Colossians 4:12 - Exposition

Epaphras, who is (one) of you, saluteth you, a servant ( bondman ) of Christ Jesus ( Romans 1:1 ; Philippians 1:1 ; Titus 1:1 ; Galatians 1:10 ; 2Corinthians Galatians 4:5 ; 1 Corinthians 7:22 ; 1 Thessalonians 1:9 ; 2 Timothy 2:24 ; Acts 4:29 ; James 1:1 ; 2 Peter 1:1 ; Jude 1:1 ; Revelation 1:1 ; Revelation 22:3 , Revelation 22:6 ). "Of you," like Onesimus ( Colossians 4:9 ). He was a native of Colossae, as well as evangelist and minister of the Church there ( Colossians 1:7 , Colossians 1:8 ). "Bondman of Christ Jesus" is the title the apostle so often claims for himself (see references), only here put by him on any one else. Is there an implied reference to Onesimus ( Colossians 4:9 ), who was "a bondman after the flesh," but "the Lord's freedman" ( Philemon 1:16 ), while Epaphras, "the freeman," is "Christ's bondman"? We are reminded again of Colossians 2:6 (see note). Always striving on your behalf in his prayers, that ye may stand fast, (being) perfect and fully assured in all the will of God ( Colossians 1:9 , Colossians 1:23 , Colossians 1:29 ; Colossians 2:1 , Colossians 2:2 , Colossians 2:5 ; Romans 15:30 ; Ephesians 6:11-14 ; Philippians 1:27 ; Philippians 4:1 ; 1 Corinthians 16:13 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:8 ; 2 Thessalonians 2:15 ). Epaphras "strives" ("wrestles") for his spiritual charge, like the apostle himself ( Colossians 1:29 , see note on ἀγωνίζομαι ; Colossians 2:1 ; Romans 15:30 ; Luke 22:44 ). προσκαρτερέω in Colossians 2:2 denotes the patient persistence, this word the intense energy, of prevailing prayer. For "stand" (where Lightfoot, Westcott and Hort, and other critical editors read the stronger σταθῆτε for στῆτε ), comp. Colossians 1:23 ; Colossians 2:7 ; it is four times repeated in the stirring appeal of Ephesians 6:11-14 . For Churches threatened by the attacks of heresy it was above all things needful "that they should stand fast." On "perfect," see Colossians 1:28 ; also Colossians 3:14 ; the word bears a primary reference to "knowledge," and implies a fully instructed and enlightened condition ( Philippians 3:15 ; 1 Corinthians 14:20 ; Hebrews 5:14 ; Hebrews 6:1 ), attended with corresponding spiritual advancement ( Ephesians 4:13 ). "Fully assured" ( πεπληροφορημένοι , Revised Text) carries us back to Colossians 2:2 (see notes; on this verb, compare Lightfoot's exhaustive note). It bears the same sense in Romans 4:21 and Romans 14:5 ; a slightly different one in Luke 1:1 . From the tenor of the letter it appears that the Colossians needed a deeper Christian insight and more intelligent and well-grounded convictions respecting the truth "as in Jesus." "All (the) will" is strictly distributive ( every will ) ; θέλημα ( Colossians 1:9 ) differs from our will in having a concrete rather than abstract sense, denoting an act or expression of will.