4:1 {That which is just and equal} (to dikaion kai tēn isotēta). Paul changes from to ison (like to dikaion, neuter singular adjective with article for abstract idea) to the abstract substantive isotēs, old word, in N.T. only here and 2Co 8:13f. If employers always did this, there would be no labour problem.
{A Master in heaven} (Kurion en ouranōi). A wholesome reminder to the effect that he keeps his eye on the conduct of masters of men here towards their employees.

4:2 {Continue steadfastly} (proskartereite). See Mr 3:9; Ac 2:42,46 for this interesting word from pros and karteros (strong), common in the "Koinē".
{Watching} (grēgorountes). Present active participle of grēgoreō, late present made on perfect active stem egrēgora with loss of e-, found first in Aristotle.

4:3 {Withal} (hama). At the same time.
{That God may open} (hina ho theos anoixēi). Common use of hina and the subjunctive (aorist), the sub-final use so common in the N.T. as in the "Koinē".
{A door for the word} (thuran tou logou). Objective genitive, a door for preaching. It is comforting to other preachers to see the greatest of all preachers here asking prayer that he may be set free again to preach. He uses this figure elsewhere, once of a great and open door with many adversaries in Ephesus (1Co 16:9), once of an open door that he could not enter in Troas (2Co 2:12).
{The mystery of Christ} (to mustērion tou Christou). The genitive of apposition, the mystery which is Christ (2:2), one that puts out of comparison the foolish "mysteries" of the Gnostics.
{For which I am also in bonds} (di' ho kai dedemai). Perfect passive indicative of deō. Paul is always conscious of this limitation, this chain. At bottom he is a prisoner because of his preaching to the Gentiles.

4:4 {As I ought to speak} (hōs dei me lalēsai). Wonderful as Paul's preaching was to his hearers and seems to us, he was never satisfied with it. What preacher can be?

4:5 {Toward them that are without} (pros tous exō). 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 ērtumenos). The same verb artuō (old verb from airō, 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 pōs dei humas heni ekastōi 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 gnōrisei. 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 gnōrisei (future active of gnōrizō) and with the same descriptive epithet as here (ho agapētos adelphos kai pistos diakonos en Kuriōi, 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 pempō as in Eph 6:22.
{That ye may know} (hina gnōte). Second aorist (ingressive) active subjunctive of ginōskō, "that ye may come to know." This the correct text, not gnōi (third singular).
{Our estate} (ta peri hēmōn). "The things concerning us."
{May comfort} (parakalesēi). First aorist active subjunctive. Proper rendering here and not "may exhort."

4:9 {Together with Onesimus} (sun Onēsimōi). 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 humōn). 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 this returning converted slave and to treat him as a brother as Paul argues to Philemon.

4:10 {Aristarchus} (Aristarchos). He was from Thessalonica and accompanied Paul to Jerusalem with the collection (Ac 19:29; 20:4) and started with Paul to Rome (Ac 27:2; Phm 1:24). Whether he has been with Paul all the time in Rome we do not know, but he is here now.
{My fellow-prisoner} (ho sunaichmalōtos mou). One of Paul's compounds, found elsewhere only in Lucian. Paul uses it of Epaphras in Phm 1:23, but whether of actual voluntary imprisonment or of spiritual imprisonment like sunstratiōtes (fellow-soldier) in Php 2:25; Phm 1:2 we do not know. Abbott argues for a literal imprisonment and it is possible that some of Paul's co-workers (sun-ergoi) voluntarily shared imprisonment with him by turns.
{Mark} (Markos). Once rejected by Paul for his defection in the work (Ac 15:36-39), but now cordially commended because he had made good again.
{The cousin of Barnabas} (ho anepsios Barnabā). It was used for "nephew" very late, clearly "cousin" here and common so in the papyri. This kinship explains the interest of Barnabas in Mark (Ac 12:25; 13:5; 15:36-39).
{If he come unto you, receive him} (ean elthēi pros humas dexasthe auton). This third class conditional sentence (ean and second aorist active subjunctive of erchomai) gives the substance of the commands (entolas) about Mark already sent, how we do not know. But Paul's commendation of Mark is hearty and unreserved as he does later in 2Ti 4:11. The verb dechomai is the usual one for hospitable reception (Mt 10:14; Joh 4:45) like prosdechomai (Php 2:29) and hupodechomai (Lu 10:38).

