Colossians 4:12

12 Greetings from Epaphras, another member of your group and a servant of Christ Jesus. He always prays fervently for you, asking God to make you stand firm, as mature and fully convinced Christians, in complete obedience to God's will. 1

Colossians 4:12 Meaning and Commentary

Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you
A native of Colosse, and one of their faithful ministers; see ( Colossians 1:7 ) .

A servant of Christ;
not merely in the same sense as every believer is, but as he was a preacher of the Gospel, in which he faithfully served his Lord and master, Christ:

saluteth you;
sends his Christian respects to you, for whom he bore a sincere love and hearty affection, as appears by what follows:

always labouring fervently for you in prayers;
in all his prayers, which were many and frequent, he never forgot his dear flock at Colosse, of which he was pastor, but strove with God for them, even to an agony, as the word signifies; he wrestled with the Lord as Jacob did, nor, as he, would he let him go without a blessing for this church; he was incessant, importunate, and fervent in prayer for them: and what he prayed in particular for them was,

that ye may stand perfect;
in Christ Jesus their head, and in his spotless righteousness; see ( Colossians 1:28 ) ( 2:10 ) and continue believing in him, and looking to him for righteousness and strength, in whom all the fulness, the perfection of grace dwells; and where the saints only are, and can continue to be perfect:

and complete in all the will of God;
or "be filled" in it, have a perfect knowledge of the revealed will of God, both as to doctrine and practice, and be enabled to act according to it.

Colossians 4:12 In-Context

10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have already received instructions to welcome Mark if he comes your way.)
11 Joshua, also called Justus, sends greetings too. These three are the only Jewish believers who work with me for the Kingdom of God, and they have been a great help to me.
12 Greetings from Epaphras, another member of your group and a servant of Christ Jesus. He always prays fervently for you, asking God to make you stand firm, as mature and fully convinced Christians, in complete obedience to God's will.
13 I can personally testify to his hard work for you and for the people in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
14 Luke, our dear doctor, and Demas send you their greetings.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 4.12 Col 1.7; Philemon 23.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.