Paul Encouragers

Colossians 4:7-11

We first heard the name Tychicus in the Book of Acts, 20:4 and he was a native of Asia.  Paul was in Ephesus when a riot broke out, and it was after the uproar had ceased Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them then he departed for Macedonia but first went to Greece.  A group of men accompanied Paul and Tychicus was one of them.  In the book of Ephesians, once more Tychicus’ name comes up in chapter 6, verses 21-22.  Paul is sending him out as a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord as his messenger.  In 2 Timothy 4:12, Paul is telling Mark to come as soon as he can for only Luke is with him and that he sent Tychicus to Ephesus with a message or letter.  We also have a man named Demas who began right, but Paul tells us his love for the world drew him away, not so with Tychicus.

Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother is from the area of Colossae.  Paul is in prison in Rome under house arrest when Onesimus came to have his encounter with Jesus Christ, look at Philemon verses 8-14. “Accordingly, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— I appeal to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I became in my imprisonment. (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. I would have been glad to keep him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might not be by compulsion but of your own accord.”

 I also looked at Easton's Bible Dictionary:

“Useful, a slave who, after robbing his master Philemon (q.v.) at Colosse, fled to Rome, where he was converted by the Apostle Paul, who sent him back to his master with the epistle which bears his name. In it, he beseeches Philemon to receive his slave as a "faithful and beloved brother." Paul offers to pay to Philemon anything his slave had taken and to bear the wrong he had done him. He was accompanied on his return by Tychicus, the bearer of the Epistle to the Colossians (Philemon 1:16, 18).”

Do you recall that Aristarchus from Thessalonica was also with Paul when the riot broke out in Ephesus and he also was with the group that left with Paul?  It was Aristarchus and Gaius who were dragged from the theater when the riot broke out in Ephesus.  Aristarchus also became a fellow prisoner in Rome with Paul. 

And in Colossians 4:10, we have the name Mark, Barnabas’s cousin and they have already instructed that when he comes to you, welcome him.  Who is this Mark, we need to return to the book of Acts 12:12, but before doing so first visit Acts 12:1-5, it is the account of Herod killing James the brother of John with the sword, and arresting Peter.  The night before Peter was to be executed the following morning, God sent an angel to free him.  And Peter went to the house of Mary mother of John his other name was Mark, where many were praying.  In the 25^th verse of chapter 12, we find John Mark going with Barnabas and Saul or Paul to Jerusalem.  In Acts 15: 37-39 we find that John Mark has dropped the ball with Paul on a mission trip and it caused a tiff between Paul and Barnabas.  It was only later that Paul became convinced of John Marks usefulness in the ministry of Jesus Christ.

The last Jew on the list who was with Paul in Rome and a servant of Christ is Justus, and we have no other account of him.  Each day as a follower of Christ we make choices, some are good, in fact, I believe most are good, but we also choose wrongly, and that is what Demas did when he desired the things of this world that are passing away.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice