Redeeming the Time Colossians 4:5

After asking the Colossian church members to pray for “a door of utterance” be given to him to share the “mystery” of Jesus Christ, Paul the apostle gave a few more instructions to the church about the way they should conduct themselves. In chapter four and verse five, Paul told them to “walk in wisdom” and to be “redeeming the time” where we read:

Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

The verse begins, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without,” Paul's first instruction is “Walk” which means “to make one's way, progress; to make due use of opportunities” “in wisdom” or “in broad and full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters”. They were to do so “toward” or “to, with, and with regard to” “them that are without” which literally means “out of doors”. The idea is toward those who are “outside of the apostleship or Christianity”. The Colossians were not to be ignorant toward those who were outside of the faith and gospel which Paul shared with them, however they were to use their knowledge of the “outsiders' ways” to conduct themselves wisely among them.

The verse goes on to say, “redeeming the time.” “Redeeming” means “to buy up, to buy up for one's self, for one's use” “the time” or “to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own”. The idea is to “buy back or purchase” the time that is allotted and not to waste any time given to them.

As we ponder this verse, let us allow ourselves to think upon those “that are without” and the way we conduct ourselves among them. We must remember at one time we were “without”, and perhaps our wise way of living among them will bring them “within”. Paul knew there were false-teachers among the church in Colosse, and it was imperative that the church members “walk” wisely among them. There was to be no waste of time, and they were to “buy up” every opportunity they had to live as Christians in this world. As an example, if we were to take an hour glass and turn it over so as the sand was to fall through one grain at a time, we would get the sense of “redeeming the time”. As each grain falls through for our lives, we get closer and closer to the time when we expire. The sand doesn't stop flowing until all the grains fall through, and the question is, “What are we doing with our time?” May the Lord help us to “walk” wisely toward those “that are without”, and may we use every grain of sand to live in, be in, and promote the gospel of Jesus Christ before our final grain falls through the narrow passage of time.

Next time Paul instructs the Colossians how to speak so they might answer every man, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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