Key Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Study Focus: Col. 4:7–18

Paul’s final words in his letter to the Colossians are filled with love and heartfelt concern for the church. Tychicus and Onesimus are beloved brothers (Col. 4:7, 9). Luke is a beloved physician (Col. 4:14). Paul’s heart overflows with love. His love for his fellow workers is representative of his love for the church. His love and concern for his audience reveal his desire to know their circumstances and to comfort them (Col. 4:8).

Paul’s wish with regard to the church members in Colossae is for them to “stand perfect and complete” (Col. 4:12, NKJV). For this reason, he as­sembles a “dream team” to work alongside him. Indeed, Colossians 4:7–14 is, as it were, a parade, featuring a marching unit of courageous Christian soldiers engaged in the most crucial of all battles, spiritual warfare. Paul teaches us that mission is teamwork. In their work for the church in Colossae, Tychicus and Onesimus appear at the forefront, sent by Paul both to give, and get, information (Col. 4:7–9). However, other fellow workers of Paul were also deeply committed to the church members in Colossae (Col. 4:10–14).

This week’s lesson emphasizes three major themes:

1. Mission is a collaborative effort of people, working together in close connection.

2. Because mission is a collaborative effort, church leaders and missionaries must work with this clear purpose in mind, so that church members may “stand perfect and complete” (Col. 4:12, NKJV).

3. A profound love for Jesus removes any possibility of compromising with this world’s standards and with the materialism that characterizes it.

Part II: Commentary

Mission Involves Teamwork

Jesus highlighted the importance of teamwork. For instance, in Luke 5, we see the story of Jesus at the lake of Gennesaret, where He “saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets” (Luke 5:1, 2, ESV). These men had given up fishing, as they were not able to catch anything! Jesus told them to let down their nets, once again, “ ‘for a catch’ ” (Luke 5:4, ESV; emphasis added). Suddenly, “when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking” (Luke 5:6, ESV). So, those in the one boat “signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them” (Luke 5:7, ESV; emphasis added). What a powerful ­lesson—for them and for us! Now, Jesus could say, “ ‘From now on you will be catching men’ ” (Luke 5:10, ESV; emphasis added).

Colossians 4:7–14 displays Paul’s commitment to teamwork (see also 1 Cor. 3:5–9). He was not alone in his missionary endeavors. In this passage in Colossians, the apostle mentions a missionary team, consisting of nine individuals! We can gain valuable insights from how he characterizes their involvement in the gospel mission.

This table reveals that Paul had a “dream” team. Mission work is not a solitary activity. The more people engaged in missionary work, the greater the results. However, there is also room for a quasi-anonymous missionary, such as “Jesus who is called Justus” (Col. 4:11, NKJV). This verse is the only place in which he is mentioned in the entire New Testament. Interestingly, Paul says nothing about Demas (Col. 4:14). Perhaps, Paul’s silence is because there was nothing positive to say, as Demas already might have been drifting away from the faith, as the apostle mentions in 2 Timothy 4:10. It is noteworthy that Paul’s missionary team includes people from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds. Differences dissolve in the unity of faith.

Some further remarks can be made:

First, Tychicus and Onesimus are portrayed as beloved and faithful.

Second, Onesimus and Epaphras are “one of you,” meaning that they were members of the church in Colossae.

Third, Epaphras is further portrayed as the “bondservant of Christ,” a man of prayer, and someone with great zeal for the church. Though absent from Colossae, Epaphras was “always laboring fervently for” them in prayers (Col. 4:12, NKJV). We can learn a precious lesson from this attitude: when one cannot help in person, one can still pray.

Fourth, some of these men appear in the book of Acts as Paul’s travel companions (Aristarchus [e.g., Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4, 5; Acts 27:2]; Tychicus [e.g., Acts 20:4]; Barnabas [e.g., Acts 12:25, Acts 13:1–15, Acts 14:19–28]).

Fifth, the inclusion of Onesimus, a new convert (Philem. 10), demonstrates that Paul was interested in training people for ministry so that they would become his fellow workers (Col. 4:11).

Sixth, at first, Paul was unwilling to give a second chance to Mark, a hesitant missionary (Acts 15:38), but he later reconsidered (Col. 4:10, 2 Tim. 4:11), even, in time, calling him his fellow laborer (Philem. 24).

Seventh, Paul’s expressions of love and the greetings that he sends from his fellow workers to the church nurtured a sense of companionship between church leaders and the congregation.

