Go Eat PopCorn - A Review from 10,000 Feet

 You have completed our trek through Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians.  Most of what you will get in this review should familiar.  We won’t hit every point.  This is a 10,000-foot flyover.

We begin with the Galatians.

There is no other gospel.  It’s Christ and Christ alone.  There is no Jesus Plus formula for salvation.

I have died to all of the rules.  I could never live up to all of the rules.  My disobedience, my missing the mark, my sin all had to die.  It did.  It all died in Christ.

I am crucified with Christ.  Christ lives in me.

We may butt heads sometimes, but when we do, it should be as iron sharpening iron, not an insistence on our own way.  Stick to what we have in common—Christ Jesus is the way to salvation.  It’s all about the grace that we know in Christ.

Paul continued his chastisement of the Galatians shifting to the interrogative.  Did you receive your salvation by obedience to the law or by receiving the good news?  How have you been so easily fooled?

It’s been said that it is easier to fool someone than to convince them that they have been fooled.  There might just be some truth in that statement.

So then, how will the righteous live?  The righteous will live by faith.

You can’t read Galatians without reading Paul’s Christmas story.

But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Paul challenges the Galatians to stick to the one and only gospel.  He asked, Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

He says don’t buy the snake oil. As we continue into the last chapter, Paul uses metaphor to make his appeal to the fidelity of the gospel.

You were running a good race.  Who cut you off?

There is a whole bunch of chastisement in this letter, but it is also home to the fruit of the Spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Paul gives some encouragement near the end of the letter. He charged the Galatians and us not to grow weary in doing good.  A harvest is coming.  Hang in there.

Paul wraps us his letter with an affirmation and a challenge.  He will never boast except in the cross of Jesus.  So too, he challenges us to the same standard.

And there we have the 10,000-foot flyover of the letter to the Galatians.  It’s on to the Ephesians.

There is only one place to begin this letter.  It is with the spiritual blessings that we know in Christ Jesus. In him, we are blessed beyond measure.

Paul prayed that these believers in Ephesus would know all of these blessings.  That prayer is for us as well.

And then we come to words that carried through all four of these letters.  They are by grace through faith.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

This is where we anchor ourselves when it come to salvation.  It is 100% the gift of God.  Our discipleship is another story altogether.  We have much to do in the areas of love, faith, obedience, service, worship, and so much more in response to this gift, but we must know with certainty that our salvation is totally the gift of God.

Our response brings us out of division into unity.  We are one in the Spirit.  Christ has made us one.  We have a diversity of gifts and responses to grace, but we are to be of one accord in the Spirit of God.

We who have professed Jesus as Lord must undergo a paradigm shift, a renewal of the mind, an exchange of old thinking for new thinking.  We are no longer people governed by rules, but people ruled by love.

Our whole identity is in God.  We are indeed his new creation.

How do we know that we are living the Christian life?  One way is to ask this question.  Do I speak the truth in a spirit of love? Speaking the truth in love is a benchmark of our Christian maturity.

Speaking the truth without love is easy.  It is simple condemnation.

Giving people what the world calls love without the truth is not so hard either.  That’s the vending machine.

Being able to speak the truth and do it in a spirit of love takes Christian maturity.  It’s no picnic.

And now we come to words that challenge us to live in response to the grace that we know.

Live a life worthy of the calling that you have received.

Much of that worthy life involves unity.  We should live in accord with each other.  We may have to practice some patience, gentleness, humility and other Christlike traits and qualities, but we must remember that our response to this gift of grace should be the best response we can muster.

In that response to grace, we strive to hit the target. That could be strict obedience to the law.  It could be pure love.  We know that love will not harm others so in most cases, you might not be able to tell the difference, but God will show us the target.

If we want to please God, we had better aim at the target and do our best to hit it.

The words from God that we read in Leviticus and that were repeated by some of the apostles should ring true.

Be holy because I am holy.

We have been saved from sin and death so we can live completely for God.  He will show us our targets.

What does that mean?  It means that we have eyes to see opportunities all around us.  God wants us to make the most of the opportunities. 

Yes, these opportunities exist in a world ruled by sin.  We must be wise. We must use the sound mind that God gave us.

It’s a target-rich environment, but we must hit the targets at which we take aim.

