How was Paul able to maintain his perspective while in prison? With so many churches so close to his heart, how was he able to keep up with helping each one face their own unique challenge? Was he a superman? No. He had help.
In the concluding verses of the letter to the Colossians, Paul does more than send along personal greetings. He gives us a glimpse into his fellowship of encouragement. Paul set an example for mature interpersonal relations. Besides remembering his friends and companions, he expressed genuine concern for them. We, too, will need others if we are to maintain the vitality in ministry which Paul exemplifies.
Prayer certainly has a prominent place in Colossians. The letter begins with two prayers (1:3–8 and 1:9–14) and closes with two references to prayer (4:2 and 4:12). Sandwiched in between are our responsibilities: know the truth and avoid error; live out our new life by developing character and deepening relationships. If ordinary people, like you and me, are to have any hope of fulfilling those compelling responsibilities, then prayer must have its proper place in our lives.
The truth about spirituality and service is that spirituality is keeping Christ central, and service is for ordinary people who love their Savior.[1]
7 Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. 10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions—if he comes to you, welcome him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. 14 Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. 15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16 And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” 18 I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
Key Takeaways:
- Believers find comfort, help, and community with other believers
- Vital ministry is accomplished through a team of people
- God uses ordinary people to accomplish His work
- Prayer should be more than an occasional emergency; it deserves our constant attention.
- prayers should be conducted with a keen sense of spiritual alertness.
Closer Look:
Verses 7–8: Tychicus (a leader in the church and bearer of this letter) was a beloved brother, a faithful minister (cf. Eph. 6:21), and a fellow servant[2] with Paul in the ministry. He was an close friend of Paul’s who came from the province of Asia (Acts 20:4) and was mentioned by Paul also in 2 Timothy 4:12 and Titus 3:12. He accompanied Paul on part of the third missionary journey. Paul sent him to Colosse for the “very (express) purpose” of informing them about his current situation and to encourage them.
Verse 9: Onesimus (a converted runaway slave of Philemon) was also a faithful and beloved brother (cf. Phile. 16) to Paul and a fellow Colossian: “one of you” (cf. Col. 4:12). He would accompany Tychicus and also report on Paul’s circumstances. Paul’s letter to Philemon would have been carried along with the letter to the Colossians.[3] It dealt with a personal situation between Philemon and his slave Onesimus, so Paul wrote a separate letter to Philemon.
Verse 10: In verses 10-15, Paul greets a number of friends and introduces and commends several who work with him. The apostle’s great warmth and true appreciation for his beloved coworkers comes through in these few verses. This should remind us that no one is on an island. We all need the support of each other in the work of God.
Aristarchus was a Jewish Thessalonian who had been traveling with Paul since the riot that occurred in Ephesus on his third missionary journey (Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2). Evidently he was Paul’s “fellow prisoner” which meant either that Aristarchus attended Paul, or more likely, that he was incarcerated with Paul (probably also for preaching the gospel). Paul also called him a fellow worker (Phile. 24).
“Mark, the cousin of Barnabas,” is the author of the Gospel of Mark. He was a companion on Paul’s first missionary journey (Acts 12:25). He was later Peter’s associate (“my son,” 1 Peter 5:13; cf. Acts 12:12–13). Mark abandoned Paul on his first missionary journey; as a result, Paul refused to take him along on the next trip (Acts 15:37-40). Evidently the two had been reconciled, because Paul commends him here (cf. Phile 24). The career of John Mark appeared to be over, but Barnabas, his cousin, nurtured and encouraged him and salvaged him. He was with Paul as Colossians was written. At the end of Paul’s life, he said Mark was useful to him (2 Tim. 4:11). Mark had been recovered, and Paul wanted the Colossians to welcome him.
Verse 11: Jesus was a common Jewish name. This companion of Paul’s was also called Justus (“righteous”), also a common name (Acts 1:23; 18:7). These three—Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus—were Jews (seen here as “of the circumcision”) by either birth or conversion (proselytism). These three fellow workers for the kingdom of God comforted or consoled Paul by their loving loyalty to him. Comfort is the unusual word parēgoria (“relief, consolation”), found only here in the New Testament.[4]
Verses 12–13: Epaphras, like Onesimus (v. 9), was a Colossian (one of you) whom Paul depicted as “a servant of Christ Jesus” who was always struggling (agōnizomenos; cf. 1:29) in prayer[5] for the Colossians. His concern was that the Colossians would stand mature (teleioi, “perfected”)[6] and fully assured (Rom. 4:21; 14:5) or fulfilled in God’s will. This fits the overall theme of Colossians: that believers be mature and perfected in Christ.[7] Epaphras’ prayerful concern went to the point that he worked hard (lit., “has much pain”; ponon, “pain or distress,” is used only here and in Rev. 16:10–11) and that painful labor was for all the believers in the Lycus Valley—those in Colosse, Laodicea, and Hierapolis.
