Colossians 1:7
in Colossians 1You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,
KJV
As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
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This verse in Colossians 1
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
As ye also learned of Epaphras - Epaphras was then with Paul. Phm 1:23. He had probably been sent to him by the church at Colossae to consult him in reference to some matters pertaining to the church there.
This site's exposition
learned of Epaphras
on Colossians 1:7-8
Epaphras is the church's founder under Paul's mission, a Colossian himself (4:12), named dear fellowservant and faithful minister of Christ; the town heard the gospel from its own man. He has come to Rome with the report that occasioned the letter, and the one grace he singles out is their love in the Spirit. The letter answers a danger Epaphras saw before the church felt it.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Ver. 7. "Even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant." He, it is probable, had preached there. "Ye learned" the Gospel. Then to show the trust-worthiness of the man, he says, "our fellow servant." "Who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit." Doubt not, he saith, of the hope which is to come: ye see that the world is being converted. And what need to allege the cases of others? what happened in your own is even independently a sufficient ground for belief, for, "ye knew the grace of God in truth:" that is, in works. So that these two things, viz. the belief of all, and your own too, confirm the things that are to come. Nor was the fact one thing, and what Epaphras said, another. "Who is," saith he, "faithful," that is, true. How, "a minister on your behalf"? In that he had gone to him. "Who also declared to us," saith he, "your love in the Spirit," that is, the spiritual love ye bear us. If this man be the minister of Christ; how say ye, that you approach God by angels? "Who also declared unto us," saith he, "your love in the Spirit." For this love is wonderful and steadfast; all other has but the name. And there are some persons who are not of this kind, but such is not friendship, wherefore also it is easily dissolved.
The Medieval Church2 voices
Then he commends the ministry of the Gospel: first, in relation to himself; then in relation to them; and finally in relation to both. So he says: You have been taught the Gospel, as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant: "I am …
You, he says, have in fact come to know the grace just as Epaphras also taught you. For it was not one thing that happened in reality while he taught another. For he, most likely, preached to the Colossians. By this he shows that this …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
As ye also learned of Epaphras,....
He calls him his dear fellow-servant: all the servants of Christ ought to love one another, and it is an endearing consideration that they are engaged in the same service. He represents him as one who was a faithful minister of Christ to them, who discharged his trust and fulfilled his ministry among them.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The insertion implied that those inserting it thought that Paul had preached the Gospel to the Colossians as well as Epaphras, Whereas the omission in the oldest manuscripts implies that Epaphras alone was the founder of the Church at Colosse. of--"from Epaphras." dear--Greek, "beloved." fellow servant--namely, of Christ.
As ye also learned of Epaphras - who is for you - Who this Epaphras was we cannot tell; only it is likely that he was a Colossian, and became, by the call and grace of Christ, a deacon of this Church, faithfully labouring with the apostle, to promote its best interests. Some think that he is the same with Epaphroditus, Epaphras being a contraction of that name, as Demas is of Demetrius; and it is remarkable that one of the Slavonic versions has Epaphroditus in this place. That he was a Colossian is evident from Col 4:12: Epaphras, who is one of you, ὁ εξ ὑμων· some think that he was the first who preached the Gospel among this people, and hence called an apostle. He was raised up among themselves to be their minister in the absence of the apostle, and he showed himself to be worthy of this calling by a faithful discharge of his ministry, and by labouring fervently for them all, and pressing them forward, that they might stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καθὼς | kathos | even as | G2531 → | 182 times |
| ἐμάθετε | emathete | you learned | G3129 → | |
| ἀπὸ | apo | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| Ἐπαφρᾶ | epaphra | Epaphras | G1889 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀγαπητοῦ | agapetou | beloved | G27 → | 61 times |
| συνδούλου | sundoulou | fellow bond-servant | G4889 → | |
| ἡμῶν, | hemon | of us, | G3165 → | 1936 times |
| ὅς | hos | who | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| πιστὸς | pistos | faithful | G4103 → | 67 times |
| ὑπὲρ | huper | on behalf of | G5228 → | 155 times |
| ὑμῶν | humon | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| διάκονος | diakonos | a servant | G1249 → | 29 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| Χριστοῦ, | christou | of Christ, | G5547 → | 523 times |
καθὼςeven as
kathosG2531 →182 times
ἐμάθετεyou learned
ematheteG3129 →
ἀπὸfrom
apoG575 →640 times
ἘπαφρᾶEpaphras
epaphraG1889 →
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ἀγαπητοῦbeloved
agapetouG27 →61 times
συνδούλουfellow bond-servant
sundoulouG4889 →
ἡμῶν,of us,
hemonG3165 →1936 times
ὅςwho
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
πιστὸςfaithful
pistosG4103 →67 times
ὑπὲρon behalf of
huperG5228 →155 times
ὑμῶνof you
humonG4771 →2973 times
διάκονοςa servant
diakonosG1249 →29 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
Χριστοῦ,of Christ,
christouG5547 →523 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 4:2Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
it leads to
- Matthew 25:21
His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’
- Luke 12:42
And the Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their portion at the proper time?
- Luke 16:10–12
Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
- Proverbs 13:17
A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a faithful envoy brings healing.
- Numbers 12:7
But this is not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house.
- Matthew 25:21
Through
Hebrews 2:17For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement…
it leads to
- Hebrews 4:14
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess.
- Philippians 2:7–8
but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness.
- Hebrews 2:14
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Hebrews 4:14
Where this verse is studied
About Colossians
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); J. B. Lightfoot, Saint Paul's Epistles to the Colossians and to Philemon; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 1; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Colossians and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Colossians.