Paul wraps up this letter with some counsel for families.  Love, respect, obedience, and remembering who the parent is when things get stressful. This is still excellent counsel for this century.

Finally, we get the full armor of God.

But, let’s put on the armor-all of it.

·       The belt of truth

·       The breastplate of righteousness

·       Feet fitted—these are your combat boots—with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace

·       The shield of faith that extinguishes the arrows of the enemy

·       The helmet of salvation

·       The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

Now it’s on to the Philippians.

As we begin this letter we must understand that our salvation is a done deal.  God did it all.  Jesus paid it all.  It’s all from God so that nobody can boast about their own salvation.

In our response to this done-deal salvation, we often find ourselves to be a work in progress.  We have a lot of work to do to live up to the person that God made us to be.

Early in this letter, Paul proffers the ultimate win-win.  For him to die right now would be fantastic.  He would be with the Lord.  Oohrah, hallelujah, amen.

For him to live another day would be another day that he could take the good news to the lost.  It was the best mission—the best commission ever.

It was win-win.  To live is Christ.  To die is gain. It should be the same for us.

There are other familiar words that we know from Paul’s letter to the Philippians—every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Those are some good words, but we should finish the sentence—to the glory of God.

We should not expect a forced confession, but the ultimate expression of the truth:  Jesus Christ is Lord!

This letter brings us to our response to the gift of God that we call salvation.  Paul tells us to work out our salvation as the most important thing that we do.

Our response to God’s incredible gift of mercy and grace that we have received through faith is the most important thing we do for the rest of our days in these bodies on this planet.

We have an abundance of opportunities in which to respond with love for one another as we live out our salvation.

We are reminded that we are citizens of heaven and that we go through this life with purpose.  Press on.  Don’t lose your focus.  Don’t go native.  This world is not our home.

Press on.

Paul noted to the church in Philippi and others as well, that so many had made ad hominem attacks on him and he wasn’t playing this game.

But if he were to play the game, he had the best resume of any of his so-called challengers.  He just did not regard his religious status of any value when it came to right standing with the Lord.  He considered it as valuable as manure.

It’s Christ, Christ, and only Christ who brings us to right standing with God.

Paul, writing from prison in whatever form that looked like, challenged us to be happy, to rejoice, to know the joy of the Lord.

Our joy comes from the Lord.  We rejoice in the Lord.  We talked about the source of our joy—our gladness—being the favor of the Lord.

Paul also challenged us not to worry.  Don’t be anxious about anything.  We can know a peace that comes from God that goes way beyond what we can understand.

Our job is to go to God in thanksgiving, have our talk with him, and receive a peace that will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul understood that God made us right with him but we were not quite there yet.  It’s a done deal but we are still working on our part.  One day, God will finish the good work that he began in us, but for now, we are still working on it.

So, Paul equipped us with a simple piece of counsel.  Think on good things.

The governing verb here is think.  In a world governed by red herrings, nonsequiturs, and other logical fallacies as well as purely emotional appeals, we are challenged to think.

We are charged to use the sound mind that God gave us.

That brings us to the Colossians.

We begin with Christ being the image of the invisible God.  Remember that Jesus told his disciples before he went to the cross, if you have seen me, then you have seen the Father.  Quit asking for what you already have.

After the resurrection, he told Thomas, but he was speaking to all gathered in the room with him that they believed because they had seen.  Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed.

That’s us.

Next, we are reminded that we are redeemed and reconciled.  The work to reconcile the entire creation was accomplished in Christ Jesus.  It’s hard to see now, but the work of the cross accomplished it.

What comes next is a throwback to the Galatians and others who were being courted by fancy arguments.  Do not be deceived.

There is one gospel and you heard it.  Stick to it.

We talked about the law, written codes, and the invoice for our sin.  What we should have walked away with was that man’s rules must not get in the way of God’s love.

The third chapter of this letter had some umbrella sort of counsel.

Whatever you do, do it in the name of the Lord.

and

Whatever you do, work at it as if you are working for the Lord, not for men.

Live in love but keep your eyes open for the tricks of the world.  Be a little salty.

 

How do we wrap this up?

One gospel.

One Spirit.

One Lord.

One accord.

