March 15
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EPAPHRAS, THE EARNEST BOND-SERVANT OF CHRIST
12 Epaphras, who is one of your own, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always striving earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. 13 For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and Demas does also. – Colossians 4:12-14
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Bible Gateway describes Epaphras as the man who was a giant in prayer and as Paul’s “fellow-servant” and “servant,” his “fellow-prisoner,” and a “faithful minister.” He was also Paul’s representative at Colossae where he had founded the church (Col. 1:7) and sought under Paul’s advice to combat prevalent heresies there. The apostle had affection for Epaphras, who ministered unto his need and the need of others.In this translation, he was referred to as a bond-servant. According to gotquestions.com, a bondservant is a slave. In some Bibles the word bondservant is the translation of the Greek word doulos, which means “one who is subservient to, and entirely at the disposal of, his master; a slave.”In Roman times, the term bondservant or slave could refer to someone who voluntarily served others. But it usually referred to one who was held in a permanent position of servitude. Under Roman law, a bondservant was considered the owner’s personal property. Slaves essentially had no rights and could even be killed with impunity by their owners. The Hebrew word for “bondservant,” ‘ebed, had a similar connotation.
Guzik comments that Paul called Epaphras a bondservant of Christ, using a phrase that he often applied to himself, but never to anyone else, except here and in Philippians 1:1 where he speaks of himself and Timothy together as bondservants of Jesus. Vaughn says that Epaphras was a bondservant, and prayer was an important area where he worked hard. Laboring fervently “is a free translation of echei polyn ponon, a phrase the key word of which (ponom) suggest heavy toil to the extent of pain.”
Paul commends Epaphras in this letter to the Colossian believers how blessed they are for having a minister who prays earnestly for their maturity and full assurance in Jesus Christ. He testifies to the deep concern that Epaphras have for his flock and those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. He also mentions greetings from Luke, the physician and Demas.
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REFLECTION
• Why should all true believers consider themselves as bond-servants of Christ?
• How different is it to be a servant of Christ than of the world or any man?