their prayers Paul requests them to couple prayers for himself and companions. Paul never wrote to but one church that he did not ask them to pray for him. That was the back slidden church in Galatia. Paul was what he was because of the prayers of God’s people. The especial thing that Paul asks them to pray for regarding him and his companions was that “ a door for the word” might be opened to them by God Himself (cf. Eph. 6:19). Paul was in prison when he wrote these words, but even there he longed for “ a door for the word.” He found it. It seemed a very unlikely place for “ a door for the word” to be opened, but it was opened. God answered this prayer (cf. Phil. 1:12-18). Are we as anxious as Paul was to find “ a door for- the word” wherever we go? What he wished to speak when this “ door for the word” should be opened was “ the mys tery of Christ,” i. e., God’s revealed sec ret all summed up in one word, Christ (cf. ch. 1 :2 7 ;-2 :2 ; R. V.). All the great secret of God hidden from all generations but now made known (Eph. 3 :5), is wrapped up in Christ. To know Him is to know it all. It was for the sake of this mystery of God that Paul was now in bonds. Because of his faithfulness in declaring this mystery, viz., Christ, he had been arrested and imprisoned (Acts 21:28-36). Paul urged them to pray God to open this “ door for the word” “ to speak the mys tery of Christ,” in order that he might “ make it manifest as he ought to speak.” (cf. Eph. 6:20). Even Paul would not speak as he “ ought” unless sustained by the prayers of fellow Christians. How all important is prayer for ministers of the Word! SUNDAY, Dec. 15. Col. 4:5, 6. Paul here urges upon the saints in Colossae the importance of a wise wallu toward the unsaved, “ them that are without.” Indiscreet conduct toward unsaved people has caused many of them to blaspheme. There must be no waste of time. The fast flying oppor tunity of bringing “ them that are with
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out” into the fold must be bought up at any cost (v. 5, R. Y. Margin). How unwisely many of us are walking toward them that are without in this tespect. So far from “ buying up the opportunity” , we are letting it slip every day. In “ redeeming the time” or “ buying up the opportunity” nothing is more important than our words. Therefore Paul says, “ let your speech (literally, word)- be always with (rather, in) grace.” That is, grace should always be the atmosphere of our conversation, no idle words (cf. Matt. 12:36), no words that are, not the fruit 6f grace. Our speech also should be “ seasoned with salt.” Salt both gives savor to food and preserves it from cor ruption, and Christian speech should be both palatable by its wisdom and free from corruption (cf. Matt. 5:13). Christian speech should be neither insipid nor in the least measure putrid (cf. Eph. 4:29). If oUr speech is “ in grace” and “ seasoned with the salt” of Divine wisdom, we shall know “ how we ought to answer each one,” whether his question be asked in honest inquiry or merely to puzzle us. MONDAY, Dec. 16. Col. 4:7-9. This letter, like that to the Ephesians, was carried- by Tychicus (cf. Eph. 6: 21, 22). The details of Paul’s affairs werq left for Tychicus to tell by word of mouth from his own personal knowledge. Paul speaks of Tychicus in terms of highest commendation. He was “ the beloved brother” and “ faith ful minister.” The word “ minister” points to him as Paul’s official servant. In this position, much like that which Elisha occupied as regards Elijah and Gehazi as regards Elisha (cf. 1 Kings 19:21; 2 Kings 5:20), Tychicus had proved himself “ faithful.” Though Tychicus was a “ minister” or servant of Paul, Paul puts him on a level with himself as a “fellow-servant (bond servant)’’ : they were both alike bond- servants of Christ. It was “ in the Lord” that he was a “ beloved brother,” and “ faithful minister” and “ fellow servant.” That is to say, the Lord Jesus was the sphere in which all these relations moved, it was in vital union with Him that he was these three things. Paul had sent Tychicus for the very purpose of telling to the saints in Colossae (and in Ephesus, cf. Eph. 6:21, 22) just how things were with him. In this way he would comfort
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