Text: Colossians 4:12-18

Theme: Fulfill the work of the ministry and be faithful to the end.

Intro:

  1. We have been able to study the entire book of Colossians over the last few months, and I’ve found it a blessing and a challenge.
  2. This evening, we draw our study to a close as we look at the Closing remarks of the Apostle Paul to the church at Colosse.

I. The Salutation of Epaphras (Vs 12-13)

  1. Epaphras was the one who sought Paul’s help in dealing with the heretics.
    a. Epaphras was the Pastor of the church at Colosse and had been instrumental in their salvation.
    b. The church at Colosse had been infiltrated by Gnostics and Judaizers who were attempting to pervert the doctrine of Christ.
    – Both diminished the person and work of Christ and elevated self-effort for the purpose of sanctification.
  2. Epaphras had sought out the Apostle Paul to obtain help in dealing with these heretics.
    a. Epaphras had already given of himself to the church at Colosse. He had been instrumental in their salvation, but then he had continued as a minister to them in prayer.
    b. His love for them was evident in the way he had laboured for them and sought to see them established in the faith.
    – Labouring fervently: Greek agonizomai (ag-o-nid’-zom-ahee) To struggle, literally, firguratively, or generally, fight, strive.
    – Epaphras had left the church amid doctrinal turmoil for the purpose of obtaining help form the Apostle Paul, and so it is no wonder that, while he was away from the church, he was extremely concerned for the believers and was labouring intensely in prayer for that they would not be led astray by the heretics.

II. The Salutation of Luke and Demas (Vs 14)

  1. Luke had been a faithful friend of the Apostle Paul.
    a. Paul calls him the “beloved physician” indicating that Luke was taking care of Paul at the time.
    – The Apostle Paul’s eyesight had begun to deteriorate, which is possibly the thorn in the flesh that Paul had been struggling with.
    b. “Luke is mentioned only three times, each time in Paul’s epistles (4:14; II Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24). however, his life and ministry can be discovered through a correlation of the Book of Acts with the epistles of Paul.”
  2. Demas, who loved the world
    a. At this point in time, Demas had been a faithful friend to Paul, but he would soon leave Paul and pursue worldly gains over spiritual ones.
    – Demas actually appears a few times in the New Testament and it is only on the latter occasion that we find he has left the ministry because of love for the world.
    b. No doubt this one of the great heartaches of the ministry for the Apostle Paul, to see a beloved brother and fellowlabourer leave the ministry for worldly gains.
  3.  The challenge for us is to be faithful to the very end.
    a. I mentioned last week that, just because you had a bad start in the Christian life, doesn’t mean you have to finish poorly as well.
    b. Likewise, just because you started well, doesn’t mean you are going to finish well. There are many who, like Demas, start well but once they get a taste of the world and it’s pleasures they soon leave the work of God for an easier life of worldly comforts and pleasures.

III. The Salutation of Paul (Vs 15-18)

  1. The salutations recipients (Vs 15-16)
    a. Laodicea, Hierapolis, and Colosse were all within a relatively short distance of one another and occupied sections of the same plain.
    b. Paul also sent greetings to Nymphas, and the church in his house.
    – The fact that Paul was writing to the church at Colosse and had already sent greetings to the church at Laodicea makes it probably that this third church was the one in Hierapolis.
  2. The salutations charge (Vs 16-17)
    a. Paul commanded that the epistles he had written should be read in all the churches.
    – Since Paul was an Apostle of Jesus Christ and writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, it was necessary to share these epistles with the other churches so that they would also be instructed in church polity, faith, and doctrine.
    b. Paul commanded them to charge Archippus to take heed to the ministry, to fulfill it.
    – Archippus: “He may have been the natural son of Philemon and Apphia (Philemon Vs 1-2). Quite possibly, he might have been the pastor of the Colossian church in the absence of Epaphras.”[1] Dr. Robert Gromacki, Stand Perfect In Wisdom, Pg 173, Kress Christian Publications edition 2002.
    – Paul obviously knew the temptation to be slack in the work of the ministry, or to give up on the ministry when the going got tough, and so he charged these men to be faithful in the work of the ministry.
  3. The salutations farewell (Vs 18)
    a. The final farewell written by Paul’s own hand.
    – There is a general agreement that, while he was on one of his missionary journeys, Paul’s eyes became infected with some sort of disease that caused inflammation and blurred vision.
    – Whatever the case may be, Paul expressed that he struggled to see and so he had Tychicus and Onesimus writing his letters for him during this Roman imprisonment.
    b. Paul wanted the church to remember him in his imprisonment.
    – If they kept him in remembrance, then they would be more likely to pray for him and to send him help where possible.
    c. Paul’s signs the end of the letter with his now customary benediction.
    – Grace be with you all, Amen. We began with grace, we are kept by grace, and it is grace that will bring us home at last.

Conclusion:

  1. I trust this book has been a blessing to you and provided you with food for spiritual nourishment and growth.
  2. Let us go on in the faith, not wavering, but established in Christ and growing for his glory.