Colossians 4:7-10
by Dr. Grant C. Richison
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Colossians 4:7
"Tychicus, a beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow servant
in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me."
This verse begins the conclusion to the letter to the Colossians. It is
a very lengthy conclusion for such a short letter.
The close of Paul's epistles demonstrate how much involvement he had with
people. He was a people person concerned with mature interpersonal relations.
Verses 4:7-18 give final greetings to his friends.
Paul lists ten people in the conclusion to Colossians. Eight of which are
associates of Paul and the other two are individuals in Colosse.
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"Tychicus (Eph. 6:21,22)"
Tychicus traveled widely with the apostle Paul. He joined Paul from Ephesus
to Jerusalem at the end of the third missionary journey (Acts 20:4). He
joined Paul's team on the final visit to Jerusalem (Acts 20:4-5; cf. I Cor.
16:1-4; cf. II Cor 8:19ff). Tychicus was with Paul in his first Roman imprisonment
and carried the epistle of Colossians from Rome to the believers in Colosse.
He was from the Roman province of Asia (Acts 20:4).
At the close of Paul's life Paul sent Tychicus with Trophimus on a missionary
journey to Ephesus to take Timothy's place (Tit. 3:12; II Tim. 4:12).
Tychicus was dispatched to Ephesus during the second Roman imprisonment
(II Tim. 4:12). This would free Timothy to rejoin Paul who wanted to see
him before he met his fate as a martyr (II Tim. 4:9,21). He may have been
sent to relieve Titus in the oversight of the churches on the isle of Crete
as well (Titus 3:12).
Tychicus was one of those no-name servants of God in the New Testament who
made a big impact for the cause of Christ. He was Paul's servant to the
churches of the Lycus Valley. He bore both the epistles of Colossians and
Ephesians to their destination (4:7-9; Eph. 6:21-22). He may have also
carried II Timothy (4:12). Titus 3:12 says Paul planned to send Tychicus
or Artemas to Crete to free Titus to join Paul at Nicopolis. These commissions
reflect the trustworthiness which Paul places in him (Eph. 6:21; Col. 47).
Tychicus was a fellowservant with Paul (cf. Eph. 6:21). Paul sent him to
Colosse with the express purpose of informing them about his state of affairs
to encourage them.
Paul repeatedly sent Tychicus somewhere. He sent Tychicus because he had
confidence in him. It is a great asset to have confidence in those with
whom we work. He was not suspicious of him. He knew he was loyal.
PRINCIPLE: God expects us to develop a cadre of companions toward maturity
in Christ.
APPLICATION: Tychicus was a simple mailman yet the mighty apostle Paul
depended upon him. He carried the mail of the first reading of the book
of Colossians. Small unseen parts of the motor of our car are crucial to
the operation of our car. We may never know the name or their function
but we depend on them to run the car. Without the service of Tychicus the
Colossians would have not read the Word of God.
Are you the kind of person people can place their confidence in ministry?
Paul describes Tychicus in three ways. First he calls him "a beloved
brother."
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"a beloved brother"
A "brother" is the basic relationship among Christians. Tychicus
was more than just a "brother" he was a "beloved brother."
He had endeared himself to the apostle in prison. It is one thing to be
a brother it is another to be a beloved brother.
Philippians 4:1 "1Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my
joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved."
II Thessalonians 2:13 "3But we are bound to give thanks to God always
for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose
you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the
truth"
Those close to Tychicus loved him. When it came to fellowship he was "beloved."
PRINCIPLE: God expects us to love our colleagues in ministry.
APPLICATION: Paul loved his colleagues greatly. God expects us to love
those with whom we serve in ministry.
The second description of Tychicus is that he is a "faithful minister."
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"faithful minister"
The second depiction of him is a "faithful minister." He was
not only a brother but a beloved brother; he was not only a minister but
a faithful minister. He was true to the service of the church at Colosse
and to the apostle Paul.
Tychicus was not a well-known member of Paul's team. He was not famous
or a name person on the team but that does not mean that he was not successful.
The emphasis here is upon his character rather than his personality.
God does not require that we be brilliant or clever in the ministry. We
do not have to be original. God does not expect us to be famous or popular.
He does not even expect success from us. He does expect us to be faithful
(I Cor. 4:1,2).
