Colossians 1:7

As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; AS YE ALSO LEARNED. "Also" is omitted in 'Aleph (') A B C Delta G f g, Vulgate. Those inserting it thought that Paul had preached the Gospel to the Colossians as well as Epaphras; whereas the omission in the oldest manuscripts implies that Epaphras alone founded the church at Colosse. A Colossian (Colossians 4:12), identified by Grotius with Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25). OF `from Epaphras ' OF - `from Epaphras.' DEAR - `beloved.' FELLOW-SERVANT - namely, of Christ. In...

1-8 All true Christians are brethren one to another. Faithfulness runs through every character and relation of the Christian life. Faith, hope, and love, are the three principal graces in the Christian life, and proper matter for prayer and thanksgiving. The more we fix our hopes on the reward in the other world, the more free shall we be in doing good with our earthly treasure. It was treasured up for them, no enemy could deprive them of it. The gospel is the word of truth, and we may safely venture our souls upon it. And all who hear the word of the gospel, ought to bring forth the fruit of the gospel, obey it, and have their principles and lives formed according to it. Worldly love arises, either from views of interest or from likeness in manners; carnal love, from the appetite for pleasure. To these, something corrupt, selfish, and base always cleaves. But Christian love arises from...

Verse 7. _AS YE ALSO LEARNED OF EPAPHRAS - WHO IS FOR YOU_] Who this Epaphras was we cannot tell; only it is likely that he was a Colossian, and became, by the call and grace of Christ, a deacon of this Church, faithfully labouring with the apostle, to promote its best interests. Some think that he is the same with _Epaphroditus, Epaphras_ being a contraction of that name, as _Demas_ is of _Demetrius_; and it is remarkable that one of the _Slavonic_ versions has _Epaphroditus_ in this place. That he was a Colossian is evident from Colossians 4:12: _Epaphras, who is_ one _of you_, οεξυμων. some think that he was the first who preached the Gospel among this people, and hence called an _apostle_. He was raised up among themselves to be their minister in the absence of the apostle, and he showed himself to be worthy of this calling by a fait...

AS YE ALSO LEARNED OF EPAPHRAS - Epaphras was then with Paul. Philemon 1:23. He had probably been sent to him by the church at Colossae to consult him in reference to some matters pertaining to the church there. It is evident from this, that Epaphras was a minister of the church at Colossae, though there is no evidence, as has been often supposed, that he was the founder of the church. The apostle here says, that they had learned from Epaphras the true nature of the gospel, and he designs undoubtedly to confirm what he had taught them in opposition to the teachings of errorists; see the Introduction, Section 4. He had doubtless conferred with Epaphras respecting the doctrines which he had taught there. OUR DEAR FELLOW-SERVANT - This shows that Paul had contracted a strong friendship for Epaphras. There is no reason to

EXPOSITION COLOSSIANS 1:1 SECTION I. INTRODUCTION. The Epistle commences, in St. Paul's manner, with a _salutation _(Colossians 1:1, Colossians 1:2), followed by _thanksgiving _(Colossians 1:3) and _prayer _(Colossians 1:9). Only in 2 Thessalonians, however, outside of the Epistles of this group, do we find a formal opening prayer. The _salutation _agrees closely with that of Ephesians....

AS YE ALSO LEARNED OF EPAPHRAS,.... To know the grace of God, believe the truth of the Gospel, and to own and profess it sincerely. OUR DEAR FELLOW SERVANT; a "servant" of Christ he was, and a "fellow" servant of the apostles, jointly engaged with them in preaching the Gospel; which character, as it greatly commends Epaphras, and shows him to be a very considerable preacher of the word, so it expresses the great humility and condescension of the apostle, in putting him upon a level with himself, though he was not in that high office of the apostleship he was. And "dear" this precious servant of Christ was to him, and his fellow ministers, on account of the grace and gifts bestowed on him, because of his usefulness in the ministry, and his faithfulness and integrity in the discharge of it; and whose company and conversation in the prison greatly endeared him to them, for he was a fellow...

Colossians 1:1. _Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, to the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ._ Kindness is the very breath of Christianity, so the apostle will not begin the subject matter of his letter until first of all he has breathed out a benediction upon those to whom he writes. Colossians 1:3. _We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,_ Paul very graciously blends his giving of thanks and his constant prayer for these Christians at Colosse, and therein sets us an example that we may well imitate....

COLOSSIANS 1:7 u`mw/n {B} Although on the basis of superior Greek evidence (î46 and early Alexandrian and Western authorities) h`mw/n might seem to be preferable, a majority of the Committee, impressed by the widespread currency of u`mw/n in versional and patristic witnesses, considered it probable that copyists introduced the first person pronoun under the influence of the preceding h`mw/n and the following h`mi/n....

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE PERSON OF CHRIST, His GLORY AND His WORK CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The introduction (Colossians 1:1)_ 2. The prayer (Colossians 1:9) 3. The person and glory of Christ, Head of creation and Head of the Church (Colossians 1:15) 4. The work of reconciliation and the double ministry (Colossians 1:19) Colossians 1:1 This Epistle unfolds the doctrine of Christ and therefore Paul speaks of himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God; Timothe

A PARAGRAPH OF THANKSGIVING. He always gives God thanks when he prays for them, for he has heard (from Epaphras) of their loyalty in Christ and the love which they exhibit towards all God's people: a love based upon that hope of a heavenly destiny which was included in the word of the truth the Good News as originally preached to them. They must remember that the Gospel which is in their midst is also in all the world; that it is bearing fruit and increasing, exactly as it did at Colossæ ever since they first heard it, and came to know God's grace as it truly is. Epaphras their teacher is a beloved sharer in Paul's own slavery to Christ, a loyal ministrant of Christ to them on Paul's behalf. It is he who has notified Paul of their love in the Spirit. COLOSSIANS 1:6. By emphasizing the _universal_ character of the original gospel Paul hints at the falsehood of the new t