Salvation one hundred percent the gift of God.

Rejoice in the Lord, always.

Be anxious for nothing.

Pray about everything.  Start by being thankful.

Think on good things.

It’s what you do with what God gave you not your titles and accolades that count.

Never lose sight of the fact that we are working for the Lord.

Press on.

Put on the full armor of God.

Live in the fruit of the Spirit.

Above all else, put on love

Talk and live grace but be seasoned with salt.

Those should get you through the week.

Amen.

 

F4 Schedule Fall 23 - Spring 24

F4 Activity Schedule Fall 23 – Spring 24

Fall 2023

13 Sep	Worship	Kick Off – 10 Min in Classroom
20 Sep	Classes
27 Sep	Classes
4 Oct	Worship	10 Minutes in Classroom
11 Oct	Break	Fall Break (FTP 11 Oct)
18 Oct	Classes
25 Oct	Classes
1 Nov	Classes
8 Nov	Classes
15 Nov	Worship	Thanksgiving – 10 Min in CR

 

Worship – 3    Classes – 6    Other -

 

Spring 2024

17 Jan	Classes	Tom Away
24 Jan	Classes
31 Jan	Worship	10 Minutes in Classroom
7 Feb	Classes
14 Feb	Worship	Ash Weds
21 Feb	Classes
28 Feb	Classes
6 Mar	Worship	10 Minutes in Classroom
13 Mar	Classes
20 Mar	Break	Spring Break
27 Mar	Worship	31 Mar is Resurrection Sunday
3 Apr	Classes
10 Apr	Classes
17 Apr	Classes
24 Apr	Worship	Finale – 10 Min in Classroom

 

Worship – 5     Classes – 9     Other – 

Wednesday Clean Up Checklist

Clean Up Checklist

 

All hands

Wipe off tables

Stack chairs

 

Clean Up Crew

Put away supplies

Wipe off serving tables

Throw away any trash left behind during all-hands cleanup

Empty and wash drink containers (run hot water through spigots).  Put upside down to finish draining and drying

Put up salt and pepper shakers

Wash any dishes or load the dishwasher when appropriate (adult)

Pick up debris on floors

Vacuum high traffic areas and where there have been spills

Empty all trash containers

Replace trash bags

Wipe down kitchen counters

Wipe down microwaves

Wipe down stove tops

Towels in plastic bag to take home and wash

Put away all vacuums and cleaning supplies.

Preparation for adult Sunday School for 24 July 2022

 Read Colossians 4

This is a composite of online offerings in response to the questions concerning the identity of many listed in Colossians 4.  This is not an original composition and while the answers seem valid, they are often those of site contributors, but the references are most useful in this navigation of biblical identity.

This is to serve as a study primer for the adult Sunday school classes for 24 July 2022.

Who is Tychicus?

Tychicus is one of those Bible characters who probably doesn’t receive the recognition due them. True, Tychicus is only mentioned five times in the New Testament, but the ministry he provided was noteworthy.

We first meet Tychicus in Acts 20:4, during Paul’s third missionary journey. He is mentioned as one of Paul’s companions on the way from Corinth to Jerusalem to deliver a gift to the church there (see Romans 15:25–26). We learn that Tychicus was a native of Asia, or what we would call Asia Minor today.

Tychicus is called a “dear brother” of Paul’s and a “faithful servant” of the Lord’s (Ephesians 6:21). In Colossians 4:7, Tychicus is a “faithful minister and fellow servant” who was with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment. He was entrusted to deliver Paul’s epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians and to bring news of the apostle to those congregations: “Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. . . . I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts” (Colossians 4:7–8). Encouragement is also mentioned as part of Tychicus’s ministry in Ephesians 6:22.

In traveling to Colossae, Tychicus accompanied Onesimus, the former slave who was returning to Philemon. No doubt, Tychicus, as a good friend of Paul’s, emphasized the need for grace in receiving Onesimus back home (see Philemon 1:17).

Paul intended to send either Tychicus or another man to Crete in order to give Titus a chance to visit Paul (Titus 3:12). Later, Tychicus was with Paul in Rome during the apostle’s second Roman imprisonment, and Paul sent him to Ephesus in order to free up Timothy for a visit (2 Timothy 4:12). In both Crete and Ephesus, then, Tychicus was an “interim pastor” of sorts, filling in for Titus and Timothy.