4:11 {Jesus which is called Justus} (Iēsous ho legomenos Ioustos). Another illustration of the frequency of the name Jesus (Joshua). The surname Justus is the Latin "Justus" for the Greek Dikaios and the Hebrew "Zadok" and very common as a surname among the Jews. The name appears for two others in the N.T. (Ac 1:23; 18:7).
{Who are of the circumcision} (hoi ontes ek peritomēs). Jewish Christians certainly, but not necessarily Judaizers like those so termed in Ac 11:3 (hoi ek peritomēs. Cf. Ac 35:1,5).
{These only} (houtoi monoi). "Of the circumcision" (Jews) he means.
{A comfort unto me} (moi parēgoria). Ethical dative of personal interest. Parēgoria is an old word (here only in N.T.) from parēgoreō, to make an address) and means solace, relief. A medical term. Curiously enough our word paregoric comes from it (parēgorikos).

4:12 {Epaphras who is one of you} (Epaphrās ho ex humōn). See 1:7 for previous mention of this brother who had brought Paul news from Colossae.
{Always striving for you} (pantote agōnizomenos huper hēmōn). See 1:29 of Paul.
{That ye may stand} (hina stathēte). Final clause, first aorist passive subjunctive (according to Aleph B) rather than the usual second aorist active subjunctives (stēte) of histēmi (according to A C D).
{Fully assured} (peplērophorēmenoi). Perfect passive participle of plērophoreō, late compound, for which see Lu 1:1; Ro 14:5.

4:13 {And for them in Hierapolis} (kai tōn en Hierāi Polei). The third of the three cities in the Lycus Valley which had not seen Paul's face (2:1). It was across the valley from Laodicea. Probably Epaphras had evangelized all three cities and all were in peril from the Gnostics.

4:14 {Luke, the beloved physician} (Loukas ho iatros ho agapētos). Mentioned also in Phm 1:24; 2Ti 4:11. The author of the Gospel and the Acts. Both Mark and Luke are with Paul at this time, possibly also with copies of their Gospels with them. The article here (repeated) may mean "my beloved physician." It would seem certain that Luke looked after Paul's health and that Paul loved him. Paul was Luke's hero, but it was not a one-sided affection. It is beautiful to see preacher and physician warm friends in the community.
{Demas} (Dēmas). Just his name here (a contraction of Demetrius), but in 2Ti 4:10 he is mentioned as one who deserted Paul.

4:15 {Nymphas} (Numphan). That is masculine, if autou (his) is genuine (D E K L) after kat' oikon, but Numpha (feminine) if autēs (her) is read (B 67). Aleph A C P read autōn (their), perhaps including adelphous (brethren) and so locating this church (ekklēsia) in Laodicea. It was not till the third century that separate buildings were used for church worship. See Ro 16:5 for Prisca and Aquila. It is not possible to tell whether it is "her" or "his" house here.

4:16 {When this epistle hath been read among you} (hotan anagnōsthēi par' humin hē epistolē). Indefinite temporal clause with hotan (hote an) and the first aorist passive subjunctive of anaginōskō. The epistle was read in public to the church (Re 1:3).
{Cause that} (poiēsate hina). Same idiom in Joh 11:37; Re 13:15. Old Greek preferred hopōs for this idiom. See 1Th 5:27 for injunction for public reading of the Epistle. {That ye also read} (kai humeis anagnōte). Second aorist active subjunctive of anaginōskō, to read.
{And the epistle from Laodicea} (kai tēn ek Laodikias). The most likely meaning is that the so-called Epistle to the Ephesians was a circular letter to various churches in the province of Asia, one copy going to Laodicea and to be passed on to Colossae as the Colossian letter was to be sent on to Laodicea. This was done usually by copying and keeping the original. See Eph 1:1 for further discussion of this matter.

4:17 {Take heed} (blepe). Keep an eye on.
{Thou hast received in the Lord} (parelabes en Kuriōi). Second aorist active indicative of paralambanō, the verb used by Paul of getting his message from the Lord (1Co 15:3). Clearly Archippus had a call "in the Lord" as every preacher should have.
{That thou fulfil it} (hina autēn plērois). Present active subjunctive of plēroō, "that thou keep on filling it full." It is a life-time job.

4:18 {Of me Paul with mine own hand} (tēi emēi cheiri Paulou). More precisely, "with the hand of me Paul." The genitive Paulou is in apposition with the idea in the possessive pronoun emēi, which is itself in the instrumental case agreeing with cheiri. So also 2Th 3:17; 1Co 16:21.
{My bonds} (mou tōn desmōn). Genitive case with mnemoneuete (remember). The chain (en halusei Eph 6:20) clanked afresh as Paul took the pen to sign the salutation. He was not likely to forget it himself