Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, …..”
This is an excerpted word study on the meaning of “Salt” as found in Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, …..” by the late Thomas A Schaff as can be found in the pamphlet “Personal Bible Study”.
Introduction
It is commonly thought that the Bible uses the world salt to emphasize preserving, purifying or flavoring. Interpreters will usually say “seasoned with salt” means that our speech should include things which are a blessing for our hearers, words that are flavorful, dynamic, and that to say good things about the person two whom we are talking. If we use our common experience to decide what “salt” means when used in the Bible, that would be a fair conclusion. But that is not what we would find as a result of careful Bible study. We must ask, “What does the Bible tell us about the word ‘salt’?”
What Does the Old Testament Teach Us About Salt?
First we must find all the places in the Bible where the word salt appears. We can do this by using a printed and bound concordance like Young’s or Strong’s or simply do a word search on the internet with an online concordance such as the one provided here: “Salt“. This link shows us where the English translators of the King James Bible interpreted each of the various words in the original Hebrew, Greek or Aramaic as “salt”. Almost always the word translated as salt in the Old Testament is from the Hebrew word מֶלַח (malach)H4417. We can then find that this word is translated in the King James Bible in the following manner: salt (27x), saltpits (with H4379) (1x).
A partial list of the Old Testament occurrences of the Hebrew word מֶלַח (malach)H4417 translated as salt is:
Genesis 14:3, “All these were joined together in the vale of Siddim, which is the salt H4417 sea.” (Note that Sodom and Gomorrah were located in the plain of Siddim.)
Genesis 19:26, Speaking of Lot’s wife it says, “…and she became a pillar of salt. H4417“
Leviticus 2:13, Salt occurs three times this one verse. For example, “with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt. H4417“
Numbers 18:19, “…covenant of salt H4417.…” This is the covenant of the firstfruits. this passage talks about those beasts which are redeemed. Also this is and everlasting covenant.
Deuteronomy 29:23, This is a curse. “…the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt H4417, [and] burning, [that] it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”
Judges 9:45, Abimelech fought against Shechem and “…beat down the city, and sowed it with salt.H4417” This was a curse from God, as we see in Judges 9:57, “And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.”
Zephaniah 2:9, “Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, H4417 and a perpetual desolation: …”
These scriptures can therefore be divided into three categories. One is the obvious reference to the curse and judgment of God.
The second are the ones that simply mention the salt sea. While salt sea can be viewed as a neutral term, we know that in the Bible we are reminded of its close association with the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Therefore, this second set is also to a certain extent associated with the curse and judgment of God. And let us not forget that the Brook Kidron, which is an allegorical picture of Hell, flows down to the salt sea (which we know today as the Dead Sea). Please see the significant role and meaning of the Brook Kidron in Nehemiah here.
A third set of verses contains references to the Old Testament sacrifices. Notice in Leviticus 2:13 the instructions are that all of the sacrificial offerings must included salt. Numbers 18:19 and Ezekiel 43:24 also show this. These sacrifices are a figure or “Type” of the LORD Jesus Christ and they represent His Atoning Sacrifice upon the cross for the believers as He endured the wrath of God. This was Judgment Day for Jesus as He paid for the sins of those who would believe on Him. This can be supported by Galatians 3:13, Hebrews 10:4-14, and 1 Peter 2:24. Therefore there is good agreement between this set of verses with the other two sets, namely, that “salt” as found in the Old Testament is associated with the curse and judgment of God.
What Does the New Testament Teach Us About Salt?
Now Let us look at the New Testament. When we search for the word “salt” in the New Testament, as is expressed in the original Greek, we find the words ἅλας (halas)G217, ἅλς (hals)G251, ἁλυκός (halykos) G252, and ἁλίζω (halizō)G233.
At this point it is important to note which Greek word is the counterpart to the word salt as found in Colossians 4:6. It is the word ἅλας (halas)G217. That is the Greek word that is important to us in this study because it is the one which is translated salt in the verse we are trying to exposit. However, in this case all four of the Greek words that are translated as salt are sufficiently similar to be admitted as evidence for this study.
In the New Testament, the word ἅλας (halas)G217 is only translated salt (8x). ἅλς (hals)G251 is one found as salt (1x) and the same with ἁλυκός (halykos) G252 salt (1x), while ἁλίζω (halizō)G233 occurs as to salt (3x).
A complete list of the New Testament occurrences of the word “salt” is:
ἅλας (halas)G217
Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the salt G217 of the earth: but if the salt G217 have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Mark 9:50, “Salt G217 [is] good: but if the salt G217 have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt G217 in yourselves, and have peace one with another.“
Luke 14:34, “Salt G217 [is] good: but if the salt G217 have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?”
Colossians 4:6, “Let your speech [be] alway with grace, seasoned with salt, G217 …”
ἅλς (hals)G251
Mark 9:49, “For every one shall be salted G233with fire, and every sacrifices hall be saltedG233 with salt. G251“
ἁλυκός (halykos) G252
James 3:12, “Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so [can] no fountain both yield salt G252 water and fresh.“
ἁλίζω (halizō)G233
Matthew 5:13, “Ye are the saltG217of the earth: but if the saltG217 have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? G233 it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”
Mark 9:49, “For every one shall be salted G233 with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted G233 with salt.“
Most of the occurrences listed above are fairly neutral as far as explaining the quality, or meaning, of salt as used the New Testament. However, Mark 9:49 provides the key link in understanding because it points us back to the Old Testament sacrifices as found in Leviticus 2:13. These sacrifices were figures of God’s wrath against sin. In this case, as we saw previously, it anticipated the reality of God’s wrath upon the LORD Jesus Christ. This concept of judgment agrees with another phrase in Mark 9:49, “salted with fire“, since fire is also associated with God’s wrath Hebrews 12:29, “For our God [is] a consuming fire.“
However, Mark 9:50 states that “salt is good.” So how do we reconcile that salt represents the wrath of God? We saw the same in Luke 14:34 while Matthew 5:13 does not state the exact same words, all three continue with a reference to salt losing its savor. Note that Matthew 5:13 opens with “ye are the salt of the earth“. By comparing these verses we can tentatively conclude that the good that is in salt is related to the fact that it is in a Christian. This conclusion is reinforced by a statement found in Mark 9:50: “have salt in yourselves“. It is because the Christian does something with the salt that makes it “good”. Whatever salt means, it is referring to something very important, because if it does not have its salty character is it counted as worthless.