There is an unnamed believer alluded to in 2 Corinthians 8:22, described as a “brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you.” Many commentators surmise that this is a reference to Tychicus. The description seems to fit.

We may not know much about Tychicus, but what we do know is impressive and praiseworthy. Tychicus was a trusted messenger, faithful preacher, and loyal friend. Paul placed great confidence in him, sending him to accomplish important works. Tychicus obviously had the ability to minister in a variety of situations, bringing encouragement to those he served. Tychicus surely modeled the quality that all church elders are to possess: “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it” (Titus 1:9).

Who is Aristarchus?

Aristarchus, whose name means “best ruler” or “best prince,” was a fellow worker with the apostle Paul. He is first mentioned in the book of Acts during the riot in Ephesus. Both Gaius and Aristarchus, described as “Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia,” were seized by the angry mob (Acts 19:29). Paul’s preaching had upset Demetrius and other metalworkers who made idols of Artemis for a living (Acts 19:21–27). It seems the mob couldn’t find Paul, so they seized Paul’s fellow workers instead. Aristarchus and Gaius were in a precarious position until, two hours later, the city clerk was finally able to persuade the crowd to disperse.

Aristarchus is described as a Macedonian who lived in the capital city of Thessalonica (Acts 27:2). Nothing is known about Aristarchus’ background or how he became a Christian, although some commentators have suggested he could have been a Jewish convert to Christianity. In any case, Aristarchus was a faithful companion to Paul and accompanied the apostle on a few journeys. After the riot in Ephesus, Paul headed for Greece and decided to return through Macedonia after a stay of three months (Acts 20:1–3). Many men accompanied Paul on this journey back through Macedonia, including “Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica” and others (Acts 20:4).

Later, Aristarchus traveled with Paul on his initial voyage to Rome, although it is unknown whether Aristarchus journeyed all the way to Rome at that time (Acts 27:1–2). Paul later indicated in his letter to the Colossians that Aristarchus was with him at some time during his first Roman imprisonment: “Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, as does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin” (Colossians 4:10, HCSB).

The last time Aristarchus is mentioned in the Bible is in Paul’s short letter to Philemon. In the greeting section of Paul’s letter, he wrote, “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers” (Philemon 1:23–24). Clearly, the apostle valued Aristarchus’ work as his companion in Christ, as Aristarchus faithfully served the Lord.

Nothing is known of what became of Aristarchus; the Bible is silent about the rest of his life. Tradition places Aristarchus as bishop of Apamea, Syria, although nothing is mentioned in Scripture of this position. Aristarchus’ martyrdom under the reign of Nero is also part of church tradition.

Although Scripture mentions Aristarchus only a few times, and his background and later life are unknown, we know that Aristarchus was a faithful follower of Christ and served alongside Paul. The few biblical references to Aristarchus remind Christians that a believer does not need to be “high-profile” in order to accomplish great things. We may not be very visible to others in serving Christ, but we are still seen and valued by the Lord (see Colossians 3:23–24).

What about Mark and Barnabas?

John Mark, often just called Mark, is the author of the gospel of Mark. He was a believer in the early church mentioned directly only in the book of Acts. John Mark is first mentioned as the son of a woman named Mary (Acts 12:12), whose house was being used as a place for believers to gather and pray. Later, Mark is mentioned as a companion of Barnabas and Paul during their travels together (Acts 12:25). John Mark was also Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10).

John Mark was a helper on Paul and Barnabas’ first missionary journey (Acts 13:5). However, he did not stay through the whole trip. John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas in Pamphylia and left the work (Acts 15:38). The Bible does not say why Mark deserted, but his departure came right after a mostly fruitless time in Cyprus (Acts 13:4–12). Only one conversion is recorded in Cyprus, but there had been strong demonic opposition. It’s likely that the young John Mark was discouraged at the hardness of the way and decided to return to the comforts of home.

