“Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. (Colossians 4:5-6 NIV).
While the connection between graceful conversation and salt may seem unusual, this analogy may have originated in two of Jesus’ teachings from the New Testament gospels of Matthew and Mark…
“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13).
“Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).
One source adds clarity to this idea with the following observation: “In addition to being ‘gracious’ and tasteful (i.e., ‘seasoned with salt’), the speech of the Christian should be ‘sound’ (Titus 2:8), ‘edifying’ (Ephesians 4:29), meaningful (Matthew 12:36), ‘quiet’ (I Thessalonians 4:11), trustworthy (Colossians 3:9) and clean (Colossians 3:8).” (1)
Another commentator reflects on this illustration by associating the phrase, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt…” with this definition: “To speak what is spiritual, wholesome, fitting, kind, sensitive, purposeful, complimentary, gentle, truthful, loving, and thoughtful.” (2) However, there is another aspect of this passage that is considerably more challenging.
In addition to its use as a seasoning, preservative, and thirst-creating agent, salt is also widely recognized as an irritant. For instance, one of the most painful things a person can do to someone with an open wound is to rub salt in that wound. In fact, salt is so well known in this regard that “rubbing salt in a wound” has become a colloquial expression for making a bad situation worse.
In general, a principled and virtuous person will not seek to intentionally irritate others. However, we should also recognize that a person who serves as “…the salt of the Earth” may produce that effect. In every place where the message of the Gospel is made known, some will be seasoned and preserved, some will be made to thirst for more, and others may simply be irritated.
In the days of His earthly ministry, Jesus was seen as a seasoning and preserving influence to some while others viewed Him as little more than an irritant. The same is likely to be true of His followers as well.
(1) Institute for Creation Research, New Defender’s Study Bible Notes [Colossians 4:6] https://www.icr.org/bible/Col/4/6
(2) MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Col 4:6). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.