Colossians 4:10-18 says...
Today's verses are Colossians 4:10-18, which read,
v.10, 11 - Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, send you his greetings; and also Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.
Paul continues his list of brothers and sisters in Christ that are surrounding him during this time of imprisonment. He wants the new Christians in Colossae to know about them and therefore we are going to spend some time looking at what we know of them from history. Yesterday was Tychicus and Onesimus who were coming with this message from Paul.
Aristarchus is in prison with Paul. He is a Jew. He was from Thessalonica. He was with Paul and seized with him by the rioting mob in Ephesus. He also went with Paul to Jerusalem and later onto Rome. He was a long time traveling companion of Paul.
Mark is Barnabus' cousin. He is a Jew. He left Paul and Barnabus in the first missionary journey but now he is back. Maybe that story had gotten around and that is why Paul gives specific instruction to welcome him because a reconciliation has happened.
Jesus called Justus is a Jew. Maybe he went by another name not to be confused with Jesus but Jesus was a very common name at the time. Maybe it was his Roman or Greek name just like Paul had also the name Saul.
These men were Jewish and circumcised under the old covenant but they have been transformed by the new covenant of Jesus Christ. They have proved, so they have acted in some way, to be an encouragement to Paul.
v.12, 13 - Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Epaphrus is another convert to Christianity but not a Jew. He is thought to be the one who brought the gospel to Colossae and he is one of them. He is full time now spreading the gospel and has a heart for Laodicea and Hierapolis, a couple nearby towns. He prays earnestly for the new Christians and prays for their spiritual maturity, as said, "stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God."
v.14, 15 - Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.
Luke, the author of the gospel of Luke and the book of the Acts, is mentioned along with his profession. He is a doctor and most possibly put Paul back together after the many persecutions that he went through. He is also not a Jew and was used under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write Holy Scripture.
Demas is shown here as following Christ but later will be one that Paul speaks about as being led away by the attraction of the world, the thorny or weedy soil of the parable of the soils. He abandoned Paul according to 2 Timothy 4:9, 10 and Philemon 24. The Bible does not hide those facts of what seems to be failure to present just what makes everyone look good.
Nympha is a non Jewish woman who is holding a church in her home and most likely the start of the church in Laodicea. The only place for the Christians to meet other than in open areas, which could lead to much persecutions, was in the homes of the converts. She is faithful to use her space for the spread of the gospel.
v.16, 17 - When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."
Paul's letters were meant to be passed around. They were his newsletter of the day or an e-mail blast or Facebook post to be shared among the Christians in neighboring towns. These letters are Scripture and still being passed around to us in the churches of our days as we open up the Bible to that section.
Archippus is thought to be the son of Philemon and he is given an encouragement much like Paul gave to Timothy. He has been assigned a specific ministry from the Lord that needs to be fulfilled. I believe this is another first general of Paul's army of pastors, like Timothy, to carry on the message of the gospel just as he did.
v.18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.
Paul ends this letter to the new Christians in Colossae by signing his name to the document in his own hand. They would see that it was Paul who dictated this letter to a writer with probably better penmanship than his but he signed it on the bottom line along with a p.s.
His last call for them is to pray for him as he is imprisoned and also his last call is to bring attention to grace. May the grace of God through the cross of Christ be your companion through this life and into the next and so ends the letter to the Colossians.
We move on to a short letter to Philemon and then the letter to the church in Philippi. We are covering these in the order that most perceive they were physically written. Thank you for being a part of this study and any encouragement is because we are looking at His book together. Let's pray.
"Lord, what brothers and sisters in Christ You have brought around Paul. He names them. Some are Jews and some are Gentiles. Some are male and some are female. Some have shady pasts and some will have shady futures. Paul sees them as gifts from You to care for him spiritually, mentally, and physically. Lord, the brothers and sisters You have brought around me, may I name them and be so thankful for their place in my life. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.10, 11 - Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, send you his greetings; and also Barnabas' cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.
Paul continues his list of brothers and sisters in Christ that are surrounding him during this time of imprisonment. He wants the new Christians in Colossae to know about them and therefore we are going to spend some time looking at what we know of them from history. Yesterday was Tychicus and Onesimus who were coming with this message from Paul.
Aristarchus is in prison with Paul. He is a Jew. He was from Thessalonica. He was with Paul and seized with him by the rioting mob in Ephesus. He also went with Paul to Jerusalem and later onto Rome. He was a long time traveling companion of Paul.
Mark is Barnabus' cousin. He is a Jew. He left Paul and Barnabus in the first missionary journey but now he is back. Maybe that story had gotten around and that is why Paul gives specific instruction to welcome him because a reconciliation has happened.
Jesus called Justus is a Jew. Maybe he went by another name not to be confused with Jesus but Jesus was a very common name at the time. Maybe it was his Roman or Greek name just like Paul had also the name Saul.
These men were Jewish and circumcised under the old covenant but they have been transformed by the new covenant of Jesus Christ. They have proved, so they have acted in some way, to be an encouragement to Paul.
v.12, 13 - Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
Epaphrus is another convert to Christianity but not a Jew. He is thought to be the one who brought the gospel to Colossae and he is one of them. He is full time now spreading the gospel and has a heart for Laodicea and Hierapolis, a couple nearby towns. He prays earnestly for the new Christians and prays for their spiritual maturity, as said, "stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God."
v.14, 15 - Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas. Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.
Luke, the author of the gospel of Luke and the book of the Acts, is mentioned along with his profession. He is a doctor and most possibly put Paul back together after the many persecutions that he went through. He is also not a Jew and was used under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write Holy Scripture.
Demas is shown here as following Christ but later will be one that Paul speaks about as being led away by the attraction of the world, the thorny or weedy soil of the parable of the soils. He abandoned Paul according to 2 Timothy 4:9, 10 and Philemon 24. The Bible does not hide those facts of what seems to be failure to present just what makes everyone look good.
Nympha is a non Jewish woman who is holding a church in her home and most likely the start of the church in Laodicea. The only place for the Christians to meet other than in open areas, which could lead to much persecutions, was in the homes of the converts. She is faithful to use her space for the spread of the gospel.
v.16, 17 - When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea. Say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it."
Paul's letters were meant to be passed around. They were his newsletter of the day or an e-mail blast or Facebook post to be shared among the Christians in neighboring towns. These letters are Scripture and still being passed around to us in the churches of our days as we open up the Bible to that section.
Archippus is thought to be the son of Philemon and he is given an encouragement much like Paul gave to Timothy. He has been assigned a specific ministry from the Lord that needs to be fulfilled. I believe this is another first general of Paul's army of pastors, like Timothy, to carry on the message of the gospel just as he did.
v.18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my imprisonment. Grace be with you.
Paul ends this letter to the new Christians in Colossae by signing his name to the document in his own hand. They would see that it was Paul who dictated this letter to a writer with probably better penmanship than his but he signed it on the bottom line along with a p.s.
His last call for them is to pray for him as he is imprisoned and also his last call is to bring attention to grace. May the grace of God through the cross of Christ be your companion through this life and into the next and so ends the letter to the Colossians.
We move on to a short letter to Philemon and then the letter to the church in Philippi. We are covering these in the order that most perceive they were physically written. Thank you for being a part of this study and any encouragement is because we are looking at His book together. Let's pray.
"Lord, what brothers and sisters in Christ You have brought around Paul. He names them. Some are Jews and some are Gentiles. Some are male and some are female. Some have shady pasts and some will have shady futures. Paul sees them as gifts from You to care for him spiritually, mentally, and physically. Lord, the brothers and sisters You have brought around me, may I name them and be so thankful for their place in my life. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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