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.