1624 英翻中(歌羅西書11課) Talk is not cheap! 不輕易說話! 24/06/2026

1624 英翻中(歌羅西書11課)              Talk is not cheap!         不輕易說話!            24/06/2026

Chapter 11            (Talk is not cheap!)                               Colossian 4   : 2   -   9   第十一課           ( 不輕易說話!  )                                 歌羅西書 4章 2至9節

        Never underestimate the power of speech.  A judge says a few words, and a man’s life is saved or condemned. A doctor  speaks a few words, and a patient either rejoices ecstatically or gives up in despair. Whether the communication is oral or written, there is great power in words. I am told that for every word in Adolf  Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, 125 persons lost their lives in World War II
永遠不要低估語言的力量。 法官说几句话，一个人的生命得拯救或被谴责。 医生说几句话，病人不是高兴得不得了，就是绝望的放弃。 无论是口头的还是书面的沟通，都有很大的力量。 有人告訴我，阿道夫·希特勒的 “我的奮鬥(Mein Kampf)” 一書中的每一个字都會引起125人在第二次世界大战中丧生。
 
         The power of speech is a gift from God, and it must be used the way God ordains. In the book of James, the tongue is compared to a bridle and a rudder, a fire and a poisonous animal, and a fruitful tree and a fountain (James 3). These three pairs of pictures teach us that the tongue has the power to direct, the power to destroy, and the power to delight. The tongue is but a little member in our bodies, but it can accomplish great things for good or for evil.
說話的能力是上帝的恩赐，必须遵照上帝的指示使用。 在雅各书中，舌头与勒馬的韁繩(bridle)和舵，火和有毒的蛇，結滿果子的树和喷泉相比较(雅 3章)。 这三樣比照告訴我们，舌头有能力指挥，有力量毁灭，以及使人喜悦的能力。 舌头只不過是身体中的小小一部分，但它却可以完成好的或坏的大事。

                 In this brief section, Paul pointed to four important ministries of speech.                                                                         在这简短的章节中，保罗提出四點有關宣教話語的重要。

         Praying (4:2–3a) :  Prayer and worship are perhaps the highest uses of the gift of speech. Paul was not ashamed to ask his friends to pray for him. Even though he was an apostle, he needed prayer support for himself and his ministry. If a great Christian like Paul felt the need for prayer support, how much more do you and I need this kind of spiritual help! In these few words, Paul described the characteristics of a satisfying and spiritual prayer life.
祷告（4：2-3上半段）: 也许話語恩賜最大的用途是在祷告和崇拜上。懇請朋友为他祷告,  從没有感到羞恥過。保罗雖然是使徒，仍需要人为他自己和事工祷告。像保罗这样伟大的信徒如果都觉得需要人的祷告來支持他，你我还能不需要更多的禱告對屬靈的事上加以帮助嗎！保罗在這裡以簡單話語的描述令人满意，和屬靈禱告在生活上的特性

                First, our praying must be faithful. “Continue in prayer” (Col. 4:2). This means, “Be steadfast in your prayer life; be devoted; don’t quit.” This is the way the early church prayed (Acts 1:14; 2:46). Too many of us pray only  occasionally—when we feel like it or when there is a crisis. “Pray without ceasing” is God’s command to us (1 Thess. 5:17). This does not mean that we should walk around muttering prayers under our breath. Rather, it means we should be constantly in fellowship with God so that prayer is as normal to us as breathing.                             首先，祈祷必须有信心。 “不斷的祷告”（西4:2）。意思是“坚定的祷告生活;  誠心的,  永遠不要放棄。"  這是早期教会祷告的模式（徒1:14; 2:46）。太多的人只是偶尔地祷告 ── 就是說当感觉喜愛它的时候，或是在危机的时候。上帝的命令是 “不可停止祷告” （帖前5:17）。这并不是說走著不停喃喃自語的嘟嘟祈祷。確確相反，它意味着应该不断地与上帝相交，祷告對我們像呼吸一样的需要。

