Welcome to Day 2504 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom
Day 2504 – A Final Farewell – Daily Wisdom – Colossians 4:7-18
Putnam Church Message – 11/10/2024
Jesus Christ, Our Leader – A Friendly Farewell
Colossians 4:7-18
Last week, we explored The Big Deal About “Little” Things and how important our vertical and horizontal communications are: our talk and our walk reflect our new life in Christ.
This week, we will finish Paul’s letter to the Colossians chapter 4:7-18 in a message titled ‘A Friendly Farewell.’ It is on page 1835 of your Pew Bibles, but I will read it from the NLT
7 Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. 8 I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. 9 I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.
10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin.| As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. 11 Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!
12 Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. 13 I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. 15 Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters[b] at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house.
16 After you have read this letter, pass it on to the church at Laodicea so they can read it, too. And you should read the letter I wrote to them.
17 And say to Archippus, “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.”
18 HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you.
The great poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote a poem, “Friendship is a sheltering tree.” How right he was. Think about it. Friends reach out to us and offer us refuge like the branches of a tree. They give us shade, shelter, provision, and protection. They invite us to a familiar place of refreshment, retreat, and repose.
In particular, true friends provide three vital things for a quality life. Friends provide companionship, without which we’d be lonely and isolated. They provide comfort—a pat on the back, a shoulder to cry on, and kind words of consolation when we need them. They provide accountability and perspective to keep us on the straight path. By sharing our lives with others outside our immediate families, our world enlarges, our hearts are strengthened, and our minds are sharpened with fresh insight.
One psychologist notes the importance of friendship to our overall health:
I have discovered that friendship is the springboard to every other love. Friendships spill over onto the other important relationships of life. People with no friends usually have a diminished capacity for sustaining any kind of love. They tend to go through a succession of marriages, be estranged from various family members, and have trouble getting along at work. On the other hand, those who learn how to love their friends tend to make long and fulfilling marriages, work well on business teams, and enjoy their children.
If we look to Christ as our Leader and example, we see He, too, had friends who labored with Him—some very close, others more on the periphery of His ministry. He had the “more than 500 of his followers” to whom He appeared after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:6). He had the seventy whom He sent out in pairs to preach (Luke 10:1). And He had the twelve disciples who were with Him day in and day out (Matt. 10:2–4). Within that group were three individuals (Peter, James, and John) with whom He had an especially personal bond (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). And even among these three, he seemed to have an especially intimate friendship with one, “the disciple whom He loved”—John (John 19:26; 21:20). All of these and many others were involved in Jesus’ life and ministry. Many women traveled and supported Christ as disciples. Think also about Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. They provided companionship not only for Jesus Himself but also for one another. These concentric circles of friends were like sheltering trees, giving comfort and accountability.
In the closing twelve verses of the letter to the Colossians, the apostle Paul names no fewer than ten friends who had been a vital part of his life and ministry. Among these friends are those who stayed with him through thick and thin, those who prayed for him and supported him, and even one who strayed, for whom Paul continued to be concerned.
Let’s examine Paul’s friendly farewell to the Colossian Christians, |exploring his close circle of friends and gleaning wisdom and insight for our own lives, lived under the leadership of Jesus Christ.
—4:7–9—
Paul first mentions two close friends, one of whom carried this letter to the Colossian church and the church in Ephesus (Eph. 6:21–22). (Bulletin Insert)
Tychicus (Col. 4:7–8). Paul regarded Tychicus as a much-loved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant. He is portrayed as consistent, loyal, trustworthy, and reliable—someone intimately familiar with Paul’s condition. This wasn’t the only time Tychicus served as one of Paul’s trusted personal envoys. In Titus 3:12, Paul says, I am planning to send either Artemas or Tychicus to you. As soon as one of them arrives, do your best to meet me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to stay there for the winter. Being from Asia Minor himself (see Acts 20:4), Tychicus knew the culture and could be trusted to represent Paul well.
Onesimus (Col. 4:9). As we will see when we explore the single-chapter book of Philemon next week, Onesimus was a runaway slave from Colossae who had come to know Christ when he had encountered Paul in Rome. He had fled from his owner,>Philemon, who was the letter’s recipient now bearing his name. When he escaped from his service to Philemon, Onesimus traveled west, all the way to Italy, ending up by God’s providence in Paul’s rented home in Rome. This encounter led to his conversion to Christ, resulting in a desire to make things right with his owner, Philemon. Paul describes Onesimus as a “faithful and beloved brother” (4:9).