By the use of "faithful" Paul describes the quality of Tychicus'
work. When it comes to our ministry God's values faithfulness more than
anything else. He was "Mr. Ordinary" on the team. He lived a
monotonous life. No one wrote him up in the Christian magazines of the
day. There was no Madison Avenue blood in his body. Our generation of
Christianity loves to focus on personality, not character. It seems to
make no difference whether a person is off doctrinally as long as he has
a pleasing personality. It is one big brotherhood at the expense of truth.
It was not a popular thing to be a Christian in the first century. To be
a Christian was not fashionable. To be friend of a man in jail for preaching
the gospel was not very popular position to take. That might cost a Christian
something. Tychicus was willing to pay the price.
Tychicus was no scintillating personality. He was steady, solid, stable
and faithful. He did the little jobs as unto the Lord. He did not deem
it below him to carry the epistle of Colossians to Colosse. He took up
the slack. It takes a big man to do the little jobs. He did them day in
and day out. No one patted him on the head and told him how great he was.
No one interviewed him for a publication.
PRINCIPLE: God wants us to be faithful in our ministry.
APPLICATION: Tychicus was a man Paul could count upon. That is what God
expects of us. He wants faithfulness. Many today are faithless.
How would someone describe your ministry? Faithful? Faithless? Can people
count on you? Can people trust you to deliver the goods?
Today it costs us relatively little to minister the gospel faithfully.
No one persecutes us. No one puts us in jail for preaching the gospel.
No one ostracizes us for our witness for Christ today. Yet there is
more unfaithfulness in ministry today than in Paul's day. God is looking
for people upon whom he can count to do his ministry.
God has a plan for your life right where you are. It is more difficult
to live the Christian life in the day-to-day humdrum of life. No one goes
to the Christian wife who washes dishes day in and out to get her testimony
about how she lives the Spirit-filled life. No one asks her how difficult
it is to face the boredom of washing dishes every day. No one interviews
her about the thrill of sweeping the floor every day. However, she is in
the plan of God and all God expects of her is faithfulness. When she does
her housework as unto the Lord, she is a person with purpose.
The third description of Tychicus is a "fellow servant."
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"and fellow servant in the Lord"
The word "servant" here is slave. Tychicus was a fellow slave
with Paul.
You can tell something about the capacity of soul of someone by the way
he treats his associates. The eight individuals listed in his paragraph
are Paul's associates. None of them were as gifted as the apostle Paul.
Yet we see the size of Paul's soul by the way he treats his colleagues.
We do not read of any sermons that Tychicus preached, or books that he
wrote or churches he founded yet Paul calls him a "fellow slave."
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"will tell you all the news about me"
Paul does not give a full account of his present estate in jail because
Tychicus will do that personally when he arrives in Colosse.
Even though the Colossians had never met Paul (2:1) they cared about him.
They knew he was in prison. They knew his impact on the Roman world.
Therefore, Paul sent Tychicus from Rome to tell them the latest news about
Paul. The Colossians were exercised about the condition of Paul in jail.
Tychicus will allay that concern. He will tell them how he is doing physically,
materially and spiritually.
PRINCIPLE: There is a greatness in inconspicuous service.
APPLICATION: God uses people who are not conspicuous or spectacular. Tychicus
was a man of great importance to the apostle Paul.
The use of the term "fellow servant" indicates how Paul viewed
his status among his coworkers. He viewed them as his equals.
Paul never told "religious lies" about his colleagues describing
them more than what they were. He never exaggerated their accomplishments.
However, he did give them their due. He accurately estimated their abilities
and qualities. This thumbnail sketch of Tychicus was accurate. He not
only was a brother; he was a "beloved brother." He not only was
a minister; he was a "faithful minister." He not only was a servant;
he was a "fellow servant."
Colossians 4:8
"I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know
your circumstances and comfort your hearts"
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"I am sending him to you for this very purpose"
Paul's purpose was to have reciprocal concern for them as they had for him.
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"that he may know your circumstances "
In order to comfort others we need to know their situation.
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"and comfort your hearts"
Tychicus was a heart specialist. The parallel passage in Ephesians 6:21,22
says the same thing. He had the capacity to comfort others. This is a
specialty of the Holy Spirit as well,
"Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace
and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort
of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied" (Acts 9:31).
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that
He may abide with you forever- 17"the Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know
Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18"I will not leave
you orphans; I will come to you" (Jn 14:16,17).