Perfection and Completion

In their work, Christian leaders must focus on one clear goal: helping church members grow in faith and align fully with God’s will. They must work and pray for them to be “perfect and complete” (Col. 4:12). At first sight, these terms may convey the false impression that Paul is advocating for sinlessness or absolute perfection, but such is not the case. The Greek word rendered as “perfect” is teleios, which can simply mean “mature” (1 Cor. 2:6, 1 Cor. 14:20, Phil. 3:15, NKJV). In turn, the Greek word rendered as “complete” is plēroō, which, when applied to people, is used elsewhere in reference to God’s action of filling someone with spiritual blessings (see Acts 2:28, Rom. 15:13). In Ephesians 4:13, Paul indicates that “the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God” results in “a perfect/[mature (teleios)] man.”

Paul wants the church members in Colossae to develop a Christlike character. Earlier in his letter, he revealed his concern about this matter (Col. 2:6, 7). A Christlike manner of living includes knowing “His [God’s] will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Col. 1:9, NKJV). It also means walking “worthy of the Lord,” pleasing Him, “being fruitful in every good work,” and “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col. 1:10, NKJV). Additional characteristics of spiritual maturity are stressed in Colossians 2:2, in which Paul speaks of being “knit together in love” in order to attain “to all riches of the full assurance of understanding.” In sum, Paul says that the goal of preaching is to present “every man perfect in Christ” (Col. 1:28; see also Col. 1:29).

Warning Against Materialism

The Bible teaches that Christians must not conform to the world’s values or the materialism that defines it (Rom. 12:2). However, Demas fell into the trap of loving this present world (2 Tim. 4:10). In both Romans 12:2 and 2 Timothy 4:10, the Greek word rendered as “world” is aiōn. It is applied in reference to “the system of practices and standards associated with secular society.”—Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains, vol. 1 (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), p. 507.

In addition to aiōn, the term kosmos is often used to refer to the evil values and systems of this world. For instance, in 1 John 2:16, the apostle John uses three phrases to summarize how this worldly system operates: “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (NKJV). Scholars agree that this trifecta of worldly lust and pride constitutes a radical warning against materialism. It is not surprising that Paul holds such a negative view concerning “the present age [aiōn]” (Titus 2:12, NKJV), to the point of emphasizing that Jesus “gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age” (Gal. 1:4, NKJV; emphasis added). In 1 Timothy 6:17, Paul delivers a clear command for “those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God” (NKJV; emphasis added). In Titus 2:12, the apostle remarks that Christians should reject “ungodliness and worldly lusts” by means of a sober, righteous, and godly life “in the present age” (NKJV).

Interestingly, the information that Demas loved this present world somehow explains the statement, “Demas has forsaken me” (2 Tim. 4:10, NKJV), which indicates his desertion of missionary duties. A visible sign that a person loves this present age is the weakening of a burning love for mission in their heart. Those who deeply long for the age to come are the very ones who “live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age” (Titus 2:12, NKJV). This longing includes active engagement in mission.

Part III: Life Application

Meditate upon the following themes. Then ask your students to answer the questions at the end of the section.

“There is a poignancy to Paul’s letters, for they reflect his great desire for community, to be one with his converts and have good fellowship with them. Paul is no loner; he is far more like a parent who misses his faraway children. . . . In his letters he reflects the collectivist mentality again and again. His social networks are crucial to him personally but also in carrying out the shared task of spreading the good news.”—Ben Witherington III, The Paul Quest: The Renewed Search for the Jew of Tarsus (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998), p. 114.

This quotation reveals Paul’s full commitment to the proclamation of the gospel. Should we, living in the last days of this world’s history, be any less engaged in spreading the gospel than were Paul and his missionary team in the first century? They were willing to do their best and work together for the advancement of God’s kingdom. Likewise, we are called to work in unity. Every person has a role to play in God’s overarching plan of cosmic salvation. We are called to help others grow in spiritual maturity in preparation for the age to come. In fact, the more we long for the age to come, the more we do for Christ in the present age. Yet, our love for Jesus will keep us safe from the danger of compromising with this world’s values in such a way that, although we are in this world, we never shall feel that we belong to it (John 15:19).

Questions:

1. Why are our social networks crucial to ministry? Who is in your social networks? How have they aided your mission work and witnessing efforts for God?

2. How has God called you to help others grow in spiritual maturity and to prepare for heaven?

3. In what ways does your love for Jesus keep you safe from compromising with this world’s values? What does it mean to be in this world but not of it?