Colossians 4:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“And faithful minister and fellow worker in the Lord.” If he is faithful, then he will lie in nothing. If he is a fellow worker, then he shared in temptations.

Thus the Apostle depicted everything that made him worthy of trust. “He will tell you everything about me,” he says.

Why, you ask, did they not come together? And what does “He will tell you everything about me” mean? It means about the bonds and everything else that detains me.

Therefore, since I desire to see you, and am sending others, I myself would not have delayed in coming to you if a great necessity did not detain me.

Was this not enough to comfort them? It certainly was. The report that he had undergone temptations and endured them courageously would have comforted them, calmed them, and encouraged their souls.

For he says, “that he may know what concerns us and comfort your hearts.” Since they knew that Onesimus was a slave, they probably would have been grieved if one who had been a slave yesterday and the day before were suddenly deemed capable of comforting and teaching a whole Church.

Therefore the Apostle said that Tychicus alone was sent for this. But he found it fitting for both to report about the Apostle, thereby honoring Onesimus and not offending the Colossians.

Then come instructions and directives. The Epistle to the Colossians is to be read in the Church of Laodicea, and the one from Laodicea is to be read by the Colossians.

Also, an apostolic reminder is to be conveyed to Archippus, head of the Colossian church after Epaphras, concerning zealous fulfillment of pastoral duties (Col 4:16–17).

Finally, there follows the concluding postscript in the Apostle Paul’s own hand: “Remember my bonds. Grace be with you all. Amen.”

Onesimus could also have been sufficiently initiated into these, since he had formerly been the servant of Philemon, was converted by Paul, and was sent by him back to his master.

He had fled from that master, and now he had to present to him a special letter from Paul, the Epistle to Philemon.

“See Paul’s prudence,” says St. John Chrysostom. “He does not put everything into his Epistles, but only what is necessary and urgently needed.

“He does this, first, because he did not want to make them too long. Second, he wished to give greater honor to the person departing with the letter, so that he would have something to tell.

“Third, he wished to show his own disposition toward him, since otherwise he would not have entrusted him in this way. Finally, there was something that did not need to be set forth in writing.”

“Here the Apostle shows strong love. It was for precisely such motives that he sent Tychicus to them.”

Bishop Theophan adds to this: “We must think that the words, ‘that he may know what concerns you,’ in the Apostle’s mouth have the closest relation to the content of the Epistle.

“For the Apostle, outward life is not the chief matter, but how the work of salvation is proceeding. He wished to stir up their attention and zeal, so that they would look carefully to see whether everything was in order and correct what required correction.

“Perhaps the Colossians also had some troubles that required consolation, but not so great that they had to be mentioned separately in the Epistle. It was enough to give Tychicus instructions about them.

“And with what joy the Colossians must have received this messenger! This was all the more so because the news contained nothing extremely grievous.

“The bonds, terrifying in themselves, had been lightened for the Apostle by certain concessions, by which he could receive whom he wished and write to whom he wished.”

“One cannot fail to see the Apostle’s wisdom also in this,” says blessed Theodoret, “that he left consolation to Tychicus alone.

“For they knew that Onesimus was a slave, and likely would have been grieved if yesterday’s slave were suddenly deemed capable of comforting and teaching a whole Church.”

“He does this, first, because he did not want to make them too long. Second, he wished to give greater honor to the person departing with the letter, so that he would have something to tell.

“Third, he wished to show his own disposition toward him, since otherwise he would not have entrusted him in this way. Finally, there was probably something that did not need to be set forth in writing” (St. Chrysostom).

“A beloved brother” means a believer, yet one who had succeeded in deserving St. Paul’s special love by devotion to him. He was ready to do whatever pleased him and to give rest to his spirit.

For this reason he himself enjoyed St. Paul’s full trust, and Paul hid nothing from him.

“A faithful minister,” diakonos, means not a simple believer, but one who has a share in the good ordering of the Churches. It is not an independent share, but an executive one.

In such service, what is chiefly required is faithfulness, that is, acting exactly as commanded. Tychicus was distinguished by this.

“A fellow servant,” syndoulos, means one who serves together with me. Therefore he is a sharer not only in labors and temptations, but also in apostolic intentions.

“In the Lord.” He does not serve me as a man-pleaser, but together with me he serves the Lord. Therefore he is faithful not only before my eyes, but also behind my back.

He sees the all-seeing eye of the Lord turned upon him.

St. Chrysostom says of him, “If he is beloved, then he knew everything, and Paul hid nothing from him. If he is faithful, then he will lie in nothing, but will speak truth in all things; see Oecumenius.

“If he is a fellow worker, then he shared in temptations. Thus the Apostle set forth everything that made him worthy of trust.”