Before we proceed further, we should take a moment to consider that we are correctly searching out the meaning or the Bible’s use of the terms salt and saltiness. They are such common words in our everyday experience that we might be overly influenced by what we think that they obviously must mean (e.g., applying a literalistic hermeneutic). Although God chooses works that are very familiar, a little reflection on the way that God uses the words salt and saltiness reveals that He has something quite different in mind that the physical substance we use everyday to flavor our food. God (Jesus) stated “if the salt have lost his savour“. In the physical world, salt cannot lose its savor. Salt is either salty or it is NOT salt. The chemical composition and savor of salt does not change. We have to be looking for a spiritual concept that is not obvious. We either have salt or we do not. Losing our savor must mean losing our salt. God uses words from the physical world but uses them in a way that forces us to seek a spiritual understanding and there is a spiritual analogy, as we shall see. Note also that the many parables of Jesus are reflective of God’s use of physical terms to convey spiritual meaning.
Conclusion
According to Colossians 4:6, it is our speech that must be salted. And we know from the preceding in both the Old and New Testaments that salt is associated with the spiritual danger or the wrath and judgment of God for sin. Therefore, tying all of these threads together, we can see that Colossians 4:6 is telling us that while always bringing the Gospel of the Grace of God through the Person and Work of Jesus Christ in our speech, we must also include the wrath and judgment of God for sin that will fall upon all those who refuse that Grace.
Validating the Above Conclusion
First of all, this conclusion fits the immediate context of Colossians 4:6, because it is set within the context of witnessing that we find preceding in Colossians 4:3-5, where the Apostle Paul expressed his desire for an open door to speak the Gospel. He prays that he might have the wisdom to speak to unbelievers and that he might know how to answer every man.
And what was the content of Paul’s witness? His own assessment is found in Acts 20:27 making clear that he had declared the whole counsel of God. Paul was careful to include in his speech not only the grace of God but also the necessary prerequisite to salvation, which is the realization that we are born under the wrath and judgment of God for sin (and we are born sinners), for which the substitutionary grace by Jesus is the ONLY solution. Furthermore, notice the effort that Paul makes in the first three chapters of Romans to emphasize that salt of the judgment of God in his witness.
The warnings that we saw in the three Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) which state that salt must not lose its saltiness can be viewed as a warning for every believer to be sure when witnessing that we do not neglect the truth that Judgment (on Judgment Day) is coming! The larger context of the whole Bible is in agreement with that conclusion, not only in the remarks that we constantly rind in the Bible (e.g., 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9), but also as an explicit command that we do not neglect talking about the wrath of God in our own witness (e.g., Ezekiel 3:17).
It is good to recall the fact that salt cannot really lose its saltiness but only seems to be salt and in reality is not salt at all if it does not have its savor. The spiritual analogy her is that he witness who does not bring the whole counsel of God is not a true witness and in God’s eyes is worthless and to be cast out (into Hell).
In addition, the fact that the Bible states that “salt is good” is a reflection of the fact that unless we tell people the truth about their sinfulness and the consequential wrath because of it, the witness will not be helping them one wit. People must face the truth before it is too late. And a witness that is faithful to the whole Bible is a witness that can really be used of God to save souls. That salty witness is “good”, to the highest degree, when it arrests people in their headlong race toward Hell, and turns them so that they flee the wrath to come by fleeing to Jesus for God’s mercy. It is “good for nothing” to bring a false gospel of only peace and love, when there is none (Ezekiel 13:10&11). Without the “salt”, there is no clear need for repentance nor an understanding of the need for Jesus as The Only Substitute Who already endured the wrath and judgment of God on behalf of all who would believe. It is a “good thing” to warn people of the wrath to come while they can still be saved (Jonah 3:4-5, 10).
We also know very well from Matthew Chapters 22 & 23 that Jesus had very condemning words to say to those who were enemies of the Gospel. Jesus’ speech was also salted with Hell, judgment, and wrath.
Application
We can go back to Acts 20:27 to see again how we should act in light of the above conclusion. The believers have a responsibility, like the Apostle Paul, to tell the whole truth as the Bible presents it. It is up to God to let God’s Word do Its Work. After all, according to Hebrews 4:12, the Bible, The Word of God, is a sharp two-edged sword which we must expect to cut both ways. When we bring the news of wrath and judgment for sin, as well as grace, some will be save and some will turn away.
2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:”
The believer must apply this conclusion to his or her attitude. The believer must trust God at His Word, that He will accomplish His purposes through it (Isaiah 55:8-11, and please also see The Parable of the Talents). Also, we know that according to 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the Gospel is not particularly popular in the world and we do not focus on the results. The believer must not be only concerned about how many people are saved when witnessed to, but rather the believer must desire to be a faithful steward of God’s Word (1 Corinthians 4:2). It is the believer’s job to make sure that his or her speech is both always with grace and seasoned with salt.
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