Colossians – Week 9
November 7 – Colossians
Colossians 4:7-8, Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.
Paul turns to offering his final greetings and instructions to those whom the letter is intended.
First, he tells them that he is sending Tychicus, a native of Asia and probably one of the companions who traveled with Paul to Jerusalem with the collection. Paul describes him as a dear brother in the Lord, a faithful minister, and fellow servant.
To have Paul describe you in such a way would be the pinnacle of success as a Christ-follower. To be seen as one Paul could partner with and trust, one whom has the same heart and ministry focus, and one who does so with the humility of a servant would be the greatest compliment you could receive.
He was one of Paul’s many ministers who supported him, as well as, serving the larger church. Paul had a tremendous network of people whom he was able to send wherever he felt there was a need and to carry the God-inspipred letter that he had written. Paul had to create his own mail service before such ever existed.
Paul tells us the purpose of why he chose Tychicus. He will tell them about Paul and his fellow cohorts’ circumstances. They are in jail. He will let the Colossians know what Paul needs so they can participate in being a physical support to him.
The second reason is that Tychicus is being sent is to encourage them. Since Paul could not do so in person, he trusted Tychicus to be his representative and to speak on his behalf.
Paul’s passion was that people would come to know Jesus and then be faithful in their discipleship with Jesus. He knows that we all need courage built within us to stay the course. So, Paul was quick to offer such words in letters since he could not physically be there and by sending personal representatives to go on his behalf to speak such courage into their lives.
Would you be one of Paul’s ambassadors of encouragement?
Memory Verse: Colossians 4:6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Question(s) to consider: Who will you offer encouragement to today?
November 8 – Colossians
Colossians 4:8, He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.
The “He” is Tychicus from yesterday’s devotional. Paul’s short letter to Philemon identifies Onesimus as Philemon’s runaway slave. Paul uses various motivation tactics to strongly encourage Philemon to receive Onesimus back, not as a slave, but as a brother in the Lord. Philemon is in the Colossian church and hosts the church gatherings in his home.
Through the providence of God, Onesimus had met Paul in Rome and had been led to Christ by him. Paul is now sending Onesimus back to Colossae—with no mention of his past, but with the heart-warming phrase that he is now “one of you.”
Paul identifies him simply as a “faithful and dear brother”, as a believer in Christ, not as a slave which reveals that being in Christ transforms us within and with others.
Paul said earlier in this letter,
Colossians 3:11, Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Christ transcends all barriers and unifies people from all cultures, ethnicities and nations. Such distinctions are no longer cause for division. Christ alone matters.
Paul gave the same message to the Galatians,
Galatians 3:26-29, So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
This does not mean that differences of nationality, status, and gender cease to exist. A Jew remains a Jew; a Gentile, a Gentile. Instead, having become one with God, as his sons and daughters, believers in Christ now belong to each other in such a way that any and all distinctions that had divided them lose significance.
Onesimus is no longer a slave but a faithful and dear brother in Christ to Paul. All who turn in faith to Christ have equal status and become one in the Body of Christ. The Apostle Paul would write that you are a dear and faith sister/brother to him!
Memory Verse: Colossians 4:6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Question(s) to consider: Do you need to be encouraged by this message that earthly distinctions do not matter in the Body of Christ? How does that impact your attitude in your relationships with others?
November 9 – Colossians
Colossians 4:10-11, My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.
These three Jewish co-workers send their greetings to the Colossians. They have offered Paul assistance and encouraged his spirits during the dark days of his confinement as he awaits the final decision about his case.
Aristarchus was from Thessalonica and had been a faithful friend to Paul for years and was imprisoned with Paul in Rome. He accompanied Paul on his trip to Jerusalem and later on was with him on the journey from Caesarea to Rome.
Mark was “the cousin of Barnabas” and wrote the gospel that bears his name. His inclusion here brings encouragement about the power of forgiveness and reconciliation. He had accompanied Paul and Barnabas on part of the first missionary journey but abandoned them along the way.
Acts 15:36-40, Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left,
After this, Mark had regained Paul’s respect. Their relationship was repaired, and Paul planned to send him to the Colossian Church at some point in the future. We give thanks to God for the power of the gospel that not only receives forgiveness from above but extends forgiveness to one another.