Some time later, after Paul and Barnabas had returned from their first journey, Paul expressed a desire to go back to the brothers in the cities they had previously visited to see how everyone was doing (Acts 15:36). Barnabas agreed, apparently upon the provision that they take John Mark with them. Paul refused to have Mark on the trip, however, citing Mark’s previous desertion. Paul thought it best not to have a quitter with them; they needed someone more dependable. Paul and Barnabas had a “sharp disagreement” about John Mark (verse 39) and wound up separating from each other and going on separate journeys. Barnabas took John Mark with him to Cyprus, and Paul took Silas with him through Syria and Cilicia to encourage the believers in the churches in those areas (Acts 15:39–41).

Barnabas, the “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36), desired to forgive John Mark’s failure and to give him another chance. Paul took the more rational view: pioneering missionary work requires dedication, resolve, and endurance. Paul saw John Mark as a risk to their mission. Luke, the writer of Acts, does not take sides or present either Paul or Barnabas as being in the right. He simply records the facts. It’s worth noting that, in the end, two groups of missionaries were sent out—twice as many missionaries were spreading the gospel.

John Mark sails off to Cyprus with his cousin Barnabas, but that is not the end of his story. Years later, he is with Paul, who calls him a “fellow worker” (Philemon 1:24). And near the end of Paul’s life, Paul sends a request to Timothy from a Roman prison: “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). Obviously, John Mark had matured through the years and had become a faithful servant of the Lord. Paul recognized his progress and considered him a valuable companion.

John Mark wrote the gospel that bears his name sometime between AD 55 and 59. There could be a veiled reference to John Mark in Mark 14:51–52. In that passage a young man, roused from sleep on the night that Jesus was arrested, attempts to follow the Lord, and the mob who had Jesus in custody attempts to seize him. The young man escapes and flees into the night. The fact that this incident is only recorded in Mark’s gospel—and the fact that the young man is anonymous—has led some scholars to surmise that the fleeing young man is actually John Mark.

What about Jesus also called Justus (sometimes referred to as Jesus Justus)?

JESUS JUSTUS

je'-zus jus'-tus Iesous ho legomenos Ioustos, "Jesus that is called Justus," Colossians 4:11):

1. A Jew by Birth:

One of three friends of Paul--the others being Aristarchus and Mark--whom he associates with himself in sending salutations from Rome to the church at Colosse. Jesus Justus is not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, and there is nothing more known about him than is given in this passage in Colossians, namely, that he was by birth a Jew--"of the circumcision"--that he had been converted to Christ, and that he was one of the inner circle of intimate friends and associates of the apostle during his first Roman captivity.

 

Who is Epaphras?

paphras is mentioned three times in the New Testament, twice in Colossians and once in Philemon. He was a believer in Christ who served with the apostle Paul, who referred to him as a “fellow servant,” “faithful minister,” and “servant of Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:7; 4:12).

His name and Paul’s comment in Colossians 4:11 indicates that Epaphras was a Gentile. We also surmise that he was from Colossae in Asia Minor, since his name appears in the letter to the church there and Paul says that he “is one of you” (Colossians 4:12). According to Paul, writing during his first Roman imprisonment, Epaphras was the one who shared the gospel with the Colossians and possibly started the church there: Paul speaks of “the day you heard [the gospel]” and reminds them that “you learned it from Epaphras” (Colossians 1:6–7). Epaphras traveled to Rome to visit Paul, informing Paul about the Colossians’ “love in the Spirit” (Colossians 1:8).

In his letter, Paul told the Colossians about how Epaphras cared deeply for their spiritual growth and maturity. Epaphras had committed to praying for the Colossians, “always wrestling in prayer for [them]” (Colossians 4:12). Epaphras desired for the Colossian Christians to stand firm in their faith and become mature. Paul gave testimony that Epaphras was working hard for the church in Colossae, just as he was for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13).

Aside from the letter to the Colossians, Epaphras’s name shows up in Paul’s personal letter to Philemon. Like Colossians, Paul wrote Philemon during his first imprisonment in Rome. Epaphras had apparently been imprisoned while in Rome visiting Paul: “Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings” (Philemon 1:23). Tradition teaches that Epaphras eventually returned to Colossae where he remained a faithful servant of Christ and was later martyred. But those details are not found in the Bible.

