The verb act is the same one used in 1.10, 2.6, 3.7, indicating way of life, behavior, conduct. Be wise in the way you act may be rendered as “behave wisely,” or “use wisdom in the way in which you conduct yourself,” or “be wise in the way in which you live.”

The “outsiders” (Revised Standard Version) are non-Christians (see the same designation in 1 Thes 4.12, 1 Cor 5.12-13, Mark 4.11). Since in some languages one must specify what is believed in, it may be necessary to render those who are not believers as “those who do not believe in Christ.”

The participle that follows is literally “buying out, redeeming”; only here and in the parallel Eph 5.16 is it used in the sense of making good use of. Most commentators and translators give the same meaning as it appears in Good News Translation and Revised Standard Version. Some, however, have understood the text to mean “redeeming the time from the power of Evil,” but this seems most unlikely. The Colossians are enjoined to seize and use every opportunity of witnessing to their faith to the non-Christian society in which they live.

In a number of languages, one must specify what is involved in every opportunity. Therefore, one may employ some such rendering as “make good use of every chance you have to speak to nonbelievers” or “use every opportunity well to show that you are believers.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .