Colossians 4:11-13by Dr. Grant C. RichisonTo: Colossians Main Menu To: Grace Notes Home Page Colossians 4:11"And Jesus who is called Justus. These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision; they have proved to be a comfort to me."David had his "mighty men." Here are Paul's mighty men. ---------- "And Jesus who is called Justus" This is the only occurs of this person in the New Testament. "Jesus" is the Greek name for the Hebrew Joshua. Jesus was a common name among Jews of this day. It may be that this Jesus was called Justus in deference to Jesus the Lord. Justus means "righteous." Justus was a common name (Acts 1:23; 18:7). Paul does not disclose this man's service. However, in the next phrase he calls him a "fellow worker." ---------- "These are my only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are of the circumcision" A fellow-servant, a fellow-prisoner and Justus a fellow-worker were fellow Jews advancing the kingdom of God with Paul. So Aristarchus, Mark and Justus were Jews. ---------- "they have proved to be a comfort to me" Friendship in ministry is one of the great side benefits of kingdom work. These colleagues were a source of great comfort to the apostle. This comfort came to Paul by their loyalty to him under times of duress. The Greek for "comfort" here is the only occurrence in the New Testament. It is a medical term meaning the comfort that relieves both mind and body. The word here means to kill pain or alleviate pain in suffering. Some believers are a pain in the neck. Others relieve pain. PRINCIPLE: God expects us to alleviate pain in others. APPLICATION: We cannot relieve the sufferings of others if we are legalistic. Pseudo spirituality always causes pain. If we are tied up in knots, we will not spiritually refresh other people. People who have illusions about themselves cannot bless others. They think that others cannot get along without them. The Christian who runs around trying to impress others cannot bless others. They intrude into the private affairs of others. Sometimes the reason people are so antagonistic toward us is that we are such a jerk. We are self-righteous prigs. That is why people are down on us. Are we a comfort to people or are we a headache to them? Colossians 4:12"Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."---------- "Epaphras" Epaphras is an eminent Bible teacher from Colosse (1:7,8; 4:12). He was with Paul when he wrote Colossians in Rome. Paul mentions him in Philemon 23 where he calls him "my fellow-prisoner." Epaphras was Paul's cell-mate. Epaphras' made a long, hazardous journey to Rome. His report concerning the conditions in the churches of the Lycus Valley caused Paul to write Colossians (1:7-9). Paul's esteem for Epaphras is seen in the terms he applies to him: "Our beloved fellow servant," "A faithful minister of Christ on our behalf" (1:7), "A servant of Christ Jesus" (4:12), "My fellow prisoner" (Phile 23). Epaphras' unique distinction is Paul's praise for his fervent intercession for the churches of the Lycus Valley (4:12,13). who is one of you Along with Onesimus (v.9), Epaphras was a Colosse Christian. He belonged to the church at Colosse. He was probably their pastor. PRINCIPLE: God expects us to appreciate our colleagues in ministry. APPLICATION: How would you describe those with whom you serve? Do you have the capacity of soul to affirm their strengths? ---------- "a bondservant of Christ" Evidently when Epaphras came to Rome to visit Paul, the Romans arrested him as well. He was a "bondservant of Christ." The word "bondservant" means a slave. He was not a slave of Rome but a slave of Christ (Rom.1:1; Gal. 1:10; Eph. 6:6). There were more slaves in the Roman empire than free men. A slave had no rights. Epaphras waved all his rights for Christ. He totally dedicated himself to the person of Christ. He was consumed with the cause of Christ. Epaphras was a slave of Christ. Christ came first, not his church. Christ came first, not his denomination. Christ came first, not even his family. These things came in their proper order. ---------- "greets you" The Colossian church was his congregation (1:7). PRINCIPLE: God expects us to serve him unreservedly. APPLICATION: Most of us are Christians of convenience. Christianity is a value to us but there is some question if we would be willing to give our life for it. When we are willing to give our life for Christ, that is when Christianity means something. Christianity is more than ethics, civil rights, political rights, better housing or sanitation. These things do not constitute Christianity; they are the by-products of Christianity. We confuse by-product with the real thing. We cannot tell the real thing from imitation. Christianity is a vital relationship with a person. ---------- "always laboring fervently for you in prayers" Here is a person who prayed for fellow believers in his church. While in captivity in Rome, he "agonized" in prayer for his church back in Colosse. Note the two ways in which he prayed for them: 1) laboring and 2) fervently. "Laboring" means wrestling (cf. Jacob in Gen. 32). He wrestled in prayer for the Colossians. "Laboring" is from the Greek word to agonize. It is an athletic term involving personal struggle. We can translate "laboring" by "wrestling." It means to exert the last ounce of strength to win the match. Agony comes at the end of the match where strength is spent. Paul uses this term of himself in 1:29 and 2:1. Jesus also was in "agony" in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:44). Great struggle in prayer is a great need of the church today. We need to agonize in prayer more than to organize programs. Epaphras is still keeping up with his congregation in prayer. He could not hop on Alexander Gram Bell to find out how they were doing. He did have a direct line to God, however. His direct line was prayer. He prayed with a headache; he prayed when he was tired; he prayed when he was sick; he prayed chained to the guards. No matter how tired, sick, or exhausted he might be, he prayed. "Fervently" -- It is the effectual, fervent prayer that avails with God (James 5:16,17). Epaphras was the pastor of the church at Colosse. Now he is in jail. He has a new ministry, the ministry of intercessory prayer. He served God in prison by praying for the Colossian church. PRINCIPLE: Every Christian has recourse to fervent prayer. APPLICATION: Epaphras labored in prayer that people in his congregation might stand firm and not fall victims to false teaching. When we are separated from our loved ones who need spiritual help, the one thing we can do for them is pray. We can pray that God will introduce friends, circumstances, blessing, bane into their lives. God can create a positive volition toward himself by sovereignly managing the events of their lives. My wife and I have recently seen God work mightily in the life of someone close to us. Most of us do not know anything about agonizing in prayer. We know how to pray or say prayers except when we face the death of a child. We learn how to agonize in prayer very quickly then. Now we come to the content of Paul's prayers for them. ---------- "that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" Paul prayed with purpose p; "that." He prayed that the Colossians might have stability ("stand") in the will of God with two characteristics: 1) perfect and 2) complete. "May stand" p; The Greek indicates that we receive the power to stand. We do not stand in our own ability or strength. We do not stand in our natural strength but in God's ability. Standing "perfect and complete in all the will of God" means that we understand and apply the principles of the Word to our experience. The prayer is that the Colossians might stand instead of being swept away by false doctrine. "Perfect" means mature. This word means the ability to carry a full measure. This person is mature and equipped for service. He wanted them to stand firm in maturity of the Christian life. Maturity is essential to stability in the Christian life. "Complete" means fully assured (Rom. 4:21; 14:5) or fulfilled. The word "complete" may mean "convinced." Paul's concern was that the Colossians might develop conviction concerning the truth in the face of doctrinal aberration expressed in the earlier part of the book. Paul wanted Epaphras to stand "in all the will of God" instead of speculative doubt. Epaphras prays that they will grow into maturity North, South, East and West p; in "all" the will of God. He did not want the Devil to shortchange them. He prayed that God will give them all that he has designed for them. He coveted all the will of God for them (1:9; 4:12). He was willing to do "all" the will of God, not half of it. The Lord demands 100% obedience. "And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'" (Acts 13:22). "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Rom.12:2). PRINCIPLE: We should seek the highest good of all believers. APPLICATION: God wants us to pray for fellow believers so that they will grow out of their spiritual infancy and pass through adolescence into spiritual adulthood. God's burden is that we might stop playing with spiritual dolls. We play church today making religious daisy chains while the world goes to hell. We occupy ourselves with the incidental, the petty and trivial. After we have know Christ for a number of years, we realize that doing "all" the will of God is the very best thing we can do. There is nothing better for our well being than to do all the will of God. There is nothing better for us than doing all the will of God. The will of God may hurt; it may be an uphill battle. Heartache is part and parcel of the will of God. None of us gets through life without tears, scars, reverses and difficulties. The Spirit of God will use every problem to sharpen our testimony, enlarge our vision and expand our character. It makes no difference whether we face physical, financial or domestic difficulty. Colossians 4:13"For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis."---------- "For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you" Paul went on record to testify that Epaphras possessed a great zeal for the Colossians, the Laodiceans and those in Hierapolis. "Zeal" here means "labor." Epaphras underwent intense pain and suffering for his church back in Colosse. "Zeal" is hard work with accompanying pain and distress. He wanted them to become spiritually self-sustaining. His goal was that they would depend on the Word rather than upon their pastor (4:12). ---------- "and those who are in Laodicea" Laodicea was located in what we call Turkey today. This city was ten miles from Colosse. It lay on the same road but was larger and richer than Colosse. Today it lies in a heap of ruins. ---------- "and those in Hierapolis" Hierapolis was the city of the mythical Amazon queen Hiera. This city was situated near Colosse and Laodicea in the Lycus River valley of Phrygia. It was a wealthy dyeing center. This city was five miles north of Laodicea and it also lies in ruins. Epaphras was interested in the local churches at Laodicea and Hierapolis as well. Although God has given us a local church, he expects us to be interested in other local churches as well. PRINCIPLE: The child of God should have a great commitment to the local church. APPLICATION: We hear little of our responsibility to have zeal for the local church. Along with our zeal for God and those without Christ, God wants us to have a great zeal for the local church. We invest thousands of dollars in the local church. Others send their children to the mission field from the local church. This is the commitment God expects toward the local church. God has raised up para-church organizations in addition to the local church. These organizations are no substitute for the local church but they are an arm of the church. Often these organizations are on the cutting edge of advancing the gospel. Without aggressive evangelistic organizations that take the gospel across national lines, the gospel will remain within the confines of the local church. The gospel will not get beyond the city limits. However, it is the local church that supports these enterprises of the gospel. May we, like Epaphras, care about other churches. Some churches never miss a month in financially supporting their missionaries. That is because responsible people band together to further the gospel. These are people who have a sense of welfare for both the home church and the cause of Christ throughout the world (Gal. 6:10; Heb. 6:10). Every Christian needs other Christians to rally around them in time of need. Copyright © 1995, Dr. Grant Richison. All rights reserved. There is no charge for Grace Notes Materials. 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