Colossians 4:7-18

 

Final Greetings and comments


 

A1 Scripture

B1 Tychicus, our beloved brother and faithful minister, and fellow servant in the Lord, will tell you all things about me. I am sending him to you for this very thing, that he may know your circumstances, and he may encourage your hearts, with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you all the things happening here. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, receive him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These alone are my fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me. Epaphras greets you, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, always struggling for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and complete in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has much zeal for you, and those in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, also Demas. Greet the brothers who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church in his house. And whenever this letter is read before you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you also read the one from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you received in the Lord, that you fulfill it." This greeting by my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. Amen. (Colossians 4:7-18, EMTV)

B2 Our dear friend Tychicus, who is a faithful worker and fellow servant in the Lord's work, will give you all the news about me. That is why I am sending him to you, in order to cheer you up by telling you how all of us are getting along. With him goes Onesimus, that dear and faithful friend, who belongs to your group. They will tell you everything that is happening here. Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have already received instructions to welcome Mark if he comes your way.) Joshua, also called Justus, sends greetings too. These three are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a great help to me. Greetings from Epaphras, another member of your group and a servant of Christ Jesus. He always prays fervently for you, asking God to make you stand firm, as mature and fully convinced Christians, in complete obedience to God's will. I can personally testify to his hard work for you and for the people in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, our dear doctor, and Demas send you their greetings. Give our best wishes to the believers in Laodicea and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house. After you read this letter, make sure that it is read also in the church at Laodicea. At the same time, you are to read the letter that the believers in Laodicea will send you. And tell Archippus, "Be sure to finish the task you were given in the Lord's service." With my own hand I write this: "Greetings from Paul" Do not forget my chains! May God's grace be with you. (Colossians 4:7-18, GNB92)

A2 Outline

B1 Tychicus

C1 Beloved brother

C2 Faithful minister

C3 Fellow servant of the Lord

C4 Will bring an update on me (Paul)

D1 He may know what is happening at Colossae.

D2 He may (will) encourage your hearts.

B2 Onesimus

C1 Faithful and beloved brother.

C2 One of you (native of Colossae).

B3 Aristarchus--fellow prisoner of mine

B4 Mark

C1 Cousin of Barnabas

C2 Welcome him.

B5 Jesus (Justus)

B6 The three.

C1 (Aristarchus, Mark, and Justus are Jews)

C2 They are a comfort to me.

B7 Epaphras

C1 Native of Colossae.

C2 Bondservant of Jesus

C3 Prayer warrior.

D1 Praying that they may be mature.

D2 Praying that they may be complete in all the will of God.

C4 Zealous for those in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis.

B8 Luke-- the physician

B9 Demas--says "Hi."

B10 Paul

C1 Greet the believers in Laodicea.

C2 Greet Nympha (sister in Christ)

C3 Greet the church that meets in her house.

C4 Read the letter here, then in Laodicea.

C5 Read the letter to Laodicea in Colossae also.

C6 Tell Archippus to be sure to finish the task you were given in the Lord's service.

C7 I'm writing this salutation with my own hand. (Greetings from Paul)

C8 Don't forget my chains (prison, thus pray for me).

C9 God's grace for with all of you.

A3 Notes

B1 Ten people are mentioned here.

B2 Basic descriptions of each. What would we be remembered for?

B3 Mark had been rejected as a faithful laborer but is now a faithful laborer. (Acts 13:13)

B4 Tychicus

C1 Gentile

C2 Fellow servant--a missionary preacher like Paul.

C3 Faithful brother--faithful to Jesus Christ and His teaching as well as faithful to Paul.

C4 Paul wrote Colossians during his first imprisonment (in Rome) and Tychicus was present with him. This is why Paul writes that "he will tell you all things about me."

C5 Was with Paul traveling to Jerusalem. He was with him to deliver the offerings of the saints to help the poor Christians in Israel. And Sopater, a Berean, was accompanying him to Asia—also Aristarchus of the Thessalonians, and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus, the Asians. (Acts 20:4, EMTV)

C6 Was the person who brought the Epistle to the Laodiceans and the Colossians.

C7 Sent to Titus. "Whenever I shall send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, hasten to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there." (Titus 3:12, EMTV). He was the replacement for Titus, so Titus could join Paul in Nicopolis.

C8 Sent to Timothy. "And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus." (2 Timothy 4:12, EMTV) He was sent to replace Timothy, so that Timothy could come and comfort Paul before Paul had to be executed for his faith.

B5 Onesimus

C1 We find the first mention of him in Philemon. Onesimus is a runaway slave owned by Philemon. Philemon had become a Christian and so had Onesimus. The letter to Philemon was an appeal to him for Onesimus.

C2 Evidently he was a thief as well as a poor worker. After conversion, he assisted Paul. Paul wrote that whatever Onesimus stole, he would repay.

B6 Aristarchus

C1 Gaius and he were seized by the Ephesians in Acts 19:29. "And the whole city was filled with confusion, and they rushed with one purpose into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, traveling companions of Paul."

C2 Was from Thessalonica. "And Sopater, a Berean, was accompanying him to Asia—also Aristarchus of the Thessalonians, and Secundus, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus, the Asians. (Acts 20:4, EMTV)

C3 Traveled to Rome with Paul. "And having boarded a ship of Adramyttium, scheduled to sail to the ports along the Asian coasts, we put to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. (Acts 27:2, EMTV)

C4 He was a prisoner with Paul.

B7 Mark--the writer of the second Gospel.

B8 Jesus (Justus)--not much is known except that he was a fellow worker with Paul.

B9 Epaphras--Was the missionary to the Colossians. "just as also you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf." (Colossians 1:7, EMTV)

B10 Luke--the physician.

B11 Demas--the one who left Paul, because he loved the world. "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and traveled to Thessalonica—Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia." (2 Timothy 4:10, EMTV)

B12 Nympha might be Nymphas. The word is unclear. The former is a woman, the latter a man. The church make in her/his house. This house must have be large enough to hold a congregation.

"Salute Nymphas (or Nympha?), and the church which is in her (his? their?) house." Nymphas was apparently the leading Christian at Laodicea, the "Philemon of Laodicea," as Moule calls him. Compare Phm. 1:1-2. There has been much dispute as to whether the name of this person was Nymphas or Nympha. (The Greek form Numphan, an accusative sing., may stand for either spelling.) Also there is uncertainty as to whether the text should read "her" house, "his" house, or "their" house. The 1966 Greek text of the United Bible Societies gives the reading "her" house, but gives manuscript evidence for the other readings in the footnotes. No certain decision about the reading here is possible at present." From the commentary note in the College Press Commentary.

B13 This letter was written by an assistant, but Paul wrote this salutation with his own hand. He did this to authenticate his letters.