Chapter 4

Fellow Workers

1 Masters, grant to your slaves justice and fairness, aknowing that you too have a Master in heaven.

2 aDevote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;

3 praying at the same time afor us as well, that God will open up to us a bdoor for cthe word, so that we may speak forth dthe mystery of Christ, for which I have also ebeen imprisoned;

4 that I may make it clear ain the way I ought to speak.

5 1aConduct yourselves with wisdom toward boutsiders, 2cmaking the most of the opportunity.

6 aLet your speech always be 1with grace, as though seasoned with bsalt, so that you will know how you should crespond to each person.

7 aAs to all my affairs, bTychicus, our cbeloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information.

8 aFor I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may bencourage your hearts;

9 1and with him aOnesimus, our faithful and bbeloved brother, cwho is one of your number. They will inform you about the whole situation here.

10 aAristarchus, my bfellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also cBarnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received 1instructions; dif he comes to you, welcome him);

11 and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only afellow workers for the kingdom of God bwho are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

12 aEpaphras, bwho is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always claboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may 1stand 2dperfect and 3fully assured in all the will of God.

13 For I testify for him that he has 1a deep concern for you and for those who are in aLaodicea and Hierapolis.

14 aLuke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also bDemas.

15 Greet the brethren who are in aLaodicea and also 1Nympha and bthe church that is in 2her house.

16 aWhen 1this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part aread 1my letter that is coming from bLaodicea.

17 Say to aArchippus, “Take heed to the bministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may 1fulfill it.”

18 1I, Paul, awrite this greeting with my own hand. bRemember my 2cimprisonment. dGrace be with you.