COLOSSIANS 4:12-18

July 29, 2021

PAUL, PARTNERS, PRAYER

Colossians 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.

SUSIE: Epaphras, the one who had brought news of the Colossian church to Paul sent greetings back to the believers there. Apparently, he had decided to stay on with Paul and learn from him for a while. 

SUSAN: Epaphras was a devotee (a willing slave) of the Lord Jesus Christ. Epaphras’ labor of love was diligently, persistently, passionately, powerfully interceding on behalf of the familyship of his home church. He prayed that they would continue to mature in their faith due to his work among them and his investment in prayer on their behalf. 

SUSIE: He asked the Lord to give them confidence as they surrendered to His will. 

SUSAN: Epaphras wanted the Lord to infuse the Colossian believers with fearless perseverance so that when serving the Lord became difficult—when the storms of life arose—they would not lose heart. He prayed they would be able to stand firm.

Colossians 4:13 For I testify about him that he goes to great pains for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis.

SUSAN: Paul was a witness that Epaphras was a multi-tasker, praying for the congregations at Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis zealously. 

SUSIE: This was not a quick, “Bless the church at Colossae.” He was pouring himself out in specific prayer on their behalf. 

SUSAN: He invested time in prayer with intention and intensity. 

SUSIE: He did not take this responsibility lightly.

PONDER THIS: Epaphras was a “prayer warrior” on behalf of his friends. How seriously do we take our responsibility to lift each other up to the Lord?

Colossians 4:14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas send you greetings.

SUSIE: Even though Luke was Paul’s personal physician and highly literate and intelligent, he may not have been in the upper social strata because often times physicians were slaves. 

SUSAN: He may have been chosen for the profession because he could handle all the gross stuff. Luke was not only Paul’s doctor, but he was Paul’s ancient days’ scribe and biographer. 

SUSIE: He was the author of the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts as well. Demas, at this point, was a faithful friend and co-laborer with Paul. However, in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he reports that Demas had utterly abandoned him and been drawn into the world (2 Timothy 4:10). 

Make every effort to come to me quickly, because Demas, in his love of 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 useful to me in the ministry.

2 Timothy 4:9-11

SUSAN: Perhaps Demas was enticed by the opulent trappings of the high society of Rome, especially in contrast to the modest accommodations of Paul who was under house arrest.

Colossians 4:15 Greet the brothers in Laodicea, as well as Nympha and the church that meets at her house.

SUSIE: The King James Version calls this person Nymphas and says the church meets in HIS house whereas some other translations as well as the Berean quoted here use a feminine form of Nympha and say the church which meets in HER house. Either way, Paul was telling the recipients of the letter which was to be read in both Colossae and Laodicea to pass on his greeting to this person and the congregation there in Laodicea. 

SUSAN: There were women who hosted congregations in their homes.

Colossians 4:16 After this letter has been read among you, make sure that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

SUSIE: Paul’s epistles, his letters, were passed among several of the churches in an area to be read to many congregations. Ephesians may have been read to these congregations as well.

Colossians 4:17 Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”

SUSAN: Paul asked the church leaders to admonish Archippus not to walk away from his purpose but to persevere in what the Lord had called him to be. He encouraged him to be courageous and stand firm in the Lord. 

Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9 (BSB)

SUSIE: From Paul’s greeting to Philemon, many believe that Archippus may have been Philemon’s son or a leader in the church that met in Philemon’s house.

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:

Philemon 1-2 (BSB)

Colossians 4:18 This greeting is in my own hand—Paul. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

SUSIE: Although Paul used a secretary to write his letters, he often wrote the final salutation himself and signed his own name. 

SUSAN: Paul asked the believers to continue to offer prayers of intercession on his behalf because from them he would receive strength from the Lord.

CHALLENGING QUESTIONS:

  • Paul refers to intercessory prayer as “labor”. Are we working in this manner for the good of the familyship of believers?
  • Are you investing time in prayer with intention and intensity?
  • Have you ever known someone who was active in ministry but was enticed away by the world like Demas? Have you ever been enticed?
  • Paul praised Epaphras for his ministry of intercession and as his last comment of the letter requested prayer on his own behalf. Do we give intercessory prayer a place of prominence in our daily lives?