Colossians Chapter 4 verse 7 Holy Bible

Pulpit Commentary

Pulpit CommentaryVerses 7-18. - SECTION X. PERSONAL MESSAGES AND GREETINGS. St. Paul concludes his letter, first, by introducing to the Colossians its bearer, Tychicus, along with whom he commends to them their own Onesimus, returning to his master (vers. 7-9); then, according to his custom, he conveys greetings from his various friends and helpers present with him at the time, in particular from Mark, who was likely to visit them, and from Epaphras their own devoted minister (vers. 10-14); thirdly, he sends greeting to the neighbouring and important Church of Laodicea, specially mentioning Nympha, with directions to exchange letters with the Laodiceans, and with a pointed warning to Archippus, probably a Colossian, having some charge over that Church (vers. 15-17). Finally, he appends, with his own hand, his apostolic greeting and benediction (ver. 18). The personal references of this section, though slight and cursory, are of peculiar value, bearing themselves the strongest marks of genuineness, and decisively attesting the Pauline authorship of the Epistle. At the same time, we gather from them several independent facts throwing light on St. Paul's position during his imprisonment, and on his relations to other leading personages of the Church. Verse 7. - All that relates to me (literally, the things concerning me) Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant (bondman), will make known to you (Ephesians 6:21, 22; Titus 3:12; 1 Timothy 6:12; 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; Philippians 2:25). Tychicus appears first in Acts 20:4, where he is called an "Asian" (of the Roman province of Asia, of which Ephesus was capital), along with Trophimus, who, in Acts 21:29, is styled "the Ephesian." He accompanied the apostle on his voyage to Jerusalem (A.D. 58), with a number of others representing different Churches, and deputed, as Lightfoot thinks, in conformity with the directions of 1 Corinthians 16:3, 4, to convey the contributions raised for "the poor saints at Jerusalem." Trophimus was with St. Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:29), and so, probably, his colleague (the words, "as far as Asia," in Acts 20:4, are of very doubtful authority), he is now with the apostle in his imprisonment at Rome, about to be sent home with these two letters (comp. Ephesians 6:21, 22), and in charge of Onesimus, on whose account the apostle sends a private letter to Philemon. In the interval between the first (present) and second imprisonment (2 Timothy), the apostle revisited the Asiatic Churches (so we infer from 1 Timothy 1:3), and Tychicus rejoined him; for we find St. Paul proposing to send him to Titus in Crete (Titus 3:12), and finally sending him from Rome once more to Ephesus (2 Timothy 6:12). These facts sustain the high terms in which he is here spoken cf. "In the Lord" belongs both to "minister" and "fellow servant." This language is almost identical with that used of Epaphras in Colossians 1:7 (see notes). Tychicus is "minister" (διάκονος), not to Paul himself (Acts 19:22; Acts 13:5, ὑπηρέτης), nor in the official sense of Philippians 1:1, but "of Christ," "of the gospel," or "the Church" (1 Thessalonians 3:2), as St. Paul himself (Colossians 1:23, 25). He is "a beloved brother" to his fellow believers, "a faithful minister" of the Lord Christ, and "a fellow servant" with the apostle (Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:10; Philippians 2:25).

Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7, 8) These verses present an almost exact verbal coincidence with Ephesians 6:21-22, on which see Notes. In the verses, however, which follow, the particularity and detail of this Epistle stand in marked contrast with the brief generality of Ephesians 6:23-24. Remembering that the two Epistles were sent at the same time, and that Ephesus was a church far better known than Colossae, we cannot but regard this as supporting the idea of an encyclical character in our Epistle to the Ephesians.