"Let your speech be always with grace": that is, "in grace, or concerning grace"; let 'grace', such as 'the work of grace on souls', 'the wonders of grace' and 'the glory of the grace of God', be the subject of conversation among believers. Moreover, the speech should be in a 'graceful way', that is, "always" with a cheerful face and in a courteous manner.
"Seasoned with salt": The Syriac version reads, "as if it was seasoned with salt". 'Grace' to 'speech' is as 'salt' to 'meat'; therefore "grace, prudence, and holiness", as 'salt', make conversation about the grace and doctrines of God more acceptable to a spiritual man; and as salt preserves flesh from being bad, so grace along with speech makes it pure and good, which corresponds to Paul's view that nothing corrupt should proceed out of the mouths of believers.
"How you ought to answer": The Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "and know ye how" and make it to be a fresh exhortation to the believers to share the spiritual knowledge, that they may be able to respond properly and pertinently, with meekness and fear, for those asking a reason of the hope that is in them.
Final Greetings (4:7–18)
In the beginning of the final greetings, Paul introduces the bearers of this epistle – Tychicus and Onesimus – in a 'chiastic pattern'. Six men who were with Paul at that time, excluding Timothy, sent their greetings; five of these also sent their greetings to Philemon in a separate epistle.
"Mark": is mentioned multiple times in the New Testament: in, ;, and.
"Who are of the circumcision": denoting the "Christians of Jewish origin".
Verse 12
"Epaphras": Paul's co-worker, a native of Colossae.
Verse 13
"Laodicea and... Hierapolis": two neighboring cities of Colossae in the Lycus valley of Western Anatolia, in the land of Phrygia. A population of 11,000 Jewish males is estimated to be in Laodicea in Paul's day, since Antiochus III placed a large colony of Jews to that area in 200 BC.
Only from this verse Luke is known to be a doctor and based on the separation from the Jewish Christians mentioned in verse 11, he is identified as a "Gentile Christian". It is noted in that Demas has left Paul for "this world".
Verse 18
"By my own hand—Paul": Paul is known to regularly use amanuensis to write his letters, so to authenticate these letters, he put his own handwriting in this last paragraph.
