Except for These ChainsSýnishorn

Being in prison means being physically captive, without the freedom to move around. In the letter written to the church in Colosse, Paul warns against other forms of captivity that can affect people outside prison: thoughts, mindsets, human philosophy, and human rules and regulations. He also asks for prayer to witness in prison and encourages Christians to speak out clearly.

Philosophy, “love of wisdom”, was particularly important in the Greek-speaking world in which Paul lived. The early church was vulnerable to the influence of those who prized their own knowledge and wisdom, and shared it only with their inner circle, looking down on all the others. This is why Paul wrote: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8).

A life based on human tradition can never be truly free. Jesus showed the way to those who wanted to become His disciples: If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:31,32). We find truth in the teaching of the Bible, the written Word of God which speaks of Christ, the Living Word of God. There are also many forms of spirituality in the world, which Paul calls “elemental spiritual forces”. These can seem attractive but do not solve the problem of sin which separates us from God.

In this letter, Paul not only writes about paying attention to what we hear but also about the importance of speaking out clearly. He asks the church to pray for him so that he might have opportunities to witness to the very thing that put him in prison – the Gospel of Jesus Christ – and proclaim it in a convincing and understandable way. His advice to the Colossians is valid for us today, whatever our circumstances. Our conversation is to be always full of Grace. The Christian message is all about the Grace (unmerited favor) of God towards sinners. This should be the main thrust of our testimony. But our words should also be seasoned with salt – without avoiding the fact that humankind is under the Judgment of God for sin and that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), including the people we are talking to.