Jesus, who was called Justus, is mentioned only here in the New Testament. Jews with Semitic names often favored a second Greek or Latin name.
These three Jewish believers willingly gave up their religious standing so they could stand with Paul for the sake of the gospel. Paul mentions these three were the only Jews among his fellow workers for the kingdom of God. Since he had become of a follower of Jesus, Paul felt a deep alienation from his own people. However, he recognized these three as ones who have provided comfort to him.
I trust that we are such faithful friends to our family, friends, and small groups and are there for them to provide such strength and support when they go through such difficult times.
Memory Verse: Colossians 4:6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Question(s) to consider: To whom are you providing such comfort?
November 10 – Colossians
Coiossians 4:12-13, Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.
In Chapter 1, Paul tells us this,
Colossians 1:6-7, In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
Epaphras was the first evangelist to the Colossians. They heard the gospel message from him first. He is also the one who communicated with Paul about their acceptance of the gospel and their love in the Spirit.
At the end of Paul’s short letter to Philemon which would also be heard by the Colossians, he writes, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.”
As Paul writes these letters, Epaphras is right there with him locked up for proclaiming faith in Jesus.
Paul says that Epaphras is one of the Colossians and a servant of Jesus. Epaphras is always wrestling in prayer for them. Paul has heard him passionately pray for them in the tight quarters they find themselves in. The term for wrestling in prayer is where we get the word agonize. The noun form of this word describes how Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. So, Epaphras is not offering quick and easy prayers.
He goes into battle in the spiritual realm so that these believers will be strong in God’s will, become mature in their salvation, and have the full assurance of their faith so they will not doubt their redemption and their eternal destination.
What love he has for his own people to pray with such passion for their spiritual well-being. In fact, Paul says he can vouch that Epaphras is working hard for them. How is he working hard? He is locked up. Paul just told us that it is through his fervent and passionate prayers for them. Such prayer is the hardest work we can ever do.
We may think or say, I am praying for you, but I wish I could do more. That may be a great sentiment, but the reality is if we pray like Epaphras then we are doing the greatest work that can be done for one another. May we not underestimate the overwhelming power of sincere, passionate, and agonizing prayer that we offer for one another.
Memory Verse: Colossians 4:6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Question(s) to consider: Are we working hard for others in prayer? Are we praying that they will be faithful to God’s will, grow up in grace, and have the full assurance of their faith?
November 11 – Colossians
Colossians 4:14-15, Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Paul tells us about two more persons who send their greetings. Here is where we discover that the one who wrote the gospel and the book of Acts was a doctor. Paul had his own personal physician with him. God provided generously someone who could take of Paul’s physical needs. But is that all Luke did?
Philemon 23-24, Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
Paul simply includes Luke as a partner in his worldwide gospel mission project. Was there something else that the doctor did besides care for Paul’s medical needs? In Luke’s writing of Acts, we find this verse.
Acts 16;10, After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
This is where Luke changed his language from “they” to “we.” It is at this point In Paul’s travels that he joins Paul and included himself in the preaching of the good news. So, Luke was more than Paul’s doc, he was a fellow missionary who was called to leave his home, his practice, and get on board Paul’s gospel train.
Demas is mentioned in a couple of other letters. Sadly, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he writes this to Timothy, “Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.” Just as Jesus did, so Paul had folks who deserted him and the mission.
Paul gives a general greeting to the believers at the church in Laodicea, and then a specific one to Nympha who is presumably a wealthy woman who opened her home and her resources for the church to meet.
Paul had quite a group of partners who used their various gifts and resources to serve in his missionary organization being run from jail. He knew much about other churches that he had not started or visited, and he included them in his letter writing ministry. We learn that Paul lived what he preached about the Body of Christ needing each other to build up the church and expand the gospel message. May we be quick to play our part so that we do not let the Body of Christ down.
Memory Verse: Colossians 4:6. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Question(s) to consider: Are you using your talents, skills, and resources to be a blessing to the Body of Christ and expand the gospel message? If so, thank you!