#12 Christ's Supremacy Displayed In Our Friendships

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Paul was not only a soul winner; he was a great friend-maker. If my count is correct, there are more than one hundred different Christians (named and unnamed) associated with Paul in the book of Acts and in his epistles. He named twenty-six different friends in alone!

It was customary in Paul’s day to close each letter with personal greetings. Friends did not see one another that much, and letter service was very slow and limited. Of course, Paul’s greetings were much more than social; they conveyed his genuine spiritual concern for his friends. In this closing section, Paul sent personal greetings to Colossae from six of his associates in the ministry: Aristarchus, John Mark, and Jesus Justus, all of whom were Jews; and Epaphras, Luke, and Demas, who were Gentiles. Paul then added special greetings to two church assemblies, with a special word to one of the pastors.

When we first read this list of names, we are probably not greatly moved. But when we get behind the scenes and discover the drama of these men’s lives as they worked with Paul, the list becomes very exciting. We can categorize these men into three groups.

THE MEN WHO STAYED (4:10-11, 14a)

This group is made up of three Jews (Aristarchus, John Mark, Jesus Justus), and one Gentile (Luke). All of them were characterized by faithfulness to the apostle Paul in his hour of special need. They were the men who stayed.

Aristarchus (v. 10a). This man was identified as Paul’s fellow prisoner and fellow worker (). Aristarchus was from Macedonia and was one of Paul’s traveling companions (). He was originally from Thessalonica () and willingly risked his life in that Ephesian riot (). He sailed with Paul to Rome (), which meant he also experienced the storm and shipwreck that Luke so graphically described in .

Aristarchus stayed with Paul no matter what the circumstances were–a riot in Ephesus, a voyage, a storm, or even a prison. It is not likely that Aristarchus was an official Roman prisoner. “Fellow prisoner” probably means that Aristarchus shared Paul’s confinement with him so that he could be a help and comfort to the apostle. He was a voluntary prisoner for the sake of Jesus Christ and the gospel.

Paul could not have accomplished all that he did apart from the assistance of his friends. Aristarchus stands out as one of the greatest of Paul’s helpers. He did not look for an easy task. He did not run when the going got tough. He suffered and labored with Paul.

John Mark (v. 10b). Mark, the writer of the second gospel, played a very important part in the early history of the church. He too was a Jew, a native of Jerusalem where his mother, Mary, kept “open house” for the believers (). John Mark was a cousin of Barnabas, the man who went with Paul on that first missionary journey (). It is a good possibility that John Mark was led to faith in Christ through the ministry of Peter ().

When Paul and Barnabas set out on that first missionary journey, they took John Mark with them as their assistant. He probably took care of the travel arrangements, supplies, and so forth. But when the going got tough, John Mark abandoned the preachers and returned home to Jerusalem ().

Why John quit is not explained in Scripture. Perhaps he was afraid, for the group was about to move into dangerous territory. Perhaps he resented the fact that Paul was taking over the leadership of the mission and replacing his relative, Barnabas. Or maybe John Mark resented Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles. Whatever the reason or excuse, he left them and returned home.

Later, when Paul and Barnabas wanted to go on a second journey, Paul refused to take John Mark along (). Was Paul wrong in his assessment of this young man? Perhaps, but we cannot blame Paul for being cautious when John Mark had failed him in the past. Paul was not running a popular tour. He was seeking to win lost souls to Christ. No amount of danger or inconvenience could hinder Paul from reaching unbelievers with the gospel. It was too bad that John Mark caused a division between Paul and Barnabas. However, we must admit that Paul did forgive John Mark and commend him: “Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” ().

Mark, Titus, and Timothy were young men who served as special representatives for the apostle Paul. He could send them to churches that were having problems and trust them to help solve them. By the grace of God, John Mark had overcome his first failure and had become a valuable servant of God. He was even chosen to write the gospel of Mark!

John Mark is an encouragement to everyone who has failed in his first attempts to serve God. He did not sit around and sulk. He got back into the ministry and proved himself faithful to the Lord and to the apostle Paul. He was one of the men who stayed.

