I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.
Summary: Paul is sending Tychicus on a mission. It is both exciting and challenging. More than carrying a letter for Paul, Tychicus is the letter.
Imagine the world Paul and Tychicus lived in!
In our world, we have phones, FaceTime, texts, mail, cars, buses, and airplanes. If you need to talk with someone who is a thousand miles away there are a lot of options.
In their day, there was no telephone or post office. “High-speed” transportation was riding horseback. If you wanted a letter sent, it was best to send a trusted friend to hand-carry it.
As far as we know, Paul is writing while in Rome. Colossae is a city that is about a thousand miles away. That would be like writing a letter to someone who lives on the moon today! Assuming a person traveled an average of twenty miles each day, that would be a journey of almost two months. I suspect that in reality, it would take much longer with stops and delays that might happen.
To be “sent” on such a journey is a major commitment of time and effort. Money would be needed to buy food and drink along the way and, where needed, pay for lodging.
And what would Tychicus find when he got there? How would he be received?
Paul’s words are a letter of introduction (Col 4:7). It sounds as if Tychicus is a stranger to them. Paul’s words are his passport, his I.D. in a strange place.
Is there a message here for us, too?
In John’s Gospel account, he records Jesus saying:
“Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit…” (John 3:5)
He then goes on to describe how the Spirit functions:
“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)
Sometimes, God’s Spirit sends us places that seem far away. Other times, we are prompted to talk with people we don’t know. Tychicus’s journey is a good model for life in the Spirit. Wherever he leads, we go.
Application: Trust God: His Son, His Word, and His Spirit.
Food for Thought: Why did Paul want the Colossians to know about his circumstances?
Good devotion and question brother.
I think this shows the mutual love for one another that existed between Paul and those to whom he was writing. Paul may not have known many in the Colossian church, but he cared for them and evidently understood that they cared for him too. Sending Tychicus is like sending himself. If he were going instead, Paul would want to encourage them and share meaningful fellowship. That is now Tychicus’s job. Ministry doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It is not just disseminating information. It is relational.
Thank you Rich!
You are absolutely right. This highlights the relationship from Paul’s perspective and how he feels about them.
I think the answer is contained in the verse: “that he may encourage your hearts.”
I think we have all at least played or understand the “telephone game.” One person whispers something in someones ear, who whispers the message to another and another and another, and then the last person speaks out loud what they think is the correct sentence. It’s usually quite different than the original. Sometimes its mostly the same but key details have changed, which change the whole meaning of the sentence.
The “unofficial lines of communication” often work like that. I am sure news of Paul went from ear to ear and that the reality of His circumstances were modified in the exchanges.
I think Paul wanted the Colossians to hear “about our circumstances” in a personal manner, so that their faith could grow in truth.
Chris
What a great point! I hadn’t thought about that but it makes sense. “Rumor control” was something Paul struggled with a lot.
Thank you!