"Epaphras"
“Epaphras”
Blessings folk!
Paul continues to send farewells from those with him to the church Body in the Colossae area.
Col 4:12-13
Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.
For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
In the Word we meet Epaphras and Epaphroditus.
They likely are the same person.
They may be two different people.
It was a very common man, i.e. “Robert/Bob”.
For our purpose now we will treat them as the same person.
Epaphras is an example of a Kingdom person…
- of the folk in Colossae
- a bondslave of Jesus Christ
- labored earnestly for them in his prayers...he prayed for them...labored over them in prayer. Why?
- that they might stand perfect
- that they might be fully assured of the will of God in all things
- had a deep concern for the church in the region
We learn more of him…
Phm 1:23
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
- a fellow prisoner
Phl 2:25
But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;
Phl 4:18
But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
- a brother
- a fellow worker
- a fellow soldier
May we live in like fashion…
- laboring over one another in prayer
- bondslaves of the Lord Jesus Christ
- concerned for His Body
- fellow brothers, workers, soldiers
…to the praise of the glory of His grace...