          This is not to suggest that God is reluctant to answer prayer and that we must “wear Him out” by our praying. Quite the opposite is true: God enjoys answering our prayers. But He sometimes delays the answer to increase our faith and devotion and to accomplish His purposes at the right time. God’s delays are not always God’s denials. As we continue in prayer, our own hearts are prepared for the answer God will give. We find ourselves growing in grace even before His answer  comes.             不停的禱告並不是要上帝非回答不行的禱告，或我们 “令祂厭煩” 的祈祷。恰恰相反，上帝喜愛回答我们的祷告。但是，有時祂延迟回答,  為的使我们的信心和誠意增加，并在恰恰好的时间完成祂的目的。上帝的拖延并不表示是拒絕。當祷告繼續，我们的心是在准备接受上帝将會回答。有時甚至在祂的回答到達之前，我们便发现自己蒙恩典在成长中。

         Our praying must also be watchful. We must be awake and alert as we pray. The phrase “Watch and pray!” is used often in the Bible. It had its beginning in Bible history when Nehemiah was rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem: “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them [the enemy] day and night” (Neh. 4:9). Jesus used the phrase (Mark 13:33; 14:38); Paul used it too (Eph. 6:18).
祷告時必須也要留意。祈祷一定要清醒和警觉。圣经中常提醒“警覺和祈祷”。当尼希米重建耶路撒冷的城墙和城门时，在圣经历史一開始就說：“然而，當向我们的上帝祷告，祈求昼夜对他们（敌人）进行警覺”（尼 4:9）。耶稣也用这句话（可13:33; 14:38）; 保罗也用这句话（弗6:18）。

         There is no power in dull, listless praying. If there is no fire on the altar, the incense will not rise to God (Ps. 141:2). Real praying demands spiritual energy and alertness, and this can come only from the Holy Spirit of God. Routine prayers are unanswered prayers.
沉闷和不留意的祈祷沒有力量。如果祭坛上没有火，燒的香料其味就不会上升到上帝面前（诗141：2）。真實的祈祷需要屬靈上的能力和警醒，並且只能来自上帝的圣灵。例行的祷告是得不到答复的。

         Our praying should also be thankful: “Watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). Thanksgiving is an important ingredient in successful praying (Phil. 4:6). If all we do is ask, and never thank God for His gifts, we are selfish. Sincere gratitude to God is one of the best ways to put fervor into our praying. 
我們的祷告也要帶感谢：“和感恩的心相稱”（西 4 : 2）。感恩的心是祈祷成功的重要因素（腓 4：6）。如果所做的禱告都是懇求，對上帝永远沒有感恩的心，那是自私的禱告。向上帝致以诚挚的感谢心態，是把热情帶到禱告中最好的办法。
 
        There is always so much to be thankful for! We have already noted the emphasis in Paul’s letter to the Colossians on thanksgiving (Col. 1:3, 12; 2:7; 3:15, 17; 4:2). When we recall that Paul was a prisoner when he wrote this letter, it makes this emphasis even more wonderful.
感谢总是用不完的！ 我們已经注意到,  保罗在给歌罗西书信中所强调他的感恩（西1：3,12; 2：7; 3：15,17：4：2）。他在写这封信时還是囚犯，感恩使他將信寫得更加美好。

         Finally, our praying ought to be purposeful: “Praying also for us” (Col. 4:3). Too often our prayers are vague and general. “Lord, bless the missionaries!” How much better it would be if we would pray for specific needs. By doing so, we would know when God answered and we could praise Him for it. Perhaps it is our lack of faith that causes us to pray generally instead of specifically.
最后，祈祷应该是有目的 : 也是为我们自己祷告“（西4：3）。常常祷告是模糊和不特定性的。 “主啊，祝福传教士！”如果祷告具体一點該会多好。若禱告具体一點，才能知道上帝是否回答，我们可以赞美祂。也许是我们缺乏信心，导致不肯定且不具体地祷告。

         It has well been said that the purpose of prayer is not to get man’s will done in heaven, but to get God’s will done on earth. Prayer is not telling God what to do or what to give. Prayer is asking God for that which He wants to do and give, according to His will (1 John 5:14–15). As we read the Word and fellowship with our Father, we discover His will and then boldly ask Him to do what He has planned. Richard Trench (1807–1886), archbishop of Dublin, said it perfectly:  “Prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance; it is laying hold of His willingness.”
众所周知，祷告的目的不是求人的意念行在天上，而是懇求上帝的旨意行在地上。祷告并不是告诉上帝该做什么或给什么,  而是要依祂的旨意去做祂所要做的事（约壹5：14-15）。我们读圣经和天上的父亲交通的时侯，便知道祂的旨意，而后大胆地懇求祂所计划的事。都柏林(Dublin)大主教理查德·海沟(Richard Trench)（1807-1886）说得好：“祷告不是強行上帝做祂不情愿的; 而是照祂的旨意 “

