Colossians4v7to18: PAUL'S CHRISTIAN FRIENDS

Introduction.

Warrren Wiersbe notes in his commentary on this passage that Paul was not only a great soul winner but also a great friend maker. There are more than a 100 different Christians associated with Paul in the book of Acts and in his epistles.

In this last portion of his great letter Paul commends 4 aspects of Christian fellowship that are crucial to maintain the well being of the saints:

(1) Sharing News.

Paul writes: Tychicus will tell you all the news about me ..... He is coming with Onesimus ... They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Some Christians are very secretive. They don't want anyone to know their business. It appears they share the Pharisee's attitude to sickness, namely, that it is something to be ashamed of and to keep quiet about. I loath and detest this attitude. I am having a difficult time at the moment. I am finding it harder and harder to walk owing to damaged vertebra in the neck and lower back. I share this news with my fellow Christians not least because it provides them with an opportunity to help.

Let's look at what the passage tells us about sharing news:

  • It is important. Paul sent 2 whom he greatly loved with the news. Tychicus was a dear brother, faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. Onesimus, too, was a faithful and dear brother. Paul must have greatly enjoyed fellowship with his two dear brothers but he was willing to forego this in order to share his news with the Colossians.

  • It is balanced. Paul affirms in his letter: They will tell you everything that is happening here. There was good news. We know that Paul had quite a bit of company when he wrote to the Colossians. He had the company of Aristarchus, Mark, Justus, Epaphras and Luke. Paul took particular pleasure in the company of Mark. Dr Luke was there to minister to Paul's physical needs.

    But there was bad news too. Paul was a prisoner in Rome. His opportunities for preaching the gospel were limited to the soldiers to whom he was chained.

    When we share news it shouldn't be a catalogue of woes but nor should it be a tale of one blessing after another. The latter just makes the less fortunate grind their teeth in despair as they ask themselves why isn't this happening for me?

  • It raises the spirits. Paul says he is sending Tychicus to the Colossians that he may encourage your hearts.

    A visit from Paul's emissaries, carrying as they were a precious letter from the apostle, would be a great blessing to the church at Colosse. Such was the blessing that the letter was carefully preserved and we have it to this day.

    On Sunday our visiting speaker had a message for me. As previously mentioned, I am having a difficult time with spinal problems requiring surgery. Our preacher spoke of the ups and downs in the life of young Joseph. In them all, the Lord was with him. So I hope He will be for me.

    (2) Providing comfort.

    Paul wrote that Aristarchus, Mark and Justus are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God and they have proved a comfort to me. The presence of these three Jews was reassuring and a comfort in the following ways:

  • They were companions to talk to and pray with. There was fellowship in the house Paul was kept captive in.

    I can remember going with Arthur Rutterford to visit a mutual Christian friend, Mr Cackett, in Addenbrookes Hospital. We had a time of prayer; we each prayed and it did us all good.

  • The three Jewish companions of Paul were not ashamed to associate with him. He was a prisoner after all! Not every Christian in Rome was an ardent supporter of the little apostle. An angel rescued the apostle Peter from prison - but Paul languished in chains - his ministry much curtailed.

    I have just finished reading an essay by Jeff Lucas to the effect that not all faithful, effective servants of God get the recognition and credit they deserve. Lucas illustrated his homily with reference to Joseph the husband of Mary. We are told virtually nothing about the relationship Jesus had with Joseph.

  • The three Jewish companions of Paul were not afraid to associate with him.

    Paul and Aristarchus were in chains for preaching the gospel. Paul's fate could easily become the fate of his sympathisers. Young John Mark had abandoned Paul once - during his first missionary journey. Now, such is his courage, he is happy to be associated with Paul, a prisoner for Christ's sake.

    In many parts of the world it is highly dangerous to associate with the victims of religious persecution. Take for example the congregation of a church just outside Kampala in Uganda. For many months Muslims have pelted the church building with rocks. Eventually one rock smashed through a church window and knocked the pastor, Moreen Sanyu, unconscious. The congregation of 400 has since diminished as members fear for their lives.

    We know how much Paul benefitted from the fellowship of those who visited him. His tone as he ends his second letter to Timothy is very different from the final paragraph of his epistle to the Colossians. He wrote to Timothy: Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia and Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 2Tim4v9to11. The phrase, Only Luke is with me, has a haunting quality.

    We must be careful not to abandon Christ's servants in their distress.

    (3) Providing prayer support.

    Paul commends Epaphras, founder and member of the church in Colosse, who was on a visit to Paul in Rome. During the visit he wrestled in prayer for the brothers and sisters of his home church to which he was due to return with a letter from Paul.

    So what can we learn from the prayer life of Epaphras:

  • We shouldn't allow distance to make any difference to the earnestness of our prayers. I pray for an old pupil who is a missionary in Laos. Our distance apart does not make any difference to my prayer support.

  • Prayer can be arduous. Paul likens prayer to wrestling. He also describes it as work. Prayer is not easy for a variety of reasons:

    • It is a one sided conversation.

    • We have an invisible opponent who hates us to pray. So Satan distracts us. Our minds wander. Sleep overwhelms us.

    • Great issues are at stake. Think of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane: sweating as it were great drops of blood.

    • It involves anticipating the needs of others.

  • We should pray regularly. Paul informed the Colossians: He is always wrestling in prayer for you.

    It is good to have a prayer list. This ensures we pray for a good number of specific individuals over the course of a month.

  • Our prayers should be targeted. We shouldn't pray vaguely and generally but identify specific needs and pray for these. Epaphras prayed for the three churches he played a part in founding: the fellowships at Colosse, Laodicea and Heirapolis.

    Epaphras prayed that the Christians in the three churches might stand firm in the will of God. How is the will of God known? It is revealed in Christ. The Colossians were in danger of being seduced by pagan philosophers. Aspects of Gnosticism were creeping into the church. The Colossians needed to believe devoutly in Jesus: the way, the truth and the life. They needed to be utterly convinced that no one comes to God the Father except through Jesus, the divine Son. To quote John: The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. Jn3v35and36.

    If we live in the will of Jesus and thereby obey God, we shall mature as Christians and bear some of the fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Gal5v22.

    (4) Making God's word known.

    Paul indicates that his letter should be read to the Colossians and then taken to Laodicea and read there too. v16. Paul's letter to the Colossians makes known the supremacy of Jesus. In him dwells the fullness of the Godhead in bodily form. See Col2v9. This is a truth no preacher should ignore or fail to proclaim with absolute conviction.

    Today I took the funeral of Robert, a very decent man, a good man who contributed much to the community. Our chapel was packed with people. I did justice to Robert's worthiness but that is not enough. I made the most of my opportunity to remind the congregation of Jesus' own words: "For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." Jn6v40.

    Only Jesus could speak like this. It is God's sovereign will that we believe in Jesus for eternal life. So, eternal life is in the gift of Jesus and no one else.

    ANY COMMENTS FOR JOHN REED: E-mail jfmreed@talktalk.net

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