A note from the Pastor’s Desk:

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”

Colossians 4:12

Good Morning Dearly Beloved,

The story of the Colossian church does not actually begin within its own city walls, but roughly 100 miles away, in a lecture hall in Ephesus, where a local man named Epaphras first encountered the gospel of grace and was compelled to carry its light back to his hometown. (Acts 19:10) The result of Epaphras returning home with the truth of Jesus Christ was the founding of the church at Colossae. As noted in Colossians 1:7, Epaphras served as the pastor of this young, fragile church that faced many struggles from false teachers. Our study verse arises from his continued dedication and determination to lead his congregation with the assistance of the Apostle Paul.

The Apostle begins this verse by establishing that Epaphras was a local to Colossae. Epaphras was not an outsider, as the Apostle was, or a minister from another church. His heart and service to God were woven into this congregation. However, at this moment, Epaphras is 1,200 miles away across the Mediterranean, in the presence of the Apostle. According to the Apostle’s personal letter to Philemon, Epaphras was not a visitor to the prison but had been arrested and imprisoned himself for preaching the gospel. (Philemon 1:23) Thus, in this verse, the Apostle reminds the Colossian believers that Epaphras truly is a servant of Jesus Christ. He has sacrificed his own freedom for the sake of the truth. 

The Bible student’s knowledge of Epaphras’s imprisonment is central to understanding the second phrase of our study verse. The Apostle tells the Colossian church that Epaphras is “always laboring fervently for you in prayers.” The Apostle’s description of Epaphras’s ministry would have been meaningful even if it were taking place in Colossae. Still, the reader’s knowledge of Ephraphas’s imprisonment in Rome adds weight to the verse’s meaning. Epaphras was operating within the limits of his abilities. He could not travel to his congregation, he could not preach to them, he could not counsel them, but he could engage in fervent prayer. The word “labouring” as translated in this verse carries a meaning equivalent to athletic wrestling or military combat. Epaphras was not merely thinking of his congregation, but rather was actively engaged in combat with the devil over them.

Epaphras’s prayers had a specific goal. He desired, by the Holy Spirit, that the members of the congregation might “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” The word “perfect” in the New Testament means spiritual maturity. The Apostle’s description elsewhere in his writings clearly indicates that he viewed believers as possessing both a spiritual childhood and a spiritual adulthood. (1 Corinthians 3:2) Only in spiritual adulthood could a disciple be ready to stand against false teachings. In his absence, Epaphras desired that all of the saints have the spiritual maturity to directly push back against false teachers and the idea that only a select few could attain true knowledge of God.

Our study verse this week provides a timeless template for the local church. A healthy body requires both an under-shepherd that wrestles in prayer for his people and a flock that stands fast in the truth.

Our Prayers are with you daily,

Brother Jeremiah