(Anno
Domini, abbreviated AD or A.D.
expressly complies with Isaiah 61:2 & Luke 4:19, i.e. “To proclaim the
acceptable year of the LORD.” (Isaiah 61:2)
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. (Col
4:7-18)
In the concluding verses of Colossians, Paul gives recognition to those who
have been with him in Rome (vs 7-14), to the brothers and sisters at
Colosse (v 15), gives command to the Church at Colosse (vs
16-17), and issues
his benediction at the last (v 17).
CO-WORKERS: Paul includes greetings from the eight fellow believers who
have been such a boon to his labors at Rome: Tychicus (7-8), Onesimus (9), Aristarchus & Mark (10), Justus (11), Epaphras (12-13), and Luke & Demas (14).
Tychicus: “All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you,
who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the
Lord: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your
estate, and comfort your hearts.” What admirable qualities Paul
ascribes to Tychicus – beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow-servant
in the Lord. The Army of God is like unto armies of land warfare in many
points. Tychicus serves the role of intelligence officer. Paul has sent him
to Colosse as an embodiment, in person, of those qualities he represented to
Paul in Rome. First of all, Tychicus is sent to learn the condition of the
Church at Colosse. You may wonder what Paul would do if the Church seems to be
struggling on the brink of oblivion. Please remember that Paul began this
chapter with an exhortation to pray for each other. If the report is
unfavorable, Paul will pray, and enlist other believers to pray, for the Lord’s
blessing on the Church of Colosse. Secondly, Tychicus is sent to report the
circumstances of Paul and the Church at Rome. Each element of an army needs to
know the disposition of its headquarters and maintain communication therewith.
So does each element of the Church need to maintain communication (fellowship)
with all other elements of its branches.
Paul was not only a soul-winner, but a maker of friends. He desires to know how
his friends (brethren and sisters) are doing in the mission field. Should we
not bear the same interest?
Onesimus: “With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother,
who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done
here.” Remember Onesimus? Once a run-away slave (Philemon),
Onesimus is now a friend and fellow minister with Paul. Backgrounds from our
former lives fade into obscurity when we come to know the Lord. Nothing is
impossible with God our Father. Onesimus was from Colosse and very able to
identify intimately with the people. When we visit our churches abroad, we have
a deep interest in how they are faring; but we also
share, in detail, how we are faring. This enables us to pray for one another
with knowledge.
Aristarchus & Mark: “Aristarchus my fellowprisoner
saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received
commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)
Interesting that Paul mentions these two together. If we review Acts 13, we see
that Barnabas and Paul had taken John Mark on their first missionary journey.
The youthful Mark seems to have forsaken the trip mid way and gone home. On the
next trip, a division between Barnabas and Paul arose when Barnabas desired
again to take Mark. The two separated at that point; however, we see that the
mission of Barnabas and Mark was successful and now Paul recognizes the fact.
Regardless of our past failures in the service of God, there is always a new
Spring coming.
Justus: “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.” Justus, Aristarchus, and
Onesimus were all a great help and comfort to Paul. They were Jews converted to
Christ. When we walk in the Church doors, we should not be greeted with
whispers behind our backs, inquiries about our shabby appearance, or inquiries
of an unpleasant nature. How should we greet and treat one another in Church?
Let God answer: “29 Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of
edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy
Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and
wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with
all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you. (Eph 4:29-32)
Epaphras: “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. For I bear him
record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and
them in Hierapolis.” Did you notice that prayer is also a labor?
It is so often a comfort, but it is also a labor of love and an obligation to
pray on behalf of your fellow believers. Do you? Though Epaphras is in Rome,
his prayers reach across the miles to Asia Minor and benefits the Church at
Colosse, Laodicea, and Hieropolis. Not only does a man bear his testimony in
the work of the Lord, but others must recognize that testimony as well (as does
Paul here).
Luke & Demas: “Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas,
greet you.” Luke was called the “beloved physician” by Paul.
Paul was able to heal miraculously, so why the need for a physician? Because
Paul knew the apostolic gifts would soon end and the learned skills of the
physician would be used of God for healing. Luke was not only a physician, but
a scribe as well for Paul. Luke was trained and qualified to heal the body
through his physician’s skills, and the soul through his teaching of the
Gospel. These two send their greetings to their brothers and sisters in
Colosse. Did you of the AOC know that you have family relations in the Solomon
Islands, in Fiji, in the Philippines, in Pakistan, in India, in Africa, in
South America, and in Canada – not to mention the islands of the Caribbean? (Altogether,
in more than twenty-two countries around the world). The sun never sets on the
AOC.
PAUL’S GREETING: At present, we have several churches in Africa
top which we should send greetings and prayer, to those in Pakistan, in India,
and elsewhere. “Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas,
and the church which is in his house.” And, may I add, the
Church in India, in Pakistan, in Africa, in South America, in Canada, and the
Islands of the Sea.
PAUL’S COUNSEL: “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. And say to
Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that
thou fulfil it.”
1)
Read this letter of Paul’s to the Church at Colosse;
2)
Read it to the Church at Laodicea;
3)
Read the letter Paul wrote to the Church of Laodicea to the Church at Colosse.
The Gospel truth must go round and round; and
4)
Tell Archippus to be sure to continue in that ministry to which he has been
called of the Lord.
How often do ministers come to us as wolves in sheep’s
clothing claiming the Lord has called them to our Church? After much time and
expense, we learn that they would steal away the flock to some other church
whose doctrines are alien to both the Christian faith and thus the AOC. Keep on
the path that the Lord has set your feet, or do you believe the Lord mistakenly
called you to the wrong ministry?
PAUL’S BENEDICTION: “The salutation by the hand of me Paul.
Remember my bonds. Grace be with you. Amen” How strongly should we
remember our brothers and sisters in bonds? “Remember them that are in
bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves
also in the body.” (Heb 13:3) Paul is a believer in the grace
of God. He opens his Epistle with a salutation of grace (Col
1-2) and he closes
it with a benediction of grace. Perhaps we should follow his example in all our
writings and conversations.