The descriptions of Epaphras are significant: “our dear fellow servant,” “a faithful minister of Christ,” “a servant of Christ Jesus,” “always wrestling in prayer,” and “working hard.” The brief sketch Paul provides shows that the apostle thought highly of this follower of Christ and fellow laborer. Epaphras demonstrated a strong faith, a rich prayer life, a boldness in sharing the gospel even at the risk of suffering, and deep care for those in whom he had invested spiritually. Epaphras is probably not the first name that comes to mind when we think of Bible characters, but he faithfully served Jesus, and his reward is sure (see Hebrews 6:10).

What about Luke and Demas?

Demas had at one time been one of Paul’s “fellow workers” in the gospel ministry along with Mark, Luke, and others (Philemon 1:24). During Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome, Demas was also in Rome (Colossians 4:14).

There is also biblical evidence that Demas was with Paul during Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome, at least for a while. Then something happened. Demas forsook Paul, abandoned the ministry, and left town. Paul wrote about the sad situation: “Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica” (2 Timothy 4:10).

The Greek verb used in the original implies that Demas had not merely left Paul but had left him “in the lurch”; that is, Demas had abandoned Paul in a time of need. The apostle was in prison, facing a death sentence, and that’s when Demas chose to set sail. Undoubtedly, Paul was deeply let down by Demas. It’s never easy to see a friend and associate in whom you’ve placed your trust forsake you in the midst of hardship.

The separation caused by Demas’ desertion of Paul was not merely spatial but spiritual. Demas left Rome because he fell in love with the world. In other words, Demas chose the corrupt value system of the unsaved world over what heaven values. As the NLT translates it, Demas “loves the things of this life” (2 Timothy 4:10). We don’t know the details of Demas’ situation, but it is evident that Demas decided that what Satan has to offer in this life is better than what God has to offer in the next.

Much can be said in support of the view that Demas, in love with the present world, was never a born-again believer in Jesus Christ. Paul makes a sharp contrast in 2 Timothy 4:8 and 10. In verse 8, Paul speaks of those who love the Lord: “There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award . . . to all who have loved his appearing” (ESV). Demas, in contrast to those who love Jesus’ return, loved the present world (verse 10). First John 2:15 is clear about the spiritual state of those who love the world: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” Nowhere in the Bible do we read of the restoration of Demas.

The tragedy of Demas is still being lived out today by those who choose the temporary benefits of this world over the eternal riches of heaven. Today there are still those who seem to receive the Word but then “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). Past service is no guarantee of future faithfulness; we must depend on the Lord, our Strength (Psalm 28:8). We must be born again (John 3:3); otherwise, we have no foundation of faith. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us” (1 John 2:19; cf. Matthew 7:22–23).

What about Archippus?

Archippus is mentioned in Colossians 4:17 and Philemon 1:2. In his letter to Philemon, Paul refers to Archippus as a “fellow soldier.” In Colossians 4:17, Paul requests his readers to “tell Archippus: ‘See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.’” Apparently, then, Archippus was a young man from Colossae tasked with some sort of ministry in the church.

Many believe Archippus to have been the son of Philemon and Apphia, close friends of Paul’s. The connection between Archippus and Philemon seems clear in Philemon 1:1–2, “To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home. . . .” Paul is writing to a household. Philemon; his wife, Apphia; and his son, Archippus comprise the family unit. The church of Colossae met in their home.

Some believe Paul’s words to Archippus to “complete the ministry” are a gentle rebuke for having neglected certain of his duties. But a majority see Paul’s admonition to Archippus as simple encouragement, similar to Paul’s exhortations in his epistles to Timothy and Titus (see 2 Timothy 4:5). One tradition holds that Archippus was a leader in Laodicea, a city about 12 miles away from Colossae. It seems strange to send an admonition to Archippus through leaders of another church, but Paul’s intent was that the letter to the Colossians should be read in Laodicea, too: “After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans” (Colossians 4:16). In any case, Archippus would receive the message.

Ultimately, we do not know much about Archippus other than he was a Christian in the early church who was granted a ministry from the Lord and who soldiered for the faith. Paul’s encouragement to Archippus and his family should encourage all of us to also “complete the ministry” God has given us.

There is much more information available, most of it in accord with these selections.  Search to your hearts content, but keep the primary references close (scripture citations) so you don’t venture too far down any rabbit trail.