THE RICHES OF FRIENDSHIP
COLOSSIANS 4:7-18
7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
8 Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts;
9 With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.
10 Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
11 And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.
15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.
16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea.
17 And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.
18 The salutation by the hand of me Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen.
Intro:
- As Paul wraps up his letter to the Colossians, he takes time to mention and appreciate several friends in the ministry that have partnered with him and ministered to him during his imprisonment.
- Paul was not only a great soul winner; he was a great friend-maker. Warren Weirsbe says that there are more than 100 different Christians (named and unnamed) associated with Paul in the Book of Acts and in his epistles. In the Book of Romans chapter 16 alone he names 26 different friends.
- The Apostle Paul had many people in his life that were true friends. In these closing verses of Colossians he lists several who were giving him comfort and assistance during his imprisonment. Among these friends are those who stayed with him through thick and thin, those who prayed for him and supported him, and even one who strayed, for whom Paul continued to be concerned.
1. The Letter Carriers (vv. 7-9)
1) Tychicus (vv. 7-8)
- Tychicus is mentioned only
- Tychicus is first mentioned at the end of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus. It is likely that Paul won Tychicus to the Lord during his three-year ministry in Ephesus. When Paul was forced to leave due to the riot caused by Demetrius, he was accompanied by seven of his friends, one of whom was Tychicus. (cf. Acts 20:4)
- Paul says that Tychicus is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord.
2) Onesimus (v. 9)
- Onesimus was from Colosse and was Philemon’s runaway
- In a short amount of time Onesimus proved himself to be faithful in the ministry. Therefore, Paul sent Onesimus and Tychicus as a team to deliver this epistle and to inform the believers of Colosse concerning Paul’s situation in Rome.
2. The Saluters (vv. 10-14)
1) The Jews (vv. 10-11)
1] Aristarchus (v. 10a)
- Aristarchus, whom Paul describes as my fellowprisoner, was a native of Thessalonica. He may have been converted there during Paul’s second missionary journey (Acts 17:1-10) and then become a traveling companion of Paul’s.
- Paul probably calls him my fellowprisoner because he
- The trials and hardships these men faced together served to strengthen their bond of friendship.
2] Marcus (v. 10b)
- This is John Mark, the author of the second
- Mark had caused Paul a lot of heartache. However, now Paul wanted the Colossians to accept his friend.
- Ultimately, Paul found Mark to be profitable to him and used him in his ministry.
3] Justus (v. 11a)
- Other than being a Jew and an associate of Paul, we know nothing about him. He probably changed his name to Justus (Roman/Latin) because the name Jesus was revered among Christians.
- Justus represents those faithful believers who serve the Lord but are never in the spotlight.
- These people will be rewarded.
2) The Gentiles (vv. 12-14)
1] Epaphras (vv. 12-13)
- Epaphras was from Colosse and perhaps was the
- Epaphras was a man who cared for his friends, especially those in his church. Look at how Paul describes him in 4:12 - He labors for you so that you may be spiritually mature.
2] Luke (v. 14a)
- Luke is the beloved physician. Luke was a part of Paul’s missionary team. How awesome is it that Luke could minister and care for people the team encountered, but perhaps even more importantly, he could provide medical care for Paul. Perhaps he ministered to Paul in the area of the “thorn in the flesh.” We don’t know, but maybe.
- He is the only
3] Demas (v. 14b)
- Demas is the only one of Paul’s six companions about whom he says nothing. This silence could suggest that Paul was concerned about Demas. During Paul’s second imprisonment, Paul tells Timothy that Demas has forsaken him.
3. The Greetings (vv. 15-18)
1) Church at Laodicea
- Paul sends his greetings to the church at Laodicea, which meets in Nymphas’ house.
- This is probably a woman of means, i.e. she has a home large enough for a group to meet in so the church meets in her home.
- Paul gives some instruction here: read the letter to the Colossians at Laodicea (i.e. send a copy of this letter to Laodicea) and read a copy of the letter that is coming from the Laodiceans to you (probably the book of
2) Archippus
- Paul greets Archippus and encourages him to pastor, on an interim basis, the church at Colosse.
Archippus is perhaps the son of Philemon. The church at Colosse meets in his house.
Paul reminds Archippus that his ministry is a gift from God, and that he is a steward of God who would one day have to give an account of his work.
The word fulfill carries with it the idea that God has definite purposes for His servant to accomplish. He works in us and through us to complete those good works He has prepared for us. (cf. Eph. 2:10)
We are able to fulfill our ministries because we have been “filled full” through Jesus Christ. Ministry is not something
Vs. 18 – Paul signed the letter while chained to a guard.
- Remember my bonds.
- Paul ends the letter just as he began it, “Grace be with you. Amen.”