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not
sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ
the righteous. 2And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not
for ours only but also for the whole world" (I John 2:1,2).
There is another source of comfort for the Christian p; the Word of
God:
"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning,
that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope"
(Rom. 15:4).
"Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always
be with the Lord. 18Therefore comfort one another with these words"
(I Thes. 4:17,18).
Paul sent Tychicus to Colosse to minister to hearts, not heads. Paul does
not write, "When Tychicus comes he will inspire your mind."
PRINCIPLE: God wants us to comfort others like he does through the Holy
Spirit and the Word.
APPLICATION: When we become discouraged it is our hearts that need comfort.
God will put someone in our path to encourage us when we need it.
Has God given you the gift of encouragement? Maybe God is putting people
in your path to be an encouragement to them. They may need a warm handshake,
a cup of coffee. Someone else may need help during a time of bereavement.
Someone else may need you to take care of their children during a crisis.
Are you that cold drink of water on a hot day?
God will also comfort with the Holy Spirit and Scripture.
Colossians 4:9
"With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you.
They will make known to you all things which are happening here."
Now we turn to Tychicus' traveling companion to Colosse.
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"With Onesimus"
Rome attracted drifters from all over the empire. It was to Rome that the
fugitive slave Onesimus came. He found new place in life there by the gospel.
Paul sent Onesimus back to Colosse from Rome with Tychicus.
The Bible names Onesimus twice in two books. He was a person of inauspicious
beginning but glorious ending. In the beginning he fled from Colosse as
a run away, the slave of Philemon. He absconded money from his master Philemon
and fled from Colosse. We learn nothing of this in Colossians, only in
the epistle of Philemon (Philemon 10).
There is no call reinstatement to his master or to the church in Colossians.
It says only here that he is a "faithful and beloved brother."
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"a faithful and beloved brother"
Though a run-away slave, Paul calls him a "faithful" brother (Phile
16). He ran away as a non Christian and came back as a Christian. That
is a moderate description of the man. Paul does not describe him as a great
teacher, a flaming evangelist but simply "faithful" and "beloved."
He is faithful, not a thief. Paul says, "I lead him to Christ (Philemon
10). He is an ex-thief. I lead him to the Savior" (cf. Philemon
9-19). He is an example of the transforming power of the gospel.
There is no way to discern whether the Colossians read Philemon or Colossians
first. It would be nice if he read Philemon first. His blood pressure
would have remained low in that case.
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"who is one of you"
Colosse was his home (cf. v.12).
The run-away slave, now converted, holds equal privileges with free men
spiritually (Rom. 3:22; Gal. 3:28).
They will make known to you all things which are happening here
The "they" in this sentence is Tychicus and Onesimus. They will
tell the Colossians about what has happened in Rome to Paul and his colleagues.
They will update the church at Colosse on Paul's health, prospect of release
from jail and something of his hopes for the future.
PRINCIPLE: There is transforming power in the gospel.
APPLICATION: Here is a man who proved himself. He was unprofitable in
the past but God made something of him.
God will transform your life if you respond to the gospel as did Onesimus.
Are you fed up with your life? Have you tried psychological techniques,
new age and other self-help systems? Why not give Jesus a crack at your
life?
All you need to do is to acknowledge that you have violated a holy God and
believe that Jesus paid the price for that violation (Rom. 4:5). God will
then transform your life.
Colossians 4:10
"Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin
of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome
him)"
This is an intensely personal section of Colossians. Paul mentions eight
people with him in Rome and two in Colosse.
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"Aristarchus"
Aristarchus was from Thessalonica. He attended Paul on his third missionary
expedition. Aristarchus' name occurs five times in the New Testament.
Acts 19:29 "29So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed
into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians,
Paul's travel companions."
Paul's friends kept him from going into this situation. Acts calls Aristarchus
here a traveling companion of Paul. Maybe he was an assistant of Paul.
He was a native of Thessalonica who joined Paul on his third miss journey.
In Ephesus this mob seized him and almost killed him. Nothing good ever
comes from a mob.
20:4 "4And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia-also Aristarchus
and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and
Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia."
This is the third missionary expedition. Paul is on his way back to Jerusalem.
20:3 says that Aristarchus came from Thessalonica, a city in Macedonia.
The church in Thessalonica was a remarkable church to which Paul wrote
two epistles.