         Of course, it is possible to pray in our hearts and never use the gift of speech (1 Sam. 1:13), but we are using words even if we don’t say them audibly. True prayer must first come from the heart, whether the words are spoken or not.
誠然，我们心中的祈祷，有可能用不上言语的恩賜（撒上1:13），甚至说出听不見的话，但我们仍在用言语求。真正的祷告必须首先来自內心，不论是否說出。

         Study Paul’s prison prayers (Phil. 1:9–11; Eph. 1:15–23; 3:14–21; Col. 1:9–12) for examples of prayer at its best.
研究保罗的监獄祷告为例（腓1：9-11; 弗1：15-23; 3：14-21;上1：9-12），可以作最好的祷告範例。

         Proclaiming the Word (4:3b–4) :                                                       宣告圣言（4：3下半段及 4節）:

        Paul did not ask for the prison doors to be opened, but that doors of ministry might be opened (1 Cor. 16:9; Acts 14:27). It was more important to Paul that he be a faithful minister than a free man. It is worth noting that in all of Paul’s prison prayers, his concern was not for personal safety or material help, but for spiritual character and blessing.
 保罗并没有要求监狱的大门打开，但是宣教的門却大开（林前16：9; 徒14:27）。更重要的是,  保罗是忠心的宣教士，而不是自由人。值得注意的是，在保罗的所有监獄祷告中，他的关注不是個人身體安全或物质帮助，而是为了屬靈性格和祝福。         

         Paul was in prison because of the “mystery of Christ” which related to the Gentiles (see Eph. 3:1–13). The mystery involved God’s purpose for the Gentiles in relation to Israel; for in the church, Jews and Gentiles are one (Eph. 2:11–22). Read the account of Paul’s arrest in the Jewish temple (Acts 21:18–22:30). Note that the Jews listened to Paul till he spoke the word Gentiles (Acts 22:21–22). It was Paul’s concern for the Gentiles and his ministry to them that put him into prison.
保罗因“基督之奧秘”与外邦人有关連而被监禁（ 參 弗3：1-13）。这奧秘涉及上帝为外邦人与以色列的目的; 因为在教会里，犹太人和外邦人是一體（弗2：11-22）。阅读保罗在犹太教庙堂被捕的记录（徒21：18-22：30）。留意犹太人听保罗的辯護, 一直到他说有關外邦人的话停止（徒22: 21-22）。保罗关心外邦人和对他们的宣教，才使他關进监狱。

         Even among some believing Jews, there was a kind of bigotry that wanted to force the Gentiles into a lower position (Acts 15:1ff.). This extreme legalistic party wanted the Gentiles to become Jews ceremonially before they could become Christians! Paul and Barnabas met this threat to the gospel of grace head-on and the council decided in their favor. But the legalistic party continued to oppose Paul and his ministry. They did not want the good news of the mystery of Christ to get to the Gentiles. They wanted to maintain their air of Jewish superiority.                                                                                       即使在一些相信耶穌的犹太人中間，也有偏执的想法, 要强迫外邦人处于较低的地位（徒15：1比照研讀）。这些极端的律法主义派者特別希望外邦人在成为基督徒之前，要隨從犹太人的律法！保罗和巴拿巴就是在面對恩典的福音時，遇到同样的威胁，但议会給他們優惠。可是，律法主义派者，仍继续反对保罗，和他的宣教事工。他们不希望基督奥秘的好消息達到外邦人。想保持他们的犹太人优越性的。

