Name/Meaning: Epaphras (meaning lovely, charming/handsome.)
Biblical References:
Colossians 1:7-8
7 as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, 8 who also declared to us your love in the Spirit.
Colossians 4:12-13
12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you, and those who are in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis.
Philemon 1: 23“23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.
Life/Autobiography:
Epaphras 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). The unique distinction of Epaphras is Paul’s praise of him for his fervent intercession for the churches in the Lycus Valley (Col 4:12, 13). He was a distinguished disciple, and probably the founder of the Colossian church.
His name and Paul’s comment in Colossians 4:11 indicate 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 letter to Philemon. Like Colossians, Paul wrote Philemon during his first imprisonment in Rome. Epaphras had 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).
Life Lessons To Us:
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ…”
Wow! Knowing who you are and who you belong to is priceless in this kingdom, knowing the will of God concerning you.
Biblical accounts inferences that Epaphras started the Colossians church. Do you truly know the will of God concerning you, what God has called you to do, or are you comparing yourself to others? Imagine if Epaphras was comparing himself to Apostle Paul, yet, what God had called him to do was different and equally important. I tell you, there will be surprises in heaven. Many unknown people will be receiving massive crowns. It’s not popularity with men sir, it’s your standing in Christ, with Christ, your standing in God. Does God know you? Or is it only men who do?
Fellow servant/fellow labourer/fellow prisoner
We are co-labourers with God on earth, working together with Him to make this earth as it is in heaven. This is why we are still here and have not been caught up to heaven after salvation. God trusts that through you, through me, His will comes to pass as it is in heaven over the earth, over the souls of men. It is our duty as intercessors, to let this mind be in us, to have this approach in our prayer altar, that we are here as intercessors to pray God’s will to pass over the souls of men. We labour with God, we don’t give up on someone or a matter until God says so. Until God’s will is done, we don’t stop praying! God is counting on us.
You know, so many times we are waiting for God to do something on earth or in someone, but what if God is waiting for you, waiting for me to stand in our rightful place of dominion on the earth so we can legislate God’s mind on earth? So we can command and decree what needs to happen! He has given us the authority and He is waiting for us to exercise it.
God is counting on you, needs you, needs me to work in His vineyard. There is still room, the work is not finished, there is still room. (See Matthew 20:1-16)
A faithful minister of Christ
“always laboring fervently for you in prayers,”
Prayer of intercession is a labour, and you don’t stop until God’s mind is achieved.
“For I bear him witness that he has a great zeal for you”
Like Jesus, “zeal for your house has consumed me”, We must pray for the zeal of God to consume our hearts in this calling, we must have the zeal of Christ, God’s mind and heart over the people, the souls we intercede upon. We must come to the place where we die for them, where we see them as God does so we can intercede fervently for them. It is a zeal that must consume us.
The Challenge:
Are you bearing the Lord’s burdens or your own? Are you zealous for souls as God is?
The Business of God is the souls of men. That is the most important thing to God – people. Is your heart burdened over lives, to see God’s will come to pass over their lives?
You don’t have to be known for your works to be known. The life of Epaphras further emphasizes our secret life as an intercessor. He might not have been well known as Apostle Paul, in fact, there are just three mentions of him in the Bible, yet his life carries such a tremendous impact on the church, the body of Christ, and in the heart of God.
Don’t think you are lesser or not significant or that your calling is not important because you feel you have not been called to be an apostle, preacher, worker of miracles, and so on. Even if it is one soul God has given you, do it with all thy might. Your labour is important in the heart of God and to the body of Christ.
May the Lord enable us
May we accurately and progressively discern God’s will concerning us
May we be burdened with the Lord’s burdens
May we pray God’s will to pass over the lives and souls of men
May the zeal of the Lord consume us!
Let us pray!
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