I find it interesting that Onesimus, who was legally a slave, was simply called a “brother” in Christ, while Tychicus, who was free, was called a “fellow bond-servant” (literally, “slave”) in the Lord (4:7). Surely Paul recognized the irony. Perhaps he was intentionally trying to put things in perspective. Though believers’ unity in Christ as brothers and sisters doesn’t cancel out social distinctions, |we must regard those distinctions as secondary to our primary identity as members of the same family, regardless of ethnicity, social status, or gender (see Gal. 3:28).
At the end of Colossians 4:9, we’re told that both these men—the veteran minister Tychicus and the new convert Onesimus—would represent Paul to the church in Colossae. They would give an oral report about what was happening to him in Rome. While stuck in Rome under house arrest, Paul depended on them as his hands, feet, and mouth.
—4:10–14—
Next Paul mentions six more friends who were remaining with him in Rome: Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus (Justus), Epaphras, Luke, and Demas. The first three are Jews; the second three are Gentiles. Paul mentioned one of them earlier in the letter—Epaphras (1:7). Two of them—Mark and Luke—are well-known as Gospel writers. Three of them are probably new to most of us—Aristarchus, Justus, and Demas.
Aristarchus (4:10). Aristarchus is mentioned in Acts 20:4 as one who, along with Sopater, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus, was traveling with Paul during his ministry in Greece, Macedonia, and Asia Minor. Luke also joined that group at some point (Acts 20:5–6). We’re told that Aristarchus was originally from Thessalonica (Acts 20:4). In Colossians 4:10, Paul says, “Who is in prison with me.” Aristarchus may have been placed under house arrest with Paul, although this can’t be verified.
In any case, Aristarchus had shared some harrowing ministry experiences with Paul. He and Gaius were “dragg[ed] along” by the rushing mob during a riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:29). He was also with Paul during the long and treacherous voyage by ship to Italy when Paul went to appeal his case to Caesar (Acts 27:2). On that journey he survived a shipwreck in the Adriatic Sea and ended up on the island of Malta (Acts 27:14–28:1). The fact that Aristarchus was still with Paul in Rome when he wrote this letter to the Colossians demonstrates the tenacious loyalty he had toward Paul and toward their mutual leader, Jesus Christ. The trials and hardships they experienced together served to strengthen their bond.
Mark (Col. 4:10). Paul refers to John Mark as “Barnabas’s cousin.” It’s likely that the Colossians had heard of Barnabas, but they may not have been as familiar with the young man who had earlier abandoned Paul and Barnabas midway through the first missionary journey (Acts 13:5, 13), and whose departure had later caused a break in the relationship between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:37–40). Some years later, Mark reconciled with Paul and served alongside him in Rome. In fact, toward the end of his life, Paul would request Mark’s presence, for he was “helpful to me in my ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:11). Though the friendship between the young John Mark and Paul had been strained early on, both of them grew through their struggles—Mark grew in maturity and fortitude, and Paul grew in patience and forgiveness.
Jesus (Justus) (Col. 4:11). The third of the three Jewish believers in Christ mentioned here shared the same name as the Lord, the Hebrew name Joshua. His Latin name was Justus, a name shared by two other men in the book of Acts (Acts 1:23; 18:7). We know nothing about this Justus except that he, Aristarchus, and Mark were “working with me here for the Kingdom of God” and were an encouragement to Paul (Col. 4:11).
Epaphras (4:12–13). Among any group of Christian friends,| one or two are usually known for their faithful intercession. In Paul’s circle of friends, Epaphras filled this role. Originally a member of the Colossian church and, in fact, the one who had brought the gospel to them (1:7; 4:12), he was an all-in servant of Jesus Christ who prayed earnestly and specifically not just for the Colossians but also for the neighboring congregations in Laodicea and Hierapolis (4:12–13). Paul probably had such a deep knowledge of the Colossians’ spiritual condition not simply because he and Epaphras had discussed it but also because he had heard Epaphras’s passionate prayers and deep concern for them.
Luke (4:14). Like Aristarchus, Luke had been with Paul through many ups and downs in ministry over a long period of time. Here, we’re told that Luke had been trained as a physician. How great is that! Not only could he attend to the spiritual and practical needs of those with whom and to whom he was called to minister, but he could also address medical needs. It may be that Luke served as Paul’s personal physician, helping him cope with the lingering condition he referred to as a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Cor. 12:7). We also know that Luke was a gifted researcher and writer, being personally responsible for the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts.
