The Comfort of Fellow Workers: Text: Colossians 4:10-14
Introduction: The Body at Work
As the Apostle Paul brings his letter to the Colossians to a close, he does something that can be very easy for us to read over quickly. He sends greetings. We see a list of names, some familiar, some not, and our modern, individualistic minds might be tempted to treat this as little more than the "P.S." at the end of a letter. But in the economy of God, there are no throwaway lines. Every word is given for our instruction, and these greetings are a profound and practical theology of the church in action.
Paul is in prison. He is not writing from a comfortable study, surrounded by his books. He is under house arrest in Rome, chained to a guard, facing an uncertain future. And yet, he is not alone. The picture he paints here is not one of a solitary, heroic apostle, but of a man surrounded by a band of brothers, a team of fellow laborers who are his support, his comfort, and his partners in the gospel. This is a crucial lesson for us. The Christian life is not a solo endeavor. It is corporate, it is communal, it is lived out in the rough and tumble of real relationships with other redeemed sinners. The church is a body, and bodies have many members, each with a part to play.
In this list of names, we see a beautiful mosaic of the kingdom of God. We see Jews and Gentiles, working side by side. We see a restored failure, a prayer warrior, a physician, and one who, tragically, will later fall away. This is not a sanitized, airbrushed portrait of the early church. It is real, it is gritty, and it is immensely encouraging. It shows us that God uses ordinary, flawed people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. It shows us the deep comfort that comes from Christian fellowship, the power of intercessory prayer, and the sober reality that not all who start the race will finish it. As we look at these men who surrounded Paul, we are looking at a microcosm of the church in every age.
The Text
Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of your number, a slave of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas.
(Colossians 4:10-14 LSB)
The Jewish Comfort (vv. 10-11)
Paul begins with three men who were his Jewish brethren in the faith.
"Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be a comfort to me." (Colossians 4:10-11)
First is Aristarchus. Paul calls him his "fellow prisoner." This man from Thessalonica was a loyal companion who had been with Paul through riots in Ephesus and the perilous sea voyage to Rome. Whether he was formally imprisoned with Paul or had voluntarily identified with him to the point of sharing his confinement, the title is one of honor. In the kingdom, the chains of a faithful man are a badge of glory. Aristarchus was not a fair-weather friend; he was in it for the long haul, sharing in the sufferings of the apostle.
Next comes Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. This is John Mark, the author of the gospel. And his presence here is a glorious testimony to the power of gospel restoration. This is the same Mark who deserted Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, causing such a sharp disagreement that Paul refused to take him on the second. But here he is, years later, back in Paul's inner circle, trusted and commended. Paul even gives the Colossians a specific instruction: "if he comes to you, welcome him." This is grace in action. There are no permanent blacklists in the church for those who repent. A past failure does not have to define a man's future usefulness. Mark was restored, and Paul, in his maturity, fully embraced him as a valuable coworker. This is a profound encouragement for any of us who have failed, and a sharp rebuke to any who would hold past sins over a brother's head.
The third man is Jesus, called Justus. We know little about him, other than his name. "Jesus" was a common form of "Joshua" at the time. He, along with Aristarchus and Mark, formed a small but vital group. Paul says of these three, "These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be a comfort to me." This is a poignant statement. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, still carried a deep burden for his own people, the Jews. And in Rome, it seems that most of the Jewish Christians had kept their distance from the controversial, imprisoned apostle. But these three stood by him. They were a comfort, a solace to his soul. Their loyalty in the face of widespread apathy was a tangible expression of God's grace to Paul in his chains.
The Agonizing Prayer Warrior (vv. 12-13)
Next, Paul mentions a man who was one of the Colossians' own.
"Epaphras, who is one of your number, a slave of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God. For I testify for him that he has a deep concern for you and for those who are in Laodicea and Hierapolis." (Colossians 4:12-13)
Epaphras was the evangelist who likely founded the church in Colossae. He is one of them, and yet he is with Paul in Rome. And what is he doing? He is "always striving for you in his prayers." The word for "striving" is agonizomai, from which we get our word "agonize." This is not a casual, "God bless the Colossians" kind of prayer. This is wrestling. This is spiritual warfare. Epaphras is in a spiritual agony for the saints back home. He is laboring, toiling in prayer.
And what is the goal of this agonizing prayer? It is profoundly pastoral. He prays "that you may stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God." This is a prayer for Christian maturity. He wants them to be "complete," lacking nothing, spiritually grown up. And he wants them to be "fully assured," not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, but having a deep, settled conviction about the will of God. This is what every faithful pastor should pray for his people. Not primarily for their health, wealth, or comfort, but for their spiritual maturity and stability.
Paul then adds his own testimony, vouching for the man's deep concern, not just for Colossae, but for the neighboring churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis as well. Epaphras had a pastor's heart, and his love for the flock overflowed into fervent, agonizing, constant intercession. This is the kind of work that is often unseen, but it is the powerhouse of the church.
The Beloved and the Backslider (v. 14)
Finally, Paul concludes this section with two more names, a pairing that is both encouraging and deeply sobering.
"Luke, the beloved physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas." (Colossians 4:14)
Luke is a familiar and cherished name. He was Paul's traveling companion, the meticulous historian of the gospel and the book of Acts, and here he is called "the beloved physician." His medical skill was no doubt a great practical blessing to Paul, but it is his steadfast loyalty that shines. In Paul's final letter, when many others had deserted him, he would write, "Only Luke is with me" (2 Timothy 4:11). Luke represents faithful, loyal, steadfast Christian friendship, the kind that endures to the end.
And then there is Demas. Here, he is simply listed. "And also Demas." He is included among the fellow workers. In the letter to Philemon, written around the same time, he is called a "fellow laborer." At this point, Demas is on the team. He is running the race. He is in good company.
But we have the sad advantage of hindsight. We can turn a few pages to Paul's last letter and read the tragic epitaph: "For Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica" (2 Timothy 4:10). The love of the world choked out the word. The allure of comfort, or safety, or prosperity proved to be too strong. And so Demas serves as a permanent, solemn warning in the pages of Scripture. He is a reminder that proximity to great saints does not guarantee perseverance. He is a warning that it is possible to be a "fellow laborer" for a season, and yet fall away. His name stands as a stark contrast to Aristarchus, Mark, Epaphras, and Luke. It forces us to examine our own hearts. Do we love Christ, or do we love this present world?
Conclusion: The Fellowship of the Gospel
This list of names is far more than a simple postscript. It is a window into the heart of the Christian life. It is about the fellowship of the gospel. It is about bearing one another's burdens, whether that means sharing a prison cell like Aristarchus, or wrestling in prayer like Epaphras.
It is about the grace of restoration, as we see in John Mark. Our God is a God of the second chance, and the third, and the seventy times seventh. He delights in restoring those who have stumbled and making them more useful than ever before.
It is about the quiet, steady faithfulness of men like Justus and Luke, who provide comfort and stability through their loyal presence. Not everyone is called to be a front-line apostle, but all are called to be faithful friends and fellow workers.
And it is about the sober reality of spiritual warfare, embodied in the tragic fall of Demas. We are in a fight, and the world, the flesh, and the devil are real enemies. We must not be complacent. We must heed the warning and cling to Christ, for He alone is able to keep us from falling.
So let us thank God for the Aristarchuses, Marks, and Lukes in our lives. Let us strive to be an Epaphras for others, wrestling for them in prayer. And let us take the warning of Demas to heart, praying that God would keep us faithful to the end, so that we might stand complete and fully assured in all the will of God.