         How strange that Paul would want God to help him do the very thing that had caused his arrest! He had no intention of giving up his ministry or of changing his message. When John Bunyan was arrested for preaching illegally and put into prison, he was told that he would be released if he promised to stop preaching. “If I am out of prison today,” he replied, “I will preach the gospel again tomorrow, by the help of God.” 
真奇怪! 保罗希望上帝帮助他做使他被捕的事情.  他不打算放弃他的宣教事工，或改變他所講的信息。当约翰·布尼娅(John Bunyan) 因非法传教而被捕时，審判官判決, 如果他答应停止讲道将被释放。 他回答, “如果我今天出狱，明天我仍会在上帝的帮助下，再次传福音。”

         How could Paul share the mystery of Christ when he was a prisoner? Paul’s case was discussed by many people; Paul was also able to witness to the guards to whom he was chained (Phil. 1:12–18). Imagine being chained to the apostle Paul! Through this witness, the gospel was carried into parts of Rome that would have been inaccessible to Paul had he been a free man. There were even “saints in Caesar’s household” (Phil. 4:22)!
保罗在當囚犯的时候，他是怎麼樣分享基督的奥秘呢？许多人讨论过保罗的宣教使命; 保罗之所以能把福音带到罗马,  是在他被囚的時候向與他捆绑在一起的卫兵作见证（腓 1：12-18）。想象一下，使徒保罗作囚犯時的見證！若沒有这些见证，保罗若是自由人，福音能傳到罗马的地方嗎?  凯撒家里甚至都有     “基督圣徒”
（腓 4:22）！
 
        The proclamation of the gospel is empowered by prayer. The Spirit of God uses the Word of God as we come to the throne of grace and ask God for His blessing. We must never separate the Word of God from prayer because God has joined them together (Acts 6:4).
是由於祷告的力量加強福音的廣傳。 當我们来到施恩宝座前，懇求上帝的祝福時, 是聖灵使用上帝的話語。我们决不能将上帝的話与祷告分开，因为上帝已经使聖經和禱告緊密的結合在一起（徒6：4）。

         A visitor at Spurgeon’s Tabernacle in London was being shown around the building by the pastor, Charles Spurgeon.  “Would you like to see the powerhouse of this ministry?” Spurgeon asked, as he showed the man into a lower auditorium. “It is here that we get our power, for while I am preaching upstairs, hundreds of my people are in this room praying.” Is it any wonder that God blessed Spurgeon’s preaching of the Word?                                                                      查理.司布貞牧师正帶著访客, 參觀位于伦敦的司布貞教會。 司布貞牧师問他, “你想看看这教會宣教的動力來源吗？”他把訪客带到礼堂的下面地下室, 然後說, “正是在这里，使宣教得到力量，因为我正在楼上講台讲道時，数以百计的人在这个房间里為我們的宣教祷告。”上帝祝福司布貞牧师的講道是神迹吗？                      

         You, as a church member, can assist your pastor in the preaching of the Word by praying for him. Never say to your pastor, “Well, the least I can do is to pray for you.” The most you can do is to pray! Pray for your pastor as he prepares the Word, studies, and meditates. Pray that the Holy Spirit will give deeper insights into the truths of the Word. Pray too that your pastor will practice the Word that he preaches so that it will be real in his own life. As he preaches the message, pray that the Spirit will give him freedom of utterance, and that the Word will reach into hearts and minds in a powerful way. (It wouldn’t hurt to pray for other church leaders too.)
教会教友應該用祷告来帮助牧师讲道。不要只是说：“我只能做到為牧師祷告。”你能做更多的最好的祈求！例如，为你們的牧师准备講道，研习，和默想聖經祷告。祈求圣灵使他更深入地了解聖經的真理。也要為你们的牧师练习讲道的话语，使他自己的生活变得真实而祷告。当他宣扬信息时，祈祷圣灵釋放他的口，能自由的作話語的，并且使圣經强有力的进入他的心灵。 （也要为其他教会的领袖祷告）。

         The proclaiming of the Word of God is a great privilege and a tremendous responsibility. You do not have to be an ordained preacher or a missionary to share God’s Word. Even in your daily conversation you can drop the seed of the Word into hearts, and then pray that God will water that seed and bring forth fruit.
宣揚上帝的道是基督徒偉大的特权和责任。你不一定要成为传教士或宣教士才能分享上帝的话语。即使在你日常的谈话中，也可以把聖經的种子放在人的心里，然后祈祷上帝的灌浇，長出果实來。

