You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, …
Summary: Little is known about Epaphras, but Paul gives us enough clues to draw a revealing sketch of the man.
Almost all we know about Epaphras the man comes from Paul’s letter to the Colossians. Most of that information is found in today’s verse. This is important information. The picture we have of the early days of Christianity is adequate, but there is always the tantalizing suspicion that there is much more to know.
For example, Paul tells us that the Colossians learned about the Gospel from Epaphras. He also tells us Epaphras is a “minister of Christ on our behalf.” This suggests that Epaphras had learned the Gospel from Paul and had gone out from Paul as a missionary to Colossae.
Is that true?
The answer to that question is “maybe.”
The Greek text is written in such a way that about half of the English translations of this verse read like the King James Version:
“As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;”
For the sake of discussion, let’s lean on the NIV translation and think of Epaphras as someone who was sent out by Paul to bring the Gospel to Colossae.
Why would Paul send Epaphras?
For one thing, Paul considers Epaphras “faithful.” He trusted Epaphras to convey the “true message of the gospel” (Colossians 1:5) without embellishment or omission.
A second qualification that Epaphras had was his attitude about serving. Paul calls him a “dear fellow servant.” Servanthood can be hard to understand because Paul is often seen as demanding and commanding in his letters. Yet, in all of his writings, Paul never strays from the commission given to him by Jesus.
Like officers in the army, servants have different levels of authority. Paul has authority given to him by Jesus, but this authority is never to be used for personal reasons. The authority of those who carry the Gospel must always be employed in the service of the Gospel. Like Paul, Epaphras knows this. Paul calls him “faithful” because Epaphras knows his place, just like Paul does. Both are servants of our Lord Jesus.
Application: Strive to be called “faithful” like Paul and Epaphras.
Food for Thought: What temptations are common to a servant of the Gospel?
Well, I believe all followers of Christ are servants of the Gospel. 🙂
I believe a common temptation would be to use the Gospel to build up oneself. It can be a subtle or it can be on a grander scale. So along side that comes being to tempted to believe one is “better or higher than” another. I believe the opposite is also true. One might be tempted to believe they are “inadequate” or “unfit” for service. In both cases, the temptation arises from not remembering that our authority and identity come from Christ. The temptation is to not be faithful to Christ and our calling.
1 Corinthians 4:1-3 This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself.
Thank you, Chris.
Well said! There is a battle that rages in all of us while we live in this body. Paul describes it well in Romans 7:
“21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”
Being faithful to the Gospel is also being faithful to ignore the desires of the flesh.
Excellent comment CH. I absolutely agree. Pride is always a problem. I think we can fall into the same temptation as what we saw in the early church. People start following personalities as opposed to Christ. In our desire to be important we can then make it about ourselves. This is ridiculous, because the only one that matters is the One Who died on the cross to pay our debt as the perfect, sinless sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 3: 3 – 11: You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? 4For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. 9For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
10By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 10: 12 – 18: We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. 13We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. 14We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. 15Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, 16so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. 17But, “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” b 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.
Thank you, Rich!
Personalities vs principles.
Yes, that is a dangerous divide.
I see this challenge in our political system, too. People deciding not on policy or Godly principles, but making decisions based on personalities.
This is a time to stand on principles; specifically Godly principles!
What temptations are common to a servant of the Gospel?
Temptations come from their common source, Satan and his minions, are attacks on our faith, our spirits, as they tempt our flesh and draw us away from God. When I think of temptation, I think of selfish impulses and sin.
As believers we know and have Gods power to resist the temptation, live in victory over temptation and sin, by the truth’s of God’s Word in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament we have two examples of three individuals who knew God. Adam and Eve and Joseph. Two chose to turn their backs on God, receiving spiritual and physical death. Genesis 3:6, 3:17.
But one Joseph Genesis 39:2, chose to keep His eyes on God’s goodness,. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, serving in the household of his Egyptian master.
On the surface, they were to choose whether or not to obey God. In reality they were choosing whether or not they place their trust in God, or turn their backs on God and live according to the desires of these bodies we are confined in.
What temptations have in common is they have the power to draw us away from God as we turn our backs to Him and are consumed by the power of our flesh which we have turned to live in, as we become deniers of God, become, like those around us.
Thank you, Ron!
I really like the simplicity of your answer: Temptations draw us away from God.
God is our safe place. Anywhere else is a slippery slope to eternity in the lake of fire. I think I’ll stick close to God. 🙂