Colossians 4:6

your speech Talking, discourse. The precept here may well be applied to the Christian's wholeuse of the tongue (see Ephesians 4:29). But the context gives it a special reference, surely, to his discourse about the Gospel with those "without."

alway Observe the characteristic absoluteness of the Christian precept.

with grace Lit., in grace. See above, on Colossians 3:16. Lightfoot explains, "with acceptance, pleasingness"; and quotes from the Greek of Psalms 44:(Heb. and Eng. 45)2; Sir 21:16. But would not this be a unique, and so unlikely, use of the word in St Paul?

seasoned with salt which they were (Mark 9:50) to "have in themselves." The reference of the metaphor is fixed by the practical parallel, Ephesians 4:29; "corrupt, decayed, discourse." The "salt" is the power of Christ's grace, banishing all impurity of motive, and all uncleanness of allusion, and at the same time giving the pleasant "savour" of sound and nourishing "food for thought." The classics, Latin and (less commonly) Greek, use the "salt" of speech as a metaphor; but almost always in the sense of wit, pleasantry, often of the very kind censured Ephesians 5:4. Seneca speaks of "poisoned salt," venenati sales, meaning malicious jests. "Seasoned &c." here is constructed in the Greek with "speech."

thatyou may know As those will who, in the grace of God, remember this sound rule of discourse.

to answer every man "who asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15), in whatever spirit. The thought is, surely, not so much of cleverly adjusted repartee, as of the clear, kindly candour and good sense which would so state the truth of Christ, in the "answer," as to meet any and every questioner with conciliation.