Pass the Salt
Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be always with grace, having been seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
Nowadays using salt is considered bad for our blood pressure, but in ancient times, salt was valued, traded. A seasoning of worth. Salt is a preservative, something to prevent food from spoiling in a time when refrigeration was not available. In ancient times, salt was a symbol of covenant. Treaties ratified with salt were unable to be broken. In Leviticus, we see that the Levites were to season each sacrifice with salt. Indeed, the term for it was salt of the covenant of God. A covenant not to be broken. Mark 9:49 For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. Everyone of us believers is in covenant with God through the blood of Christ.
So then what does it mean to have your speech seasoned with salt? We are under a covenant of salt with the Lord. All of our actions and words should reflect Him. He is glorified by what we do. Sometimes we are the only “bible” someone sees. Our words need to be spoken with the love of Christ. Our words should be given to us by the Holy Spirit when we witness. Our words are to be tempered, seasoned if you will, by our Lord. When we answer each one regarding the Blessed Hope we have in Christ, it should be His words we speak, words given to us by the Holy Spirit, spoken gently in love. Seasoned with salt.
on November 17th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Jade,
I was just about to read your post, and I read the verse Col 4:6. I have a mind that is very geared towards apologetics, the defense of the faith. The most common verse quoted by apologists for their focus, is 1 Pet 3:15:
15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;
In that verse the emphasis is on what to do - make a defense. The greek word for defense there, is ‘apologían’. It is a defense, such as in a court of law. In fact, it is the same word used in Acts 25:16, where Paul uses it in exactly that sense.
Up until now, I have always seen the Collossians verse, in the same light, and exhortation about answering people’s objections or questions.
For some reason, I stuck on one word this time in that verse, that I blew by other times. The word is ‘how’ (poós in Greek).
“that you may know how you ought to answer”
As an apologist, I know “how” - you study and give them good factual information. However, that is not at all what is being said here, and that is what I missed before, This how, is not about the substance of your answer, it is about the manner in which you answer. The context, now that I look at it, makes that obvious, but I just never noticed before.
The instruction here, is direction one to be gentle, to “Let your speech always be with grace”. Grace, is about kindness undeserved. A graceful answer, is kind, patient, not prideful, not combative. It is one of giving respect to the person, even if you do not respect their position. It is about the idea, that you catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar, though I was never sure why I would want to catch flies.
The 1st Peter passage, gives this same instruction, though less emphasized:
“yet with gentleness and reverence”. And the next verse, give the reason and the hoped for result:
1 Peter 3:16
so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
The idea here, is to be on your best behavior, so that your conduct, can not be criticized, and any who do so, should be ashamed to do so.
Surely, there are times, when angry passion is appropriate, the Lord Himself, incarnate Love, got angry at people sometimes. No shame in that, when it is called for, but in dialogue on a day to day basis, you generally want to make yourself, and by implication Christianity, attractive. We are not trying to repel people.
While this is not a direct commentary on your post, it does show that sometimes, the right words, can have an unexpected relsult. There is power in words, and in the words of the bible, there is great power, life changing power.
Thank you, for being in the right place, at the right time.
Bye the way, I enjoyed your post, it was very good. I would like to encourage people to not just read a verse when you see it, but mine the verse, there is gold there. Leave your preconceptions behind, and let it speak to you.
Omegaman
on January 2nd, 2008 at 1:26 am
thank you for this post! and wonderful comment omegaman!
i am encouraged
on March 22nd, 2008 at 3:58 am
Thanks for your posts jade and omega
I agree with what you`s are saying.. I can only add that my understanding of salt ..has meant positiveness
Jedidiah
on May 2nd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Thanks Omegaman