Demas (Col. 4:14). In Colossians, the only thing we learn about Demas is that he sends greetings; in Philemon, we are merely told that he was a “fellow worker” with Paul (Phlm. 1:24). However, he is also mentioned in 2 Timothy 4:10: Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. All of us have known friends whose camaraderie cooled and whose faithfulness waned. They began to drift, ultimately becoming absent. Whereas John Mark had a similar lapse in his youth but returned to service, Demas had apparently lapsed in his later years, and we’re not told if he ever repented and returned.
—4:15–18—
Finally, Paul sends greetings to the believers in Laodicea and two more friends—a woman named Nympha and a man named Archippus.
Nympha (Col. 4:15). In the early centuries of church history, churches met in private homes when Christianity was an illegal religion in the Roman Empire. Usually, the owners of these homes were wealthy members of the congregation who had large enough houses to host a sizable group. The message to the church in Laodicea recorded in Revelation 3:14–22 indicates that Laodicea was a wealthy church, having enough material goods to be self-sufficient. Nympha may have been a wealthy matron of the church in Laodicea who opened her doors and served the entire congregation. Women were deeply involved both in the ministry of Jesus (Matt. 27:55–56; Luke 8:1–3; 10:38–39) and in the ministry of Paul (Acts 16:14–15, 40; Rom. 16:1–6, 12, 15). The women listed by Paul were not just committed servants of the church, but also faithful friends of the apostle.
Archippus (Col. 4:17). In Philemon 1:2, Paul calls Archippus “our fellow soldier,” implying that he was a hardworking, committed, faithful minister of Christ. In Colossians, Paul has a specific message for Archippus: “Be sure to carry out the ministry the Lord gave you.” (4:17). We don’t know what kind of ministry Paul was addressing here, but regardless, he sought to extend encouraging, strengthening words to Archippus, essentially saying, “Stay at it!” Perhaps Archippus was one of the pastoral leaders of the church in Colossae, and these words were meant to encourage him in defending the faith against the threat of budding Gnostic heresy.
Paul wraps up his letter to the Colossians with a touching, handwritten farewell. As was his custom, he took the stylus from his secretary—in this case, probably Timothy, who assisted him in writing—and provided his own personal signature: HERE IS MY GREETING IN MY OWN HANDWRITING—PAUL. Remember my chains. May God’s grace be with you. (4:18). With these brief words, he asks for their prayers of concern and intercession (“Remember my chains”) and prays a blessing over them (“May God’s grace be with you”).
It is fitting that Paul’s farewell demonstrates his priority on prayer, reminding us again that our sufficiency comes not from ourselves but from Jesus Christ, who is sufficient as our Lord, our Life, and our Leader.
Application: COLOSSIANS 4:7–18
There Are No Nobodies in God’s Kingdom
Several significant figures in my life have impacted me—My parents and grandparents the most. Certainly, Paula has, and even our children. Many others, like teachers, professors, and dozens of authors I have studied, have significantly impacted my life. Most of these men and women whose names probably wouldn’t yield a single entry in an online search. To the world at large, they’re nobodies. They didn’t invent anything world-changing, write a best-selling novel, star in a blockbuster movie, go platinum in record sales, or run for president, and history has forgotten them—except for names etched in headstones or brief summaries of their lives in newspaper obituaries. But when I close my eyes and review the newsreels of my life, those nobodies make the headlines. These valuable men and women, whom the world may consider nobodies, proved invaluable to me during the maturing years of my life. If I could quantify influence, I’d conclude that their effect on me—through words and actions—equaled that of the “big names.” |And this is probably true for you, too.| It’s always been true.
|A nobody taught the reformer Martin Luther his theology. A nobody visited evangelist Dwight L. Moody at a shoe store and spoke to him about Christ. A nobody financed William Carey’s ministry to India. A nobody faithfully prayed for Billy Graham for over twenty years. A nobody found the Dead Sea Scrolls, which revolutionized biblical studies in the twentieth century. And a nobody refreshed the apostle Paul in a Roman prison as he wrote his last letter to Timothy. Think about it. (Bulletin Insert) The visible 10 percent of the iceberg wouldn’t be seen without the 90 percent of its mass that is obscured under the water.
The executive branch of the US government would be paralyzed if the president didn’t have the support of a competent cabinet and several wise counselors. Whether small or massive, each local church, including Putnam, could not function week in and week out without the behind-the-scenes work...