27:2 "2So, entering a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, meaning
to sail along the coasts of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica,
was with us."
By chapter 27 Paul is in prison. He is unfairly treated and appeals to
Rome. The authorities decide to ship him to Rome. Aristarchus is mentioned
as his companion here as well.
Paul refers to him in Philemon 24 where he is called a "fellowlaborer,"
"23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24as
do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers."
Not only is Paul a fellow jail mate but a fellow laborer. The Bible does
not tell us of any sermons he preached or any of his great accomplishments.
No, he was one of the little people. He had no sensational gift but he
got his name in the Bible five times. He may have simply run errands for
the apostle.
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"my fellow prisoner greets you"
Not only does Paul call Aristarchus a "fellow worker" but here
he says that Aristarchus is simply my cell-mate.
PRINCIPLE: God uses little people.
APPLICATION: May people feel that they do not count. They think that they
are little people of no significance. They downplay the place that God
has given them upon the earth. They seem to think that this will get them
off the hook of serving God. They excuse themselves with the statement
"I am of little worth to the kingdom of God. I am not gifted. I am
not talented. I can't do anything well."
God has a plan for every person no matter how small their gifts.
Mark is another of those circle of men with whom Paul served. All these
men had a deep sense of mission. Most were Paul's liaisons to the churches
he founded.
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"with Mark the cousin of Barnabas "
Barnabas was a "good man," "Spirit filled" and a man
of "faith" (Acts 11:24). This was the man who endorsed Paul after
his conversion. The church would not trust him until Barnabas intervened
for him.
This is the Mark who wrote the gospel. The New Testament names him 10 times.
He traveled with Paul on the first missionary expedition because Barnabas
was his uncle (Acts 12:12,25).
Mark was their "assistant" (Acts 13:5). That word means "underrower."
It means he was their "attendant." He carried the briefcase
and the notebook computer. He was the chief cook and bottle washer. He
carried the bags. He made the reservations.
When the going got difficult, Mark all of a sudden remembered that he had
an appointment with his mother. As he walked down the street people would
say, "How are the clean sheets? How's mom's cookies? Did you see
any pirates in Pamphylia?" He was the subject of public ridicule.
Mark defected from the missionary enterprise. He turned quitter (13:13).
Paul and Barnabas quarreled over Mark because he left Paul in the lurch
on the mission field. Because of this desertion, Paul did not want him
on any future team (Acts 15:36-39).
An added complication was Mark's blood relationship to Barnabas. This also
caused the breach to widen. Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways.
Paul took Silas on his missionary expeditions and Barnabas took Mark.
Mark later became Peter's associate ("my son," I Peter 5:13; cf.
Acts 12:12-13).
Though Mark deserted Paul on the first missionary journey (Acts 15:37-39),
Paul here commends him (cf. Phile. 24) as a "fellow laborer,"
as he did later in II Timothy. Now Paul commends Mark because he got on
track again. His commendation of Mark is without qualification, "he
is useful to me for the ministry" (II Tim. 4:11).
(about whom you received instructions: if he comes to you, welcome him)
"Received instructions" indicate that Mark was under a cloud.
He had a poor beginning. He was a failure at the beginning but he made
a comeback.
Paul not only reconciled with Mark but he charges the Colossian church to
"welcome him." "Don't hold it against him." Paul truly
forgave Mark for deserting him on the field.
The word for "welcome" means hospitable reception (Mt. 10:14;
Jn. 4:45). Paul's recommendation of Mark is unreserved. He says in effect,
"Welcome him with open arms."
Mark's dropout caused people to look upon him with suspicion. Therefore,
Paul instructs the church at Colosse to welcome him. He had been discharged
as useless for the work of Christ.
PRINCIPLE: Initial failure does not mean ultimate failure.
APPLICATION: There is no such thing in biblical Christianity as the "bird
with the broken pinion will never fly so high again." No failure is
fatal as long as we are alive upon the earth. If we are alive, God has
a purpose for us. It is possible to make good again.
Maybe you have played the coward at some point in your life. It is possible
to make good again. Your first attempt at Christian work may have been
a failure. Your first try at leading a small group may have not been the
right match. You may have been a round peg in a square hole. Just because
you failed the first time does not mean that you will always fail.
Copyright © 1995, Dr. Grant Richison. All rights reserved.
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