Colossians 4:5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He said this not because he wanted them to be changeable and hypocritical. Such qualities belong not to wisdom, but to folly.

What then does he mean? Do not allow yourselves, he says, to be caught in matters that cause no harm.

He also says this in the Epistle to the Romans: “Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Rom 13:7).

Let your struggle with them, he says, be only for the sake of the preaching. It must arise from no other cause.

If we are at enmity with them over anything else, for example, if we do not pay taxes, or do not render proper honors, or are not humble, then we shall have no reward.

They themselves, our enemies, will become worse, and their accusations against us will appear just.

Do you not see how yielding Paul was when nothing harmed the preaching? Listen to the words he spoke to Agrippa: “I consider myself fortunate that today I may make my defense before you against all the accusations of the Jews.

“Especially because you know all customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently” (Acts 26:2–3).

If he had considered it necessary to speak insulting words to the ruler, he would have ruined the whole matter.

Listen also to the moderation with which those who were with blessed Peter answered the Jews: “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Although men who had resolved to lay down their souls could have spoken boldly and done whatever they wished, they had resolved to sacrifice their lives not out of vainglory. That would indeed have been vainglory.

They did so in order to preach and to speak boldly about everything. Vainglory, however, shows a lack of modesty. See also verse 6.

“Redeeming the time.” He said this not because he wished us to be changeable or hypocritical, but because the time is not ours, but theirs.

Yet you can make it yours if you deal wisely with them. Do not begin untimely quarrels. Instead, give them fitting honor when this does not harm your soul.

Listen to his words spoken to Agrippa: “I consider myself fortunate that today I may make my defense before you” (Acts 26:2). Thus we shall make outsiders our own, drawing them to the preaching by gentleness.

One must behave differently with the powerful of this world, differently with those of middle rank, and differently with the lowly. One must act differently with the meek and with the angry, to whom one must yield. This is what it means to redeem the time.

“That is, be cautious, giving no occasion to catch you. For this reason he added, ‘toward those who are outside,’ so that we may know that we need less caution toward our own members than toward strangers.

“Among brethren there is more forbearance and love. Yet caution is needed even here, and much more among strangers. To live among adversaries and enemies is not the same as to live among friends.

“Let your struggle with them be only for the sake of the preaching. It must arise from no other cause.

“If you are at enmity with them over anything else, for example, if we do not pay taxes, or do not render proper honors, or are not humble, then we shall have no reward.

“They themselves will become worse, and their accusations will have the appearance of justice.”

According to the explanation of blessed Theodoret, the Apostle Paul speaks as if saying, “Let your word be pleasant, anointed, that is, grace-filled, having a tone that gladdens and rejoices.

“Yet let it not fall into indiscretion and lack of restraint, but let it also be disciplined. For this is what salt means, namely prudence.

“If food is unsalted, it is unpleasant. If it is over-salted, one cannot even put it in the mouth. In both cases it is not edible. So it is also with speech.”

“Teaching must be offered one way to an unbeliever and another to a believer, one way to the perfect and another to the imperfect, one way to the weak and another to the healthy” (blessed Theodoret).

“The Apostle teaches that speech about the faith should be begun in a suitable place and at a favorable time. Before those who rise up with fury, it is better to yield, withholding oneself for a time. In such a case, by yielding you conquer” (Ambrosiaster).

“Let each act so that, on the one hand, by his manner of action he does not provoke pagans against himself, and through himself against the whole Christian community.

“On the other hand, he must not miss an occasion to draw to the faith those who show a disposition toward it and may come to believe” (Bishop Theophan).

Wisdom in walking toward such people is prudent association with them when, according to the order of social and civil life, it becomes necessary to enter into relations with them. “By wisdom here the Apostle means prudence, and he commands them to conduct themselves prudently toward those outside” (Blessed Theophylact).

The words “redeeming the time” indicate what such prudence should consist in. To redeem the time means to act prudently, taking account of the circumstances and demands of the time. More directly one may express it thus: let each act so that, on the one hand, he does not by his manner of action provoke pagans against himself, and through himself against the whole Christian community.

On the other hand, let him not miss an occasion to draw to the faith those who show a disposition toward it and may come to believe. “Do not give them,” says the Apostle, “any occasion for harm to yourselves and to the Church, but use every means for their salvation” (Blessed Theodoret).

Chrysostom says: “What Christ said to the disciples, the Apostle Paul now suggests. What does Christ say? ‘Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves’ (cf. Mt 10:16). That is, be cautious, giving them no occasion to catch you.

For this reason he added, ‘toward those outside,’ so that we may know that in relation to our own members we do not need as much caution as in relation to strangers. Among brethren there is more condescension and love. Yet here too caution is needed, and it is still more needed among strangers, because living among adversaries and enemies is not the same as living among friends.

‘Redeeming the time,’ he says. He did not say this because he wanted them to be changeable and hypocritical, for these qualities belong not to wisdom, but to madness. What then? Do not let yourselves be caught, he says, in matters that you can fulfill without harm to yourselves.

He says this also in the Epistle to the Romans: ‘Render to all their due: tax to whom tax, custom to whom custom, honor to whom honor’ (cf. Rom 13:7). Let your struggle with them be only because of the preaching. It must not arise from any other cause.

For if we are at enmity with them over anything else, for example if we do not pay taxes, if we do not render fitting honors, or if we are not humble, then we will have no reward. They themselves, that is, our enemies, will become worse, and their accusations against us will appear just.

Do you not see how accommodating Paul himself was when this in no way harmed the preaching? Listen to his words spoken to Agrippa: ‘I think myself happy that I shall answer for myself before thee today, especially because thou art expert in all customs and questions among the Jews’ (Acts 26:2-3).

But if he had considered it necessary to speak offensive words to a ruler, he would have spoiled the whole matter. Listen also with what moderation those who were with blessed Peter answered the Jews: ‘We must obey God rather than men’ (Acts 5:29).

Although men resolved to lay down their souls could have spoken more boldly, yet since they resolved to sacrifice their life not out of vainglory, they spoke modestly. They preserved the whole force of boldness only for the preaching.”