         Witnessing to the Lost (4:5–6) “Them that are without” refers to those who are outside the family of God. Jesus made a distinction between His disciples and those who were outside (Mark 4:11). Paul also made this same distinction (1 Cor. 5:12–13). Those of us who are born again are the “spiritual insiders” because we belong to God’s family and share His life.                                對失丧的人作见证（4：5-6）“失喪的人”是指不在上帝家裡的人。耶稣也是如此的区分祂的使徒和外面的人（可4:11）。保罗也作了同样的区分（林前5：12-13）。我们重生得救的人是“屬靈裡的人”，因为我们是属于上帝的家庭，分享祂的生命。

         However, as Christians, we must never have a sanctified superiority complex. We have a responsibility to witness to the lost around us and to seek to bring them into God’s family. To begin with, we have the responsibility to walk wisely (Col. 4:5). Walk refers, of course, to our conduct in daily life. The unsaved outsiders watch us Christians and are very critical of us. There must be nothing in our lives that would jeopardize our testimony.
可是，有基督信仰者，绝对沒有特別的地域可以成聖。只有盡對我们身边失喪的人作见证的责任，并试图引領他们到上帝的家中.  首先，我们有责任與他們作智慧的行事為人的榜樣（西4:5）。誠然, 作同樣行事為人的榜樣，會顯露我们日常生活中的言行.  不信者會注視基督徒的言行，对我们有非常嚴厲的批评。在生活中應該沒有任何污點會危及聖徒所作的见证。

         This story has often been told about Dr. Will H. Houghton, who pastored the Calvary Baptist Church in New York City and later served as president of Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute till his death in 1946. When Dr. Houghton became pastor of the Baptist Tabernacle in Atlanta, a man in that city hired a private detective to follow Dr. Houghton and report on his conduct. After a few weeks, the detective was able to report to the man that Dr. Houghton’s life matched his preaching. As a result, that man became a Christian. 
经常听到有關霍夫顿博士(Will H. Houghton) 的故事，他是纽约市骷髏地浸信会教堂的牧师，后来担任芝加哥慕迪圣经学院院长，直到1946年去世。當年霍夫顿博士為亚特兰大浸信会的牧师時，城市裡有人聘请了一名私家侦探，跟随霍夫顿博士偵察他的行事为人。几个星期之后，侦探向聘請他的人报告，霍夫顿博士的生活与他的讲道相符合。於是，偵探也信了基督。 

         What does it mean to “walk in wisdom”? For one thing, it means that we are careful not to say or do anything that would make it difficult to share the gospel. It also means we must be alert to use the opportunities God gives us for personal witnessing. “Redeeming the time” means buying up the opportunity (Eph. 5:16). This is a commercial term and pictures the Christian as a faithful steward who knows an opportunity when he sees one. Just as a merchant seizes a bargain when he finds one, so a Christian seizes the opportunity to win a soul to Christ. 
“在智慧中行事為人”是什么意思？一方面，它意味着要小心自己所说的話或所做的事不要影響你分享福音。另外也意味着必须警惕和謹慎的使用上帝賜给我們向个人作见证的机会。 “愛惜光陰”是指把握机会（弗   5:16）。这是商业用语，将基督徒比作忠实的管家，当他看到机会时，他就把握它。正如商人在找到交易的對手时, 便緊緊的抓住，所以當基督徒遇到机会,  就要為耶穌基督赢得他的灵魂。

         Walking in wisdom also includes doing our work, paying our bills, and keeping our promises. We must “walk honestly toward them that are without” (1 Thess. 4:12). A friend of mine went into a store to make a purchase for his church. The salesman asked, “Is _XX__ a member of your church?” My friend said that he was, and the salesman proceeded to tell him how much money that church member owed his store and how difficult it was to get anything from him. It would probably have been futile for my friend to witness to that clerk.
“在智慧中行事為人”还包括我们所做的工作，支付账单，履行承诺。我们必须“诚实地對應這些事項，童叟無欺”（帖前4:12）。我的一位朋友为他的教会购买東西, 进入一家商店。推销员问：“ XX是這教会的會友吗？”我的朋友说他是，推销员便告诉他，他的教会會友欠他商店多少钱，因此, 要向該推销员作見證, 引他歸主該是多么困难。他若對那位店员作见证可能会是徒劳地。                     