Verse 14: Luke, Paul’s dear friend and doctor, is the same Luke who is the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts. He stood firm not only in this earlier imprisonment but also in Paul’s latter imprisonment, by which time Demas (here with Paul) had forsaken and abandon him (2 Tim. 4:10). By tradition he was one of the 72 (Luke 10:1).[8] Some also suggest he was the anonymous disciple on the Emmaus Road (Luke 24:13). Since the only men with Paul who were “of the circumcision” were Aristarchus, Mark, and Jesus (Justus), Luke may have been a Gentile.
Verse 15: Paul asked that his greetings be given “to the brothers (and sisters) at Laodicea, and to Nympha” in whose house the church met. Churches meeting in homes was a common practice then before there were church buildings (Rom. 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:19; Phile. 2).
Verse 16: Paul urged an exchange of epistles; once they had read Colossians they should send it to Laodicea and read the letter (coming) from Laodicea. There are numerous theories as to the identity of the “Laodicean letter” mentioned in this verse. Whether this “Laodicean letter” is the letter to the Ephesians, which was written about that time, and sent to the same general vicinity or 1 or 2 Thessalonians or a lost epistle probably cannot be determined.
Verse 17: Archippus, mentioned in Philemon 2 in such a way to suggest he was probably the son of Philemon, was ministering in Colosse, possibly in Epaphras’ absence. Paul exhorted his readers to tell Archippus to see (blepe, “keep an eye on,” “look out” for dangers in) that he fulfill (complete) the ministry he had received from the Lord. Archippus was called of the Lord, and most probably had some ministerial responsibility in the Colossian church.[9] Whatever his problem, he was not fulfilling his work. This was another example of Paul’s concern that the Colossians be complete in Christ. The phrase “that you fulfill the ministry” means that you keep on filling to the full. Ministry is a lifetime job. God does not discharge His servants.
Verse 18: Paul dictated his letters to a secretary, but as was Paul’s custom and a sign of authenticity, he signed a greeting with his own handwriting at the end (cf. 1 Cor. 16:21; Gal. 6:11; 2 Thes. 3:17; Phile. 19). This served to personalize and authenticate the letter. He then asked that his readers remember (in prayerful support) his chains (imprisonment; cf. Col. 4:3). As with so many of his epistles, his closing was a benediction, a prayer that God’s grace (cf. 1:2) be with them.
Finally, I want to touch on two words that stuck out in Colossians that I did not get a chance to discuss in detail earlier.
First, I want to focus on peace (Greek eirene; seen in Colossians 1:2; 3:15; Eph 2:17; Phil 1:2; 4:7; Strong’s 1515. Also associated with this is “rule” in 3:15 (Greek brabeuo; Strong’s 1018). The Greek term eirene has a variety of meanings, including “unity,” “tranquility,” and “concord,” and corresponds to the Hebrew word shalom, which primarily means “wholeness.”[10] In the NT, the Greek word is used for a harmonious relationship between people (Rom 14:19), the order produced by a ruling government (Acts 24:2), and the reconciliation between God and a person through the saving work of Christ (Eph 2:17). In Colossians 3:15, Paul encourages the believers to let “the peace of God rule” in their hearts. The Greek word for rule means “to act as umpire” or “to arbitrate.” The peace of God should act as our umpire when anger, envy, and other such passions arise in our hearts.
Second, let’s talk about the word “perfect” that we see in Colossians and the New Testament (Greek is teleios; Colossians 1:28; 4:12; Rom 12:2; Phil 3:15; James 1:4; Strong’s 5046). The Greek word is an adjective derived from the word telos, meaning “end,” “limit,” or “fulfillment.” Paul uses telos to speak of Jesus Christ as the complete fulfillment of God’s law (Rom 10:4). In his letter to the Colossians, Paul uses teleios to speak of the completion or perfection of Christians (1:28; 4:12). The “perfect Christian” is a mature Christian, who has endured trials (Jas 1:4) and has learned to express God’s love to others (3:14). By loving others, we not only are made complete in and through Christ, but we also see God’s love “perfected” in us (1 John 4:12). Just as Paul pressed on toward the goal of perfection (Phil 3:12-14) to which Christ had called him, so we too should make perfection in Christ our goal, a goal that will be completely achieved when “that which is perfect” comes (1 Cor 13:10).
[1] Anders, Max E. “Colossians,” in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians & Colossians. (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1999), np.
[2] σύνδουλος (syndoulos). BDAG – “a subordinate in total obedience to a ruler, slave, esp. typical of eastern social perceptions…. of a relationship to the heavenly. Since it is a truism that one can be a slave to only one master, such self-identification, far from being a declaration of mean servility, served notice that ultimate allegiance was owed to God or Christ alone”
[3] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1569.
[4] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 685. Means a source of encouragement, comfort
[5] as Jacob did with the angel; Gen. 32
[6] In this case, the word means pertaining to being fully developed in a moral sense; perfect, fully developed
[7] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 685.
[8] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 685.
[9] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1569.
[10] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1568.