I might add that it is good to be a Barnabas and encourage younger Christians in the Lord. Perhaps John Mark would have made it without the help of Cousin Barnabas, but I doubt it. God used Barnabas to encourage John Mark and restore him to service again. Barnabas lived up to his name: “Son of Encouragement” ( NIV).

Jesus Justus (v. 11). Jesus Justus was a Jewish believer who served with Paul, but we know nothing about him. The name Jesus (Joshua) was a popular Jewish name, and it was not unusual for Jewish people to have a Roman name as well (Justus). John Mark is a case in point. Jesus Justus represents those faithful believers who serve God but whose deeds are not announced for the whole world to know. He was a fellow worker with Paul and a comfort to Paul, and that is all we know about him. However, the Lord has kept a faithful record of this man’s life and ministry and will reward him accordingly.

Luke (v. 14a). Luke was a very important man in the early church. He was a Gentile, yet he was chosen by God to write the gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. He is probably the only Gentile writer of any book of the Bible. He was also a physician and was dearly loved by Paul. The profession of medicine had been perfected by the Greeks, and physicians were held in the highest regard. Even though Paul had the power to heal people, he traveled with a physician!

Luke joined Paul and his party at Troas (note the pronoun “we” in ). Luke traveled with Paul to Jerusalem (.) and was with him on the voyage to Rome (.). No doubt Luke’s personal presence and his professional skill were a great encouragement to Paul during that very difficult time. While God can and does bring strength and healing in miraculous ways, He also uses the means provided in nature, such as medication. When my wife and I ministered to missionaries in Africa, a physician friend and his wife traveled with us, and we were grateful for their help.

Luke remained with Paul to the very end (see ). God used Luke to write the book of Acts and to give us the inspired history of the early church and the ministry of Paul. Luke is a glowing example of the professional man who uses his skills in the service of the Lord and gives himself to go wherever God sends. He was a beloved Christian, a skillful physician, a devoted friend, and a careful historian–all wrapped up in one!

THE MAN WHO PRAYED (4:12-13)

We met Epaphras at the beginning of this study, for he was the man who founded the church in Colossae (). He had been led to Christ through Paul’s ministry in Ephesus, and had returned home to share the good news of salvation. It seems likely that Epaphras also founded the churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis (). In our modern terms, Epaphras became a “home missionary.”

What motivated Epaphras to share the gospel? He was “a servant of Christ” (). Paul called him “our dear fellowservant … a faithful minister of Christ” (). Epaphras loved Jesus Christ and wanted to serve Him and share His message of salvation. But he did not do it alone. Epaphras also believed in the ministry of the local church and in working with other saints. He was not just a “servant”; he was a “fellow servant.”

I was chatting one day with a foreign mission executive about a mutual friend who had been forced to resign from his work on the field. “There was no problem with sin or anything like that,” my friend explained. “His whole difficulty is that he is a loner. He can’t work well with other people. On the mission field, it’s a team effort or it’s nothing.”

One of the secrets of the ministry of Epaphras was his prayer life. Paul knew about this because Epaphras and Paul shared the same room, and when Epaphras prayed, Paul knew about it. What were the characteristics of this man’s prayer life?

He prayed constantly (v. 12–“always”). He was a good example of Paul’s admonition: “Continue in prayer” (). Epaphras did not pray only when he felt like it, as do many Christians today. Nor did he pray when he was told to pray, or when the other believers prayed. He was constantly in prayer, seeking God’s blessing.

He prayed fervently (v. 12–“laboring fervently”). The word used here means “agonizing.” It is the same word used for our Lord’s praying in the garden (). We get the impression that prayer was serious business with Epaphras! This Greek word was used to describe the athletes as they gave themselves fully to their sports. If church members today put as much concern and enthusiasm into their praying as they did into their baseball games or bowling, we would have revival!

