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COLOSSIANS - Christ in you, the hope of glory!
Studies in the Letter of Paul to the Colossians
Part 5 - A Summary of the Letter and Words of Personal Greeting (Colossians 4:2-18)
25. Personal Greetings (Colossians 4:7-9)
Colossians 4:7-9
7 All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord. 8 I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that he may know your circumstances and comfort your hearts, 9 together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will make known to you everything that is going on here.
Paul wanted to share with the church in Colosse how things looked for him in view to the future, in regard to the charges against him and the legal proceedings. Yet he could not dictate this to them under the eyes of the soldiers who stood next to him on guard. Therefore, he sent an experienced co-worker with his letter to Colosse so that he could give an oral report of how Paul was doing in Rome. For this confidential-messenger-service the prisoner chose Tychicus, who had earlier escorted him from Ephesus to Jerusalem. At that time he had served as representative for the Christians in the province of Asia in taking the large sum of money to Jerusalem to help Jewish Christians who were hungering (Acts 20:4). This signified that Tychicus was a recognized man among the believers of Anatolia. He could be counted on in word and in deed.
Paul esteemed Tychicus, who had excellent characteristics: He called him his brother in Christ, full of love and truth. He had visited the apostle during his house arrest in Rome, not wanting to leave him alone. By doing so Tychicus, too, became recognized as a follower of the accused. Paul called him a servant of Christ, a deacon, who took on dirty jobs without words of complaint. He described him as a fellow servant in service of the Messiah Jesus. Like Paul, he understood himself to be a voluntary “slave of Christ” (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 7:22; Eph. 6:6 etc.). Both had offered themselves up to their Savior and Lord unconditionally. The apostle to the nations went on to further expound upon these honourable titles, calling him a fellow slave “in the Lord”, an active member of the spiritual body of Christ, who immediately did what his Lord and Head commanded.
This man was the messenger of Paul to Colosse, his postman and the spiritual councillor of the church. He was to comfort the church, since Paul himself could not visit them. He was to explain this letter to them in the power of the Spirit, who brings comfort and consolation. Later, Tychicus was given a similar task by Paul for the church in Ephesus, and following that was sent on mission to Crete (Eph. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:12; Titus 3:12).
During his trip to Colosse, Tychicus was also to act as the mediator for the legal problem surrounding Onesimus, who was from Colosse. As a slave he had previously run away from his lord and owner, only to later meet Paul in Rome, where he was converted (Phil. 10). Paul was sending him back to his owner, Philemon, to whom he also dictated a very special letter, one in which he, with love overflowing and fine delicacy, appealed to him not to have the runaway slave, now a converted brother, crucified. Rather, he was to accept him as his faithful and dear brother in Christ, grant him his freedom, and allow him again to return to his service for Paul. He described Onesimus as a member of the church in Colosse, as one who belonged to them and who was, like Tychicus, able to report to them of Paul´s own situation.
Onesimus was later to take up a significant position in church history: the rest of his life, as reported to us, he served to transcribe, reproduce and send the letters of Paul to the different churches. Thereby, the 13 letters of Paul, half of the New Testament, were kept preserved – through the faithful diligence of this servant of Christ. Onesimus means “the profitable!”
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, we thank You that You put at Paul´s side in prison, before he was finally executed, faithful brothers who prayed with him, wrote down the letters he dictated and then delivered the pergament scrolls to the churches. Help us, who live in freedom, not to become indolent in Your service, but rather, be Your freewill slaves – continually standing at Your service. Amen.
Question 52: What attributes or characteristics of Tychicus and Onesimus remain in your recollection?