Proclaiming the Gospel in any Circumstance
3 At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, 4 so that I may make it known as I should. (Colossians 4:3-4)
From verses 3 to 6, Paul focuses on the gospel ministry that believers should participate in. Previously, from verse 2, Paul had believers focus on prayer for themselves. Now, Paul asks the believers at Colossae to pray for him as well as his partners in the ministry, “at the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the Word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may make it known as I should.” It is interesting to note that Paul is not asking for him to be freed from his current imprisonment (in which he is writing this letter), but rather, that while he is in prison, he would have the opportunity to share the gospel, “the mystery of Christ”, which he must proclaim. Paul faithfully used every circumstance as an opportunity to share the gospel, reaching out to his prison guards, fellow prisoners (see Philippians 1:12-13), and even people who are part of Caesar’s family (Philippians 4:22). While many would see being imprisoned as a terrible circumstance, Paul saw that there was a deeper purpose behind it.
Every believer is commissioned by Jesus to share the gospel as seen in Matthew 28:18-20. And from our two verses, we can see that prayer for other believers, such as missionaries, to share the gospel is being a part of that ministry opportunity. May we pray for our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe and locally for opportunities to share the gospel. May we not shy away from making known our prayer requests for one another. And may we boldly proclaim, make clear and plain, the gospel message to the world around us, having that perspective like Paul, seeing that whatever position or circumstance has a purpose under God’s leading.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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