Everyone Says “Hello!”
September 20, 2009 Colossians 4:7-18
How many times have you been going on a trip to visit family and someone says, “Tell them I said hello!” Or you are about to return home and your family says, “Tell everyone at church I said hello!” In spite of my best efforts and intentions, I don’t always remember to extend those greetings. Sometimes I will remember long after the fact and do so belatedly. It is much easier to do it in writing, like a letter. And that is what Paul is doing as he concludes his letter to the Colossians.
Colossians 4:7-18 7Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. 8I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts. 9He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here. 10My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. 12Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 13I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings. 15Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. 16After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. 17Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.” 18I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.
It is not unusual for Paul to mention other people and send greetings from others at the end of his letters, but it is unusual for him to mention so many. The only other time he mentions so many is at the end of his letter to the Romans. He mentions 11 names here. One name he does not mention is Timothy, who was with Paul at this time. We know that because he was mentioned at the beginning of the letter.
The first name here is Tychicus. Most people believe that he was the one who hand delivered this letter to the Colossians. Scholars also believe that he was at the same time carrying Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and to Philemon. Tychicus was from Asia, most likely Ephesus. He was with Paul through much of his ministry, including the time that Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Because of his close connection to the Apostle, he would be able to tell the people more personal information about Paul when he delivered the letter. Some things are better spoken than written. He could fill them in on Paul’s health and the conditions of his imprisonment. Even though they may not have met, the Colossians were concerned about Paul. Tychicus could also offer the believers in Colossae words of encouragement in their lives as disciples of Jesus.
Accompanying Tychicus was Onesimus. He was a runaway slave who belonged to Philemon. He fled to Rome where he met Paul and became a believer. As a result, Paul was sending him back to Philemon, along with a letter asking Philemon to receive him back as a brother in the Lord. We know that Paul viewed him as such because he trusted him to tell the Colossians how he was doing. If you want more on this story, read Paul’s short letter to Philemon.
Next Paul mentions his co-workers, three of whom were Jews and three of whom were Gentiles. Aristarchus was a native of Thessalonica. He was a traveling companion of Paul. He was with Paul in Ephesus when the angry mobbed seized them there. That is recorded in Acts 19-20. Paul refers to him as a fellow prisoner, but that does not necessarily mean Aristarchus is also under arrest. Most likely he had volunteered to help and assist Paul during his imprisonment.
Mark is also known as John Mark and was the author of the Gospel that bears his name. He was a cousin of Barnabas who went with Paul on his first missionary journey. Sometime during that trip, Mark became discouraged or homesick or something and went back home. This led to a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas and they ended up going their separate ways. But that was a long time before this. It is apparent from the way Paul refers to Mark here that they had reconciled. He had made a youthful mistake, but he had been forgiven, and Paul now speaks of him warmly as a brother in Christ.
The next person mentioned is Jesus Justus. Even though Paul refers to him by two different names to let us know who he was, these were both very common names in those days. We don’t know anything about him.
As Paul tells us these are the only Jews who are with him to give him comfort, there is a bit of sadness in his words. We know he was deeply disappointed that the Jewish people had for the most part rejected Jesus and disowned him. He wanted them to believe in Jesus and be saved. But he is glad to have these three believers of Jewish descent with him as he lives as a disciple facing opposition!
Epaphras was probably the one who started the congregation that met in Colossae, as well as the ones in Laodicea and Hierapolis. He was mentioned at the beginning of the letter as the one who brought Paul the good report about what was happening among the believers in Colossae and prompted Paul to write this letter. He is described as being in earnest prayer for them, that they would stand up in the face of the opposition they faced, that they would remain faithful and mature in their faith in Jesus. Evidently, since Tychicus was taking the letter to them, Epaphras would be staying with Paul for a while longer. But Paul wants them to know that he is working hard for the Gospel and that he still cares about them.
Luke was another traveling companion of Paul. He was an educated man, referred to as the “beloved physician” who authored both the book of Acts and the Gospel that bears his name. His travels with Paul were extensive. When you read of Paul’s travels through the book of Acts, you will find many places where is says “we” did this and “we” went there. That is because Luke, the one writing it, was with Paul.
The last of Paul’s associates to send greetings to the Colossians was Demas. He is one who ends up being a big disappointment to Paul. We heard earlier how Mark had abandoned Paul but was later reconciled with him. That doesn’t appear to have happened with Demas. During Paul’s second and final imprisonment, when he wrote to Timothy, he said,
2 Timothy 4:10 … Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me …
I don’t know if Paul had concerns about Demas at the time he was writing to the Colossians, but someone in his close circle of friends would end up falling away, just as one of Jesus’ chosen twelve would be a traitor.
Paul also sends greetings to neighboring congregations, including a group of believers that meet in the house of a woman named Nympha. We don’t know anything about her. He also mentions that this letter should be shared with other churches after they had read it. That was pretty standard in those days. Believers in different places were facing the same struggles, so it would be beneficial for them to read and hear the things Paul wrote under inspiration from God. In fact, we are still reading his letters today!
Paul also mentions the letter from the Laodiceans that should be read by the Colossians. We don’t have a letter named Laodiceans in the New Testament, so what happened to it? There are two possibilities. One is simply that it was lost. We don’t necessarily have every letter Paul wrote preserved for us in the Bible today. The other possibility is that we have that letter but know it by a different name. In fact many scholars believe that the letter from the Laodiceans may be what we know as the book of Ephesians. But we really don’t know.
One more person is mentioned here: Archippus. Some think Paul’s comment to him is a chiding: “See to it that you complete the work you have received from the Lord!” But that is not necessarily the case. Paul refers to him as a fellow soldier, a title that implies respect and honor. It is very possible that Archippus is serving as the pastor or leader of the believers there, and Paul is simply telling him to be a faithful minister.
After writing a few words personally so that they knew the letter was really from Paul, he closes with four words: Grace be with you. God’s undeserved love in Christ is the blessing all Christians have. It is what enables you to be forgiven. It is by grace that you have been saved through faith in Jesus. That word “Grace” reminds you that you do not get forgiveness and eternal life by your own efforts, but because of what Jesus did for you and in your place. His perfect life and death satisfied God’s judgment that stood against you. Paul wants that grace of God to always be with those reading these words. That includes you. Grace be with you. His final words in this letter point people to Jesus.
Living as Disciples … Facing Opposition. All the greetings being extended at the end of this letter serve to remind the believers, and us as well, that we are not alone. Disciples of Jesus are joined together in Him. And His grace, his undeserved love, covers us all. With that certainty, we can face any and all opposition.