         Christians in general and Christian leaders in particular must have “a good report of them which are without” (1 Tim. 3:7). When members of a church are calling a new pastor, they ought to investigate his testimony among his neighbors and the businessmen who know him. Even though unsaved people are in the dark spiritually (2 Cor. 4:3–4), they have a great deal of discernment when it comes to the things of this life (Luke 16:8). It is unfortunate when members of a church call a pastor who has not paid his bills and has left behind a bad witness to unsaved people.
平信徒和教會领袖特别必须有 “好名聲”（提前3：7）。当教会執事打电话给新請的牧师时，他们应该调查他的邻居和知道他的商人。甚至不信的人在屬靈上是黑暗的（林 後4：3-4），在他生活中，他们有很多的洞悉力（路16：8）。不幸的是，教会的会员打电话给没有支付账单的牧师，并为未得救人的人留下了坏的见证。

         It is not enough simply to walk wisely and carefully before unbelievers. We must also talk with them and share the gospel message with them. But we must take care that our speech is controlled by grace, so that it points to Christ and glorifies the Lord. This means we must have grace in our hearts (Col. 3:16), because it is from the heart that the mouth speaks. With grace in our hearts and on our lips, we will be faithful witnesses and not judges or prosecuting attorneys! 
在非信徒之前面，智慧地和小心的行事為人是不够的。也要和他们交谈，向他们分享福音信息。但是，必须注意我们的言语是由恩慈所控制的，因此, 它是指向基督，荣耀主。就是說必须在我们心中有憐憫（西3:16），因为是由心中的念意從口说出。在我们的心中和嘴唇上，憐憫将是忠实的见证人，而不是法官或检察官！

