Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Colossians: Chapter 4].
4:5 {Toward them that are without} (\pros tous ex•\). A Pauline
phrase for those outside the churches (1Th 5:12; 1Co 5:12f.).
It takes wise walking to win them to Christ. {Redeeming the time}
(\ton kairon exagorazomenoi\). We all have the same time. Paul
goes into the open market and buys it up by using it rightly. See
the same metaphor in Eph 5:16.
4:6 {Seasoned with salt} (\halati •rtumenos\). The same verb
\artu•\ (old verb from \air•\, to fit, to arrange) about salt in
Mr 9:50; Lu 14:34. Nowhere else in the N.T. Not too much salt,
not too little. Plutarch uses salt of speech, the wit which
flavours speech (cf. Attic salt). Our word salacious is this same
word degenerated into vulgarity. Grace and salt (wit, sense) make
an ideal combination. Every teacher will sympathize with Paul's
desire "that ye know how ye must answer each one" (\eidenai p•s
dei humas heni ekast•i apokrinesthai\). Who does know?
4:7 {All my affairs} (\ta kat' eme panta\). "All the things
relating to me." The accusative case the object of \gn•risei\.
The same idiom in Ac 25:14; Php 1:2. {Tychicus} (\Tuchikos\).
Mentioned also in Eph 6:21 as the bearer of that Epistle and
with the same verb \gn•risei\ (future active of \gn•riz•\) and
with the same descriptive epithet as here (\ho agap•tos adelphos
kai pistos diakonos en Kuri•i\, the beloved brother and faithful
minister in the Lord) except that here we have also \kai
sundoulos\ (and fellow-servant). Abbott suggests that Paul adds
\sundoulos\ because he had used it of Epaphras in 1:7. Perhaps
\pistos\ goes with both substantives and means faithful to Paul
as well as to Christ.
4:8 {I have sent} (\epempsa\). Epistolary aorist active
indicative of \pemp•\ as in Eph 6:22. {That ye may know} (\hina
gn•te\). Second aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive of
\gin•sk•\, "that ye may come to know." This the correct text, not
\gn•i\ (third singular). {Our estate} (\ta peri h•m•n\). "The
things concerning us." {May comfort} (\parakales•i\). First
aorist active subjunctive. Proper rendering here and not "may
exhort."
4:9 {Together with Onesimus} (\sun On•sim•i\). Co-bearer of the
letter with Tychicus and praised on a par with him, runaway slave
though he is. {Who is one of you} (\hos estin ex hum•n\). Said
not as a reproach to Colossae for having such a man, but as a
privilege to the church in Colossae to give a proper welcome to
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