Colossians 4.10-Paul Passes Along to the Colossians Greetings From Aristarchus and Mark
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday April 23, 2017
Colossians: Colossians 4:10-Paul Passes Along to the Colossians Greetings From Aristarchus and Mark
Lesson # 114
Colossians 4:10 Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him). (NASB95)
Colossians 4:10 Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, gives his regards as well as Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom, all of you are receiving instructions: if he enters into your company, all of you must welcome him.) (My translation)
Colossians 4:10 marks a transition.
In Colossians 4:7-9, Paul identifies the messengers who he entrusted the responsibility of delivering this epistle to the Colossians.
These verses also contain a commendation of both Tychicus and Onesimus.
Colossians 4:10-14 presents greetings from Paul’s companions in Rome.
Therefore, Colossians 4:10 marks a transition from Paul’s discussion regarding Tychicus and Onesimus who would carry this epistle to the Colossians to Paul passing along greetings to the Colossians from his companions in Rome, namely Aristarchus and Mark.
“Aristarchus” was from Macedonia and was a traveling companion on Paul’s missionary journeys (Acts 19:29).
He and Gaius were seized by the Ephesian mob during a riot provoked by the silversmiths of that city.
He was a native of the city of Thessalonica (Acts 20:4; 27:2).
Aristarchus accompanied Paul from Greece (Acts 20:4) and to Rome (Acts 27:2).
Paul calls him a “fellow-prisoner” in Colossians 4:10 and is with Paul in Rome when the apostle pens Colossians.
Church tradition says that he was martyred during the persecution of Nero in the mid to late sixties.
In Colossians 4:10, Paul describes Aristarchus as his “fellow-prisoner” which does not suggest that he was arrested along with Paul and then imprisoned along with him but rather it simply means that he voluntarily stayed with him in his own rented quarters as he was awaiting his appeal before Caesar.
This is clearly indicated by the book of Acts which records the account of Paul being arrested, unjustly incarcerated, then appealing to Caesar, arriving in Rome and allowed to have his own rented quarters until his case came before Caesar.
This account does not mention any of these individuals as being arrested along with Paul.
The proper name Markos, “Mark” is the author of the Gospel of Mark and the cousin of Barnabas.
Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey but deserted them in the middle of it.
It was because of this that Paul and Barnabas parted ways during this missionary journey.
Mark is also called “John-Mark” in Acts 12:22.
The fact that Mark is with Paul in Rome when Paul was writing to Philemon and to the Colossians indicates that there was a reconciliation between Paul and Mark and that Paul had forgiven him.
Also, the fact that Paul in 2 Timothy 2:11 directs Timothy to bring Mark along with him for his trip to Rome to visit him also indicates that Mark and Paul had reconciled.
“Barnabas” is a central figure in the early church before Paul came on the scene.
He was an associate of Paul.
In fact, it was Barnabas who sponsored Paul.
The early church was suspicious of Paul because of his previous persecutions of the church.
Everyone was frightened of him but Barnabas demonstrated his leadership qualities, namely, his compassion, and removed the disciples’ distrust in Paul.
He secured the admission of the former persecutor to their fellowship.
He was called Barnabas as a testimony to his eloquence.
The literal meaning of his name is “son of prophecy.”
He was a Levite meaning he was descended from the priestly tribe of Levi.
He was from the island of Cyprus and a cousin of the evangelist Mark according to Paul here in Colossians 4:10.
The apostle Paul informs the Colossians that they had received instructions from him regarding Mark.
What are those instructions?
These “instructions” were to welcome Mark into their fellowship.
This command means that the Colossian Christian community was being ordered by Paul to extend Christian hospitality to Mark.
Romans 12:13 All of you continue to make it your habit to contribute to the saints’ needs. All of you continue to make it your habit to eagerly seek out opportunities to practice hospitality. (Author’s translation)
“Hospitality” is the noun philoxenia (φιλοξενία), which literally means “a friend of strangers” and thus one who entertains strangers and demonstrates hospitality towards them.
This term means “hospitality” and was rare in classical Greek and appears only twice in the Greek New Testament (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2).
In the first century, there was a great need in the church to provide shelter and food to visitors who had been uprooted from their homes because of persecution.
Furthermore, in the ancient world there were few motels or hotels, most of which were very undesirable.
In the Roman Empire, inns were many times places of ill repute and travelers, whenever possible, stayed with friends, thus, the New Testament emphasizes hospitality to strangers (Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:1-3; 5:9-10; Titus 1:7-9; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9).
Since believers are members of the body of Christ according to 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 3:6 and Colossians 3:15 of which body, Christ is the head according to Ephesians 4:15, 5:23, Colossians 1:18, then when believers practice hospitality towards one another, they are in fact doing it to Christ.
Matthew 25:40 “The King will answer and say to them (those Gentile believers who identified with Jewish believers during the Tribulation period), ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’” (NASB95)
In the Old Testament, Abraham and his nephew Lot were examples of those who earnestly sought to demonstrate hospitality to strangers (Genesis 18:2-8; 19:1-3).
The first century apostolic church practiced providing for the needs of its own (Acts 2:45; 4:32-37; 9:36-41; 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-28; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4; 9:1-15).
There was great poverty in the first century apostolic church due to persecutions.
Therefore, it was critical for believers who were prospering or did have the essentials for maintaining a proper human existence to share their prosperity and abundance with those in the royal family of God who were destitute or poverty stricken.
When the believer provides for the needs of those who are poverty stricken in the body of Christ whether they are in his or her own periphery or in different parts of the world, it produces thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:1-15).
When the believer provides for the needs of those who are poverty stricken in the body of Christ whether they are in his or her own periphery or in different parts of the world, it is an expression of God’s love in their life (1 John 3:16-18; Galatians 6:9-10).
Paul in Philippians 4:16-19 thanks the Philippians for providing for his needs while under house arrest in Rome awaiting his appeal before Caesar.
In this passage, Paul teaches that because the Philippians provided for him in his need, God will also do the same for them.
In fact, the Philippians who resided in the Roman province of Macedonia gave out of the poverty to other believers in need (2 Corinthians 8:1-15).