First Century Email Signature- Col. 4:7-18

 Many who work for a company know a thing or two about branding. One of the ways companies will work to normalize their messaging and standardize their online appearance is encourage/require a specific email signature. I know as an adjunct faculty member at Liberty University there are certain things about my email signature that must be present—name, highest degree completed, title, phone number, the correct university logo, etc. These details, for anyone who pays any attention, reveal certain things about not only who I am, but something of the nature of what is being shared in the email above. Those who see it learn my credentials, specific role at the institution, and what school I am affiliated with and, as a result, can expect certain things about the correspondence given. At the very end of Paul’s letters he provides something similar. Colossians 4:7-18 is one example of what might be a first century version of an email signature. While many might be tempted to quickly gloss over the apostle’s sign off, the details provided give insight into the nature and impact of the contents of the letter, who is sending it, who he is working with, and why this all matters.

A. Paul Sends His People-4:7-9

As Paul wraps up his letter to the church of Colossae, he starts by indicating who he is sending their way (along with the letter). The first sent one is called Tychichus—“As to all my affairs, Tychichus, our beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will bring you information,…” (4:7). Tychichus probably served as a special page of Paul and was entrusted to send this letter. It was an important and delicate business carrying special correspondences a long distance and Tychichus, in this case, was the man for the job. However, more than a courier, Paul calls Tychichus a brother and faithful servant and fellow bond-servant. These three descriptive phrases mark a trinity of compliments that any God-fearing believer ought to desire be said of them. First, “brother” highlights the relationship Tychicbus had with the church by means of their being in the same spiritual family. Second, “faithful-servant” suggests that Tychicus was obedient to the Lord’s calling on his life, faithfully carrying out his duties as unto the Lord. Third, “bond-servant in the Lord” suggests both humility and allegiance to the Lord in all things. This was the kind of man that Christian leaders long to serve alongside—brothers (or sisters), faithful servants, bond-servants of the Lord.

He sends this special courier for a specific purpose—“For I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know about our circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts” (4:8). Not only did Paul desire for Tychichus to share the letter itself, but he also wanted Tychichus to reveal the circumstances surrounding the letter’s origin. Paul was in prison for the faith and yet was remaining faithful to the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Surely this ought to inspire similar perseverance in the walks of those who served the Lord in Colossae under increasing pressure. There is something about perseverance under fire that motivates the people of God to move forward in strength and Paul desired that Tychichus share as much with the church. The apostle did not want to the church to be disturbed by his present situation nor paralyzed in fear of what it meant; he wanted them to be encouraged and inspired by God’s faithfulness, even amid his shackles and chains.

Along with Tychichus, Paul sends Onesimus—“and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of your number” (4:9a). This is that same Onesimus that serves as a major focus in Paul’s letter to Philemon—Onesimus’ master. That is right, Onesimus, according to the world’s eyes, was a runaway slave. In Rome, “that (typically) meant that he lost whatever respect he may have had previously and could have been severely punished” (Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 327). However, Paul does not introduce this recent convert as a convict, but as a “faithful and beloved brother” (4:9a). In other words, Onesimus ought not be looked down upon because of his past or his socio-economic status. Onesimus, because of his newfound position in Christ, was a fellow brother in the Lord and Paul reiterates this with “who is one of your number” (4:9a). You see, in God’s family, the classifications, classes, or categories the world would love to place people in no longer divide. What matters most to the identity of those who have been saved (much as Onesimus was at this point in his life), is that they are a child of God! Therefore, the church ought look at brothers and sisters, not at the world does, but as God intends.

Galatians 3:28-“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Understanding oneself primarily by means of his/her relationship with God goes a long way in staving off the divisive influences that exist in a myopically preoccupied world.

Both Tychichus, the courier, and Onesimus, the new brother, Paul says, “will inform you about the whole situation here,…” (4:9b).

B. Paul Send His Greetings-4:10-14

After sending these two men, Paul sends his greetings (or, better yet, the greetings of those who are with him). First to send his greeting is “Aristarchus”—“Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings,…” (4:10a). Aristarchus was a convert of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9) and enjoyed a good reputation. He remained with Paul on the journey to Rome (Acts 27:2) and was presumably in prison for the same reasons as Paul (as he was one of three Jewish believers who were with Paul at the time) (Melick, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon, 328). Like the apostle himself, prison had not dampened the spirits of Aristarchus who offers his greetings to the church in Colossae.

Another to send his greetings is “Barnabas’s cousin Mark,” about whom Paul says, “if he comes to you, welcome him” (4:10b). Mark (or John Mark) had a significant place in early Christian missions. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:5) and yet, for some unknown reasons, he returned home after the group entered Asia (Acts 13:13). This became an occasion for division between Barnabas and Paul (yes, division occurred even among the early church leaders). Regardless of exactly what happened, Barnabas, who had discipled Paul in his early Christian years, went on to disciple Mark from that point and saw him develop into an effective minister. Despite their past conflict, Mark had interfaced again and reconciled. This is why Paul commends Mark to the church and why later, nearing the end of his life, the apostle requests Mark’s presence  (2 Tim. 4:11). It is nice to know that conflict and division does not have to be permanent. Here, in this quick commendation we see that whatever needed working out was worked out and any differences between these two saints were long passed.