He prayed personally (v. 12–“for you”). Epaphras did not pray around the world for everybody in general and nobody in particular. He centered his intercession on the saints in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. No doubt he mentioned some of them by name. Prayer for Epaphras was not an impersonal religious exercise, for he carried these people in his heart and prayed for them personally.

He prayed definitely. If you had asked Epaphras, “What are you praying for?” he could have told you. His great desire was that the believers in those three assemblies might mature in their Christian faith. Paul used four significant words to summarize the prayer of Epaphras, and these four words also summarize the message of the book of Colossians: “perfect–complete–all–will.”

Epaphras was concerned that these Christians know and do the will of God. But he wanted them to be involved in all the will of God, not just in part of it. (All is a key word in Colossians, used over thirty times.) He also wanted them to stand perfect and complete in God’s will. The gnostic teachers offered these Christians “perfection and maturity,” but they could not deliver the goods. Only in Jesus Christ can we have these blessings. “And ye are complete in him,” for only in Christ does the fullness of God dwell ().

This request carries the thought of being mature and perfectly assured in the will of God, and parallels Paul’s prayer burden (). “Full assurance in the will of God” is a tremendous blessing! It is not necessary for the believer to drift in life. He can know God’s will and enjoy it. As he learns God’s will and lives it, he matures in the faith and experiences God’s fullness.

He prayed sacrificially (v. 13–“great zeal” or “much distress”). Real prayer is difficult. When Jesus prayed in the garden, He sweat great drops of blood. Paul had “great conflict” (agony) as he prayed for the Colossians (2:1), and Epaphras also experienced “much distress.” This does not mean that we must wrestle with God in order to get Him to answer. But it does mean that we must throw ourselves into our praying with zeal and concern. If there is no burden, there can be no blessing. To rephrase what John H. Jowett said about preaching, “Praying that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.”

All of the men with Paul were named and commended in one way or another, but Epaphras was the only one commended for his prayer ministry. This does not mean that the other men did not pray, but it does suggest that prayer was his major interest and ministry. Epaphras was Paul’s fellow prisoner ()–but even confinement could not keep him from entering the courts of heaven and praying for his brothers and sisters in the churches.

E. M. Bounds was a prayer warrior of his generation. He would often rise early in the morning and pray for many hours before he began the work of the day. His many books on prayer testify to the fact that Bounds, like Epaphras, knew how to agonize in prayer before God. (If you have never read Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds, by all means do so.)

I am impressed with the fact that Epaphras prayed for believers in three different cities. We are fortunate today if church members pray for their own pastor and church, let alone believers in other places! Perhaps one reason that revival tarries is because we do not pray fervently for one another.

THE MAN WHO STRAYED (4:14b)

Demas is mentioned only three times in Paul’s letters, and these three references tell a sad story. First he is called “Demas … my fellowlaborer” and is linked with three good men–Mark, Aristarchus, and Luke (). Then he is simply called “Demas,” and there is no special word of identification or commendation (). But the third reference tells what became of Demas: “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” ().

At one point in his life, John Mark had forsaken Paul, but he was reclaimed and restored. Demas forsook Paul and apparently was never reclaimed. His sin was that he loved this present world. The word world refers to the whole system of things that runs this world, or “society without God.” In the first of his epistles, John the apostle pointed out that the world entices the believer with “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (). Which of these traps caught Demas we do not know; perhaps he fell into all three.

But we do know that Christians today can succumb to the world just as Demas did. How easy it is to maintain a religious veneer, while all the time we are living for the things of this world. Demas thought that he could serve two masters, but eventually he had to make a decision; unfortunately, he made the wrong decision.

It must have hurt Paul greatly when Demas forsook him. It also hurt the work of the Lord, for there never has been a time when the laborers were many. This decision hurt Demas most of all, for he wasted his life in that which could never last. “He that doeth the will of God abideth for ever” ().

FINAL GREETINGS (4:15-18)

After conveying greetings from his friends and fellow servants, Paul himself sent greetings to the sister churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis. These people had never seen Paul (), yet he was interested in them and concerned about their spiritual welfare.

