By "as befits us, one can also understand the quality of preaching," that is, "with great boldness, concealing nothing" (St. Chrysostom), "without pretense and subterfuge" (Blessed Theophylact), openly, publicly, fearing nothing to speak about the salvation of the Gentiles on an equal footing with the Jews.   c) The civil life of Christians (4:5-6)   Civil life at that time was pagan.

Leaving church or home, a Christian inevitably entered into relations with unbelievers, whom the Apostle calls outsiders, those who are outside the company of the faithful. It is this meeting that St. Paul has in mind when he defines the social relations of the Christians of that time. In other Epistles he enters more fully into this subject, but here Chapter 4, verse 5 draws attention to only one point shown.

In wisdom go to those without, for time is redeeming. To the outside, that is, "to those who have not yet believed" (Blessed Theodorite). "For such are outside, that is, not our own, not of the same court with us; although they live in the same world as us, yet they are outside of the essence, as those who are far from both the Church and the Kingdom of God" (Blessed Theophylact). And in the sense that they can be considered external, that, however wise those who are outside of communion with Christ the Lord are, their life is essentially external; while the life of those who cling to the Lord is essentially internal, it is created and growing in the heart, it forms the hidden in the heart of man.

The wisdom of going to such is a prudent relationship with them, when, according to the rules of social and civil life, it is necessary to enter into relations with them. "The Apostle here calls prudence wisdom and commands us to behave prudently in relation to those outside" (Blessed Theophylact). What such prudence should consist of is indicated by the words: time is redeeming.

To redeem time means to act prudently, taking into account the circumstances and requirements of the time. It can be more directly expressed in the following way: everyone should act in such a way that, on the one hand, by the way of his action he does not irritate the pagans against him, but through himself and against the whole Christian society; and on the other hand, not to miss the opportunity to attract to faith those who show a predisposition to it, who are able to believe.

"Do not give them, says the Apostle, any reason to harm (yourself and the Church), but use all means for their salvation" (Blessed Theodorite). St. Chrysostom says: "What Christ said to His disciples, the Apostle Paul now inspires. What does Christ say? Behold, I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves: be wise as a serpent, and aim as doves (cf. Matt. 10:16)

; that is, be careful not to give them any reason to catch you. For this reason it is added: to the external, so that we may know that we do not need so much caution in relation to our own members as in relation to strangers; for there is more forbearance and love between brothers. But even here caution is needed, and even more so between strangers, because living between enemies and enemies is not the same as living between friends. Time, he says, is redemptive.

He did not say this to make them changeable and hypocritical; for these qualities are not inherent in wisdom, but in folly. But what"? Do not allow, he says, to be caught in such deeds that you can do without harm to yourself. This is what he says in the Epistle to the Romans: "Render to all what is due: you have a lesson, a lesson: you have tribute, you have tribute, you have honour, honour" (cf. Rom 13:7)

Let you have a struggle with them only because of the preaching: it must not come from any other cause; For if we have enmity with them over anything else, for example, if we do not pay taxes, if we do not pay decent honors, if we are not humble, then we will have no reward, and they themselves (that is, our enemies)

will become worse, and their accusations against us will appear to be just. Do you not see how accommodating Paul himself was when it did not harm the preaching in the least? Listen to his words spoken to Agrippa: "Thou art blessed not to be unto thee, for the Imam shall tell thee this day, and more than thou knowest all the Jewish customs and punishments" (Acts 26:2-3) But if he had considered it necessary to speak insulting words to the ruler, he would have spoiled the whole affair.

Listen also to the moderation with which those who were with Blessed Peter answer the Jews: "To obey God is more befitting than man" (Acts 5:29). Although people who have decided to lay down their lives could have spoken more boldly; but since they decided to sacrifice their lives not out of vanity, they spoke modestly, preserving all the power of boldness only for preaching." Verse 6.

Let your word be in grace, dissolved in salt, knowing how it behooves you alone to rebuke. An almost exclusive means of intercourse with others is the word. It is for him that St. Paul writes the rules. Let your word, he says, always be in grace, let it be sincere, let it always proceed from the heart and breathe with benevolence and love, like the word of a friend who sincerely desires good.

In spite of all this, however, let it be dissolved in salt, not in a humorous and joking way, but in a reasonable and edifying way, containing either an explanation of the required truth, or an indication of the necessary rule of worldly prudence, or an interpretation of the laws of the highest and most perfect life, if it is desired. "Let your courtesy not go so far as to be used indiscriminately: you can speak kindly, but you must do it with due decency" (St. Chrysostom). "Adorn yourselves with spiritual prudence.

In the same way, the Lord commanded the Apostles to have salt in them (Mark 9:50) and called them salt (cf. Matt. 5:13)" (Blessed Theodorite). "Let your words be pleasant, having a joyful and cheerful tone; however, let it not fall into indiscriminateness and unrestrainedness, but let it be restrained. For it means salt. Let it not be excessively cheerful, nor excessively harsh.