Along with Mark Paul sends the greetings of ”Jesus who is called Justus” and indicates that “these (he and Mark and Aristarchus) are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision” (4:11). In other words, these were Jewish converts to Christianity. Many of the earliest Christians, including the apostles themselves, were Jews first. However, as the church began to spread across the Roman world, converts to Christianity from the Jewish community became more scarce—scarce, but, as Paul indicates, not totally absent.

Next to send greetings is “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect 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…” (4:12-13). Perhaps Paul spent special time on Epaphrus because the church of Colossae already knew him—he was one of their own. Paul reveals that Epaphrus has proven to be a bondslave for Jesus Christ (faithfully obedient in every way), that his labor in prayer for the church in Colossae has been tireless, and that his concern for the church in Colossae and the surrounding areas has been passionate. This Epaphrus guys sounds like quite a co-laborer! He was a passionate prayer warrior!

Finally, “Luke, the beloved Physician, sends you his greetings, and also Demas” (4:14). Remember, this is a relatively small and obscure church. Consider that John Mark, and Luke (the writer o the Gospel and Acts), along with sterling examples of faithfulness, obedience, and perseverance, and prayer, are among those greeting and encouraging the saints there! No church is too small or insignificant not to be whole-heartedly encouraged by the very best of God’s servants. No church is alone in their endeavor to see the Mission of God accomplished. These greetings testify to the important task of sending encouraging words to our brothers and sisters in Christ, wherever they may be!

C. Paul Sends His Requests-4:15-17

Next, Paul sends his requests of the church in Colossae. First, much as he has already demonstrated, he asks that the church “greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house” (4:15). Laodicea was a neighboring city to Colossae and the church there, while starting out as a vibrant energetic Christian community, by the end of the first century, suffered from being Lukewarm (see Revelation 3:14-22). If there was a community of believers who needed encouragement, it was this neighboring congregation. Paul requests that the Colossians church do well by encouraging their brothers and sisters there and, more specifically, in the home of Nympha. Nympha is not a city, but a lady’s name. Her house served as a meeting space for the church in Laodicea. Paul wanted the church and its host to be encouraged by the Colossians.

In fact, going a step further, Paul requests next that the church in Colossae share this letter with the church in Laodicea—“When this letter is read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and you, for your part read my letter that is coming from Laodicea” (4:16). While the primary audience of this correspondence was the congregation in Colossae, surely the church in Laodicea (and the church today) could stand to learn from the principles of what has been disclosed—namely the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ, the Christian life found in Christ, and the application of Christianity in the home and the church. Ephesians is another example of such a letter that was circulated among neighboring sites. In the case of this letter to Colossae, if the church of Laodicea was floundering or growing stale, being reminded of who Christ is and what being in Christ means would go a long way in helping them stave off further decay.

Paul’s last request is for a specific person in the congregation—“say to Archippus, ‘Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it’…” (4:17). Little is known about exactly what Archippus was doing or what work he was tasked with. However, Paul, in a special way, spurned him toward faithfulness in this personal address here at the end of his letter. Perhaps Archippus needed a little extra motivation to be faithful to his calling. 😊 Being called out by the apostle in front of the church would certainly do the trick!  

D. Paul Sends His Confirmation-4:18

The final send-off Paul provides the church of Colossae is confirmation that this letter is indeed from him (with all the apostolic authority appertaining thereunto).  He writes in verse 18—“I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand….”. At this point, Paul takes the pen from his secretary (who was writing what Paul dictated) and composes this last line himself. This, no doubt, provided the letter with more authenticity. It is possible that Paul had very distinguishing handwriting and that the penmanship here would have changed significantly, indicating that a new writer was taking over. In many ways, this is like a signature/seal of approval, verifying and confirming all the contents of the letter. After providing such, he asks that the church “remember (his imprisonment),” probably in prayer—asking for God’s blessing, strength, and provision—and then confirms the blessing “grace be with you.”

So What?

What might we stand to learn from these send-offs in Colossians 4:7-18 that we can apply today? Given the description of the people mentioned, we learn that belonging to the family and God and faithfulness in service to the Lord are to be the most revered credentials in the church. Value in the Church is not calculated by surveying letters that may or may not follow or precede your name on a business card nor is it a product of counting the degrees on your wall. God’s people are valued simply by belonging to him and this witnessed in how they faithfully fulfill their calling. Dear brother/sister, don’t be impressed by the wrong things or don’t fall into the habit of believing you don’t qualify for God’s service. As a child of God, who have all the credentials you need to do all that God would have for you to do. Another thing that this passage teaches is that who we are in Christ now is what ought to define our identity. Like obsolete or outdated credentials on a resume, who you were before your relationship with Christ does not define you. Look at Onesimus. Paul introduces him for who he is, not what he once was. Don’t let the enemy allow your past to ruin your present effectiveness or future capacity. You are, as God says “a new creation” –your resume has been updated in a most dramatic way. Finally, this passage reveals that God is willing, able, and pleased, to use imperfect people to encourage the mission of the church forward. Those mentioned in this text were not void of conflict and division and yet, this did not prove permanent or paralyzing. The mission of God, their position in Christ, and the task of encouraging the church in Colossae overwhelmed past grievances and allowed this letter and all of the rich theology and application therein to be sent off. Similarly, the church/churches would do well to allow the mission of God, its position in Christ, and the task of encouraging others to overwhelm past grievances as she pursues God’s will today.