         The Lord Jesus Christ spoke with grace on His lips.  “And all … wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” (Luke 4:22). Among the many statements about Jesus Christ in Psalm 45 (a messianic psalm) is this: “Grace is poured into thy lips” (Ps. 45:2). Even when our Lord was dealing with sin, He spoke words of grace. Our speech is supposed to “minister grace unto the hearers” (Eph. 4:29). But it cannot do that unless we have grace in our hearts and in our words. “Speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15) is God’s ideal for our conversation. Why did Paul add “seasoned with salt” (Col. 4:6)? In that day, salt was used as a preservative as well as a seasoner. We should never say to anyone, “Now, take this with a grain of salt.” We must put the salt into our speech to make sure it is pure and properly seasoned. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth” (Eph. 4:29). Our speech must be pure. Salt was also added to the sacrifices (Lev. 2:13). Perhaps Paul was suggesting that we look on our words as sacrifices offered to God, just as our words of praise are spiritual sacrifices (Heb. 13:15). It would no doubt help us to say the right things in the right manner if we remembered that our words are looked on as sacrifices to God. It is unfortunate when a Christian speaks in a rude or coarse manner, particularly when the unsaved are listening. “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15). Meekness is the opposite of harshness, and fear is the opposite of arrogance. There is no place in a Christian’s conversation for a know-it-all attitude. While we need to have convictions and not compromise, we must also cultivate a gracious spirit of love. The Christian’s walk and talk must be in harmony with each other. Nothing will silence the lips like a careless life. When character, conduct, and conversation are all working together, it makes for a powerful witness. Sharing Burdens (4:7–9) Paul did not spell out the details of his personal situation in this letter. He left it to his two spiritual brothers, Tychicus and Onesimus, to share the burdens with the church in Colosse. This is another wonderful ministry of speech: we can share our needs and burdens with others; then they can encourage and assist us. When Paul left Ephesus, he was accompanied by seven other believers—among them, Tychicus (Acts 20:4). These men were helping Paul deliver the love offering from the Gentile churches to the poor saints in Judea (1 Cor. 16:1; 2 Cor. 8—9). It is possible that Tychicus and Trophimus were the two brethren Paul referred to in his second letter to the Corinthians (see 2 Cor. 8:19–24). Tychicus shared Paul’s Roman imprisonment and no doubt was helpful to him in many ways. Paul chose Tychicus and Onesimus to deliver the Ephesian letter (Eph. 6:21) and the Colossian letter (Col. 4:7–9). Of course, they also took the personal letter to Philemon. Paul instructed Tychicus to share with the Colossian Christians all the details of his situation there in Rome.
主耶稣基督用祂嘴唇說話帶有憐憫。“所有人……都驚訝於從祂嘴裡發出的客氣話”（路加福音4:22）。在詩篇45（彌賽亞詩篇）中有關耶穌基督的許多陳述中，有這樣的話：“恩典倒在祢的嘴唇上”（詩45：2）。即使我們的主在處理罪惡，祂也講恩典的話。我們的講話應該“使聽眾蒙恩”（弗4:29）。但是，除非我們內心和言語充滿恩典，否則它無法做到這一點。 “說出愛中的真理”（弗4:15）是上帝與我們對話的理想選擇。保羅為什麼加上“加鹽調味”（西4：6）？那天，鹽被用作防腐劑和調味料。我們永遠不要對任何人說，“現在，帶一點鹽。”  我們必須在講話中加入鹽，以確保其純正，且調味正確。 “不要讓貪婪的交流從你口中流出來”（弗4:29）。我們的講話必須是純潔的。鹽也加入了犧牲中（利2:13）。保羅也許在暗示我們要把我們的話看成是獻給上帝的犧牲，就像我們的讚美話是屬靈的犧牲一樣（來13:15）。如果我們記得我們的話被視為對上帝的犧牲，那無疑會幫助我們以正確的方式說正確的事情。不幸的是，當基督徒以粗魯或粗魯的方式講話時，特別是當未得救的人輕裝上陣時。 “隨時準備對每一個問你一個因柔和和恐懼而活在你裡面的希望的人的答案”（彼得一書3：15）。溫柔是苛刻的對立面，恐懼是Arrogance的對立面。在基督徒的談話中，沒有一種無所不知的態度。雖然我們需要懷有包容而不是妥協的態度，但我們還必須培養仁慈的愛心。基督徒的走路和說話必須彼此和諧相處。沒有什麼能像粗心的生活那樣使嘴唇安靜。當品格，行為和對話都一起工作時，就可以成為有力的見證人。分擔負擔（4：7-9）保羅在這封信中沒有詳細說明他個人情況的細節。他將其留給了他的兩個屬靈兄弟推基古(Tychicus)和阿西尼母(Onesimus)，與Colosse的教會分擔了重擔。這是另一個出色的演講部：我們可以與他人分享我們的需求和負擔；然後他們可以鼓勵和幫助我們。保羅離開以弗所時，他與其他七位信徒一同在一起-季吉古斯（使徒行傳20：4）。這些人正在幫助保羅把外邦人的愛獻給猶太人（林前16：1; 林后8-9）。保羅在寫給哥林多人的第二封信中提到的兩個弟兄可能是Tychicus和Trophimus（參見   林后8：19-24）。推基古（Tychicus）與保羅一同被羅馬囚禁，無疑在許多方面對他都有幫助。保羅選擇提基古和阿尼西母交付以弗所書（弗6:21）和歌羅西書（古4：7-9）。當然，他們還帶了私人信給腓利門(Philemon)。保羅指推基古與歌羅西基督徒分享他在羅馬的處境的所有細節。