We know nothing about Nymphas, except that he had a church meeting in his house. (Some versions read “Nympha” and seem to indicate that this believer was a woman.) In the first centuries of the church, local assemblies met in private homes. Even today, many new local churches get their start this way. It was not until the Christian faith emerged from persecution into official government approval that church buildings were constructed. It really matters little where the assembly meets, so long as Jesus Christ is the center of the fellowship. (For other examples of “the church in the home,” see and .)

Paul’s great concern was that the Word of God be read and studied in these churches. The verb “read” means “to read aloud.” There would not be copies of these letters for each member. It is a strong conviction of mine that we need to return to the public reading of the Word of God in many of our churches. “Give attendance to reading” () means the public reading of God’s Word.

It is worth noting that the various letters from Paul were good for all of these assemblies. In my ministry, I have shared God’s Word in many different places and situations, and it has always reached the heart and met the need. Even in different cultures. God’s Word has a message for the heart. God’s Word does not have to be edited or changed to meet different problems in various situations, for it is always applicable.

What was “the epistle from Laodicea”? We do not know for sure. Some scholars think that the epistle to the Ephesians was this missing letter, but this idea is pure speculation. The fact that this letter has been lost does not mean we are missing a part of God’s inspired Word. Some of Paul’s correspondence with the church at Corinth has also been lost. God not only inspired His Word, but He providentially watched over it so that nothing would be lost that was supposed to be in that Word. Instead of wondering about what we do not have, we should be applying ourselves to what we do have!

When we compare with , we get the impression that Archippus belonged to the family of Philemon. Possibly, he was Philemon’s son and the pastor of the church that met in Philemon’s house. We cannot prove this, of course, but it does seem a logical conclusion. This would make Apphia the wife of Philemon.

Paul’s last words before his salutation are directed at Archippus as an encouragement to continue faithfully in his ministry. Was Archippus discouraged? Had the gnostic false teachers invaded his church and created problems for him? We do not know. But we do know that pastors of local churches face many problems and carry many burdens, and they often need a word of encouragement.

Paul reminded Archippus that his ministry was a gift from God, and that he was a steward of God who would one day have to give an account of his work. Since the Lord gave him his ministry, the Lord could also help him carry it out in the right way. Ministry is not something we do for God; it is something God does in and through us.

The word fulfill carries with it the idea that God has definite purposes for His servants to accomplish. He works in us and through us to complete those good works that He has prepared for us (see ). Of course, fulfill also parallels the theme of Colossians–the fullness of Jesus Christ available to each believer. We are able to fulfill our ministries because we have been “filled full” through Jesus Christ.

Unless we make a practical application of Bible doctrine, our study is in vain. After reading this letter and studying it, we cannot help but see that we have in Jesus Christ all that we can ever want or need. All of God’s fullness is in Jesus Christ and we have been made complete in Him. What an encouragement this must have been to Archippus! What an encouragement it should be to us today!

Paul usually dictated his letters to a secretary (see ) and then signed his name at the end. He always added a sentence about the grace of God, for this was his “trademark” (see ). The combination of his signature and “grace” gave proof that the letter was authentic.

The New Testament contains many references to Paul’s bonds and the fact that he was a prisoner (see ; , ; ; , , ; ; ; , ; ; ). Why did Paul want them to remember his bonds? Primarily because those bonds were a reminder of his love for lost souls, especially the Gentiles. He was “the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles” (). Paul’s bonds were evidence of his obedience to the Lord and his willingness to pay any price so that the Gentiles might hear the gospel.

Even today, there are devoted Christians who are in bonds because of their faithfulness to the Lord. We ought to remember them and pray for them. “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them” ().

As we come to the close of our study of this remarkable letter, we must remind ourselves that we are complete in Jesus Christ. We should beware of any teaching that claims to give us “something more” than we already have in Christ. All of God’s fullness is in Him, and He has perfectly equipped us for the life that God wants us to live. We do not live and grow by addition, but by appropriation.

May the Lord help us to live as those who are complete in Christ.