“What’s In a Name?” (Some lesser known Biblical people.)
In the letter to the Colossians we come to
a list of names of associates and friends of the apostle Paul. A closer look
will reveal characteristics of life in the early church and what they thought
to be important. In verses 7-9, mention is made of two of the disciples whom
Paul took along with him in a training experience.
“Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a
faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I am sending him to you for
the express purpose that you may know about our circum-stances and that he may
encourage your hearts. He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear
brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening
here.”We should be grateful for these two men mentioned because they brought this letter from Paul in Rome to the church in Colossae. They may not have realized what a treasure they were carrying, or how monumental this letter would prove to be, but how grateful we are for their faithful obedience.
Tychicus was one of a band of young men and women to accompany Paul on much of his ministry. There were no seminaries in those days, so training was done in the most effective way of all---through continual, on-the-job, personal relationships. This involved taking people along on journeys and teaching them what was important and how to respond to situations. Who comes to mind concerning this? (Jesus) Four years in a seminary today could not possibly equal one or two years of this intense, personalized training with the apostle Paul himself. Tychicus, who was from Thessalonica, traveled widely with Paul. He was part of the delegation chosen by the churches of Macedonia to accompany the apostle when he brought to Jerusalem the special offering that had been collected for the poor and needy saints there. Later, Paul sent him to Ephesus to take Timothy's place in that city, and possibly also, as the letter to Titus suggests, Tychicus was sent to Crete.
Notice the three descriptions used by Paul which give insight into how he related to these young men and women who accompanied him on his ministries. He calls Tychicus "a dear brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant." In the first description, "a dear brother," we can see something of the ties of love that bound the apostle to these young men, and bound them to him as well. You cannot read the New Testament without seeing in these greetings that Paul was a very warmhearted man. He loved those who worked with him and showered them with praise and encouragement.
He also calls Tychicus a "faithful minister." Here Paul assesses the quality of his work. The chief virtue of a Christian at work is his or her faithfulness. In the letter to the Corinthians, the apostle writes that God has called us to be stewards of the mysteries of Christ. He goes on to say, "It is required of stewards that they be found faithful." That is what God values more than anything else. He does not ask us to be popular, or brilliant, or widely accepted, but he does ask us to be faithful in whatever ministry, task, or assignment he has given us. Tychicus obviously demonstrated that quality of faithfulness.
The third phrase, which describes Tychicus as a fellow servant, speaks not of the quality of his work but of the equality of the workers. There is no hierarchy in the early church. That has been imposed upon the church and borrowed directly from the world. Paul never refers to himself as a pope, or even as a bishop. He always speaks of himself as a fellow worker, a fellow servant. He is an apostle (authorized spokesman), an older brother, and sometimes calls himself a spiritual father, yet his authority was one of love and of knowledge. He treated them with courtesy and respect as equals. He shared with them the vast knowledge of truth he had, yet always on a basis of personal equality. As a result he gained their respect and their voluntary submission to his desires.
The story of Onesimus is related in the letter to Philemon. Onesimus was a runaway slave. He apparently took some of his master's money with him when he left. Somehow he found his way to Rome and came in contact with Paul. The apostle himself probably led him to Christ. Paul now sends him back to his master, with a beautiful appeal to Philemon, "If he has done anything wrong, charge it to my account!" He asked Philemon to welcome Onesimus as a brother in Christ and restore him to his household. It is likely that Onesimus is being sent back to Colossae to be a minister among the slaves who probably made up half the congregations of these early day churches. By this means the gospel penetrated all classes of society. Jesus himself said that his task as living Lord was to place people where he wanted them to be. "You have not chosen me," he said to his disciples, "I chose you and I appointed you (the word means, 'I strategically placed you') so that you may bear fruit in my name." Along with Onesimus, the forgiven slave, another name; given in verse 10, highlights the Christian virtue of reconciliation…“My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas.”
That reference to Mark takes us back to the first missionary journey of Paul, recorded in the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Acts, when the apostle, together with Barnabas, was sent out from the church at Antioch. They took with them a young man named John Mark (who is referred to in Acts 13 as John). We know from other references that John Mark was the son of a wealthy widow who lived in Jerusalem. He was probably a little spoiled, so that when things got tough on the journey with Paul and Barnabas Mark wanted to go home to mama. And that was what he did, abandoning the work. Later, when Barnabas wanted to take him on the second missionary journey, Paul resisted and refused to allow Mark to go along. Barnabas instead took Mark to Cyprus.
What a wonderful thing it is to find that now, years later, Mark is with Paul in Rome. Somehow he has won his way back into the apostle's good graces. It may well be that by this time he had finished the Gospel according to Mark, which he wrote under the tutoring of the apostle Peter, with whom he had ministered for many years. Now Paul sends him to Colossae with this affectionate word of appreciation, and instructions that he should be welcomed there. Aristarchus and Mark are linked in verse 11 with another name; “Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.” Here are three Hebrew Christians---reading between the lines here we see a reminder that Paul's too was raised a Jew.
Aristarchus, who came from Thessalonica, probably became a Christian under Paul's ministry in that city and Paul refers to him as a "fellow prisoner," which suggests that he had been charged by the Jews with some crime and was actually awaiting trial along with Paul.
A section on the theme of faithful prayer and intercession brings before us the names of Epaphras, Dr. Luke, and Demas who we will look at tomorrow…
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