         Paul’s description of Tychicus reveals what a splendid Christian Tychicus really was. He was a beloved brother, willing to stay with Paul even though the situation was difficult. How encouraging it is to have a Christian at your side when everything seems to be against you! Tychicus was also a faithful minister. His love revealed itself in action. He ministered to Paul, and he also ministered for Paul to assist him in his many obligations. Someone has said that the greatest ability in the world is dependability, and this is true. Paul could depend on Tychicus to get the job done. Tychicus was also Paul’s fellow servant. Though he was not an apostle himself, he was assisting Paul in his apostolic ministry. Paul and Tychicus worked together in the service of the Lord. Later, Paul was able to send Tychicus to Crete (Titus 3:12), and then to Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:12). It was not easy for Tychicus to be associated with Paul, the prisoner; for Paul had many enemies. Nor was it easy for Tychicus to travel as he did, assisting Paul in his various tasks. Tychicus did not take the easy way, but rather the right way. Our churches today could use more members like Tychicus! Paul also mentioned Onesimus (“one of you”) who himself came from Colosse. He was the runaway slave who belonged to Philemon and who had been won to Christ through Paul’s ministry in Rome. Paul sent Onesimus back to his master with a letter asking Philemon to receive him and forgive him. It is interesting to note that Paul also called Onesimus faithful and beloved. Onesimus had been a believer only a short time, and yet he had already proved himself to Paul. These two men had a dual ministry to perform: to encourage the Colossian Christians and to inform them about Paul’s situation. Is it wrong for God’s people to share information in this way? Of course not! Paul was not begging for money or asking for sympathy. He wanted the Colossian saints to know his situation so they could pray for him. While it is true that some Christian workers “use” circumstances selfishly to enlist support, this was not true of Paul. He simply wanted his friends in Colosse to know the facts and to support him in prayer. In our home, we receive a number of missionary prayer letters. We read them and try to note the special burdens and needs. In my own private devotions, I use several prayer calendars that help me remember to pray about specific needs for different ministries. I appreciate knowing the facts so that I can intercede in a specific way. I also enjoy getting reports of how God has answered prayer, for this encourages my faith. Praying, proclaiming the Word, witnessing, and sharing burdens—these are four wonderful ministries of speech. How much better it is to be involved in these Colossians ministries than to be using our tongues for gossip, malicious criticism, and other sinful purposes. Let’s make David’s prayer our prayer: “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips” (Ps. 141:3).
保羅對的描述揭示了基督徒推基古的確是多麼出色。他是一個摯愛的兄弟，即使情況困難，他也願意和保羅在一起。當一切似乎都不利於你時，有一個基督徒吧兄弟站在你身邊是多麼令人鼓舞的事情！推基古還是一位忠實的牧師。他的愛在行動中嶄露頭角。他侍奉保羅，也侍奉保羅協助他履行許多義務。有人說過，世界上最大的能力就是可靠性，這是事實。保羅可以依靠推基古來完成工作。推基古也是保羅的僕人。儘管他本人不是使徒，但他正在協助保羅進行他的使徒事工。保羅和推基古為主基督服務而共同努力。後來，保羅得以將推基古派到克里特島（提多書3:12），然後又派到以弗所（以2：4：12）。推基古要與囚犯保羅聯繫起來並不容易。因為保羅有許多敵人。 推基古像他那樣旅行，協助保羅完成各種任務也不容易。 推基古並沒有採取簡單的方法，而是採取了正確的方法。今天我們的教會可以使用更多像推基古這樣的成員！保羅還提到了自己來自歌羅西的阿尼西母（Onesimus，“你們中的一個”）。他是逃亡的奴隸，屬於腓利門(Philemon)，並通過保羅在羅馬的傳道工作贏得了基督的支持。保羅通過他的一封信將阿尼西母送回他的主人，要求腓利門接待他並原諒他。值得一提的是，保羅還稱呼阿尼西母為忠實和被愛的人。阿尼西母只有短時間信主的門徒，但他已經向保羅證明了自己。這兩個人有雙重的事工來執行：鼓勵歌羅西基督徒並向他們通報保羅的處境。上帝的人以這種方式分享信息是錯誤的嗎？當然不是！保羅不是在乞求金錢，也不是在討好別人。他希望歌羅西的聖徒知道他的處境，以便他們可以為他祈禱。雖然確實有一些基督徒工作者自私地   “利用”  環境來爭取支持，但保羅卻並非如此。他只是想讓他在歌羅西的朋友知道事實，並用祈禱支持他。在我們家裡，我們收到了許多傳教士的祈禱信。我們閱讀了它們，並嘗試指出特殊的負擔和需求。在我自己的私人奉獻中，我使用了幾個禱告日曆本，可以幫助我記住為不同部門的特定需求禱告。我很了解這些事實，因此我可以，以一種特定的方式進行求助。我也很高興收到有關上帝如何回應禱告的報導，因為這鼓勵了我的信仰。祈禱，宣講聖言，見證和分擔重擔---這是四個精彩的演講事工。參與這些歌羅西書的這4 個事工，比用我們的舌頭進行背後說人閒話，惡意批評和其他犯罪的閒話要好得多。讓我們以大衛的禱告為我們的禱告：“主耶穌基督阿，請在我的口上按警鈴；把守我嘴唇的門”（詩141：3）。