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Colossians 4:9

in Colossians 4

With him I am sending Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

together with Onesimus, the faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things that are done here.

KJV

With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

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This verse in Colossians 4

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Theophylact of Ohrid

Commentary on Colossians · Written before 1107.

Onesimus is the slave of Philemon. What honor and what respect he attained, so that he is called a brother of Paul. And Paul is not ashamed to call himself a brother of a slave. Further, in praise of their city he adds: "who is …

This site's exposition

All my state shall Tychicus declare

on Colossians 4:7-9

Tychicus carries the letter and the news kept off its pages, the same courier with nearly the same commendation as Ephesians 6:21, binding the prison letters into one postbag. With him comes Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you: the runaway slave of Philemon returns home named only as a brother and a Colossian, his case handled in the private letter traveling beside this one. The two together shall make known all things which are done here.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers2 voices

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Colossians 11 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

Onesimus is the one about whom, writing to Philemon, he said, "Whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the Gospel: but without thy mind I would do nothing." (Philem. 13, 14.) And he adds too the praise of their city, that they might not only not be ashamed, but even pride themselves on him. "Who is one of you," he saith. "They shall make known unto you all things that are done here."

A commentator

John Chrysostom

Homily on Colossians 11 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

"They shall make known unto you," he saith, "all things that are done here." Why didst thou not come with them, says one? But what is, "They shall make known unto you all things"? My bonds, that is, and all the other things that detain me. I then, who pray to see them, who also send others, should not myself have remained behind, had not some great necessity detained me. And yet this is not the language of accusations-yes, of vehement accusation. For the assuring them that he had both fallen into trials, and was bearing them nobly, is the part of one who was confirming the fact, and lifting up again their souls. "With Onesimus," he saith, "the beloved, and faithful brother." Paul calleth a slave, brother: with reason; seeing that he styleth himself the servant of the faithful. (2 Cor. iv. 5.) Bring we down all of us our pride, tread we under foot our boastfulness. Paul nameth himself a slave, he that is worth the world, and ten thousands of heavens; and dost thou entertain high thoughts? He that seizeth all things for spoil as he will, he that hath the first place in the kingdom of heaven, he that was crowned, he that ascended into the third heaven, calleth servants, "brethren," and "fellow-servants." Where is your madness? where is your arrogance? So trustworthy was Onesimus become, as to be entrusted even with such things as these.

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Thomas Aquinas

Commentary on Colossians · Written before 1274.

proposed

Then he mentions his companion, and with him Onesimus. These two will tell you of everything that has taken place here; they will relate what you are doing to me for correction, and tell you what I am doing so you may have an example.

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

With Onesimus,.... Who had been Philemon's servant, ran away from him, and was met with and converted by the Apostle Paul, of whom he says many things in his epistle to his master.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven. The apostle proceeds with the duty of masters to their servants, which might have been joined to the foregoing chapter, and is a part of that discourse. Justice is required of them: Give unto your servants that which is just and equal (

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4 more voices on this verse

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

The righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ is unto all and upon all those that believe; for there is no difference ( Rom. iii. 22 ): and there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, for you are all one in Christ Jesus, Gal. iii.

The Nineteenth Century3 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

Onesimus--the slave mentioned in the Epistle to Philemon (Phm 10, 16), "a brother beloved." a faithful . . . brother--rather, "the faithful brother," he being known to the Colossians as the slave of Philemon, their fellow townsman and fellow Christian. one of you--belonging to your city.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

With Onesimus - who is one of you - Onesimus was a native of some part of Phrygia, if not of Colosse itself; and being lately converted to the Christian faith by the instrumentality of the apostle, he would be able, on this account, to give them satisfactory information concerning the apostle’s state, which would be doubly acceptable to them as he was their countryman. See the Epistle to Philemon. All things which are done here - FG, the Vulgate, Itala, Jerome, and Bede, add here πραττομενα, what is done, which we have supplied in Italics in our translation. These brethren could give an account of the transactions at Rome, relative to the apostle and Christianity, which it might not be prudent for him to commit to writing. See on Col 4:7 (note). The reign of Nero was not only cruel, but suspicious, jealous, and dangerous.
With Onesimus - Who had been formerly a servant of Philemon, an inhabitant of Colossae; see the notes at Phm 1:10. Onesimus had probably been recently converted; and Paul felt toward him the warm attachment of a brother; Phm 1:16. In what way he became acquainted with him is unknown. A more full account of him will be found in the notes at the Epistle to Philemon. Who is one of you - That is, either who is from your city, or one of your own people and nation.

The words behind it

16 Greek words

Every 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.

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

6 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Philemon 1:10I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.9 works1 Corinthians 4:17That is why I have sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which is exactly what I teach everywhere in every church.4 worksColossians 4:7Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.3 works1 Peter 5:12Through Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.2 worksActs 15:25So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,2 works1 Thessalonians 3:2We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for God in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,1 works

The walk

5 stops

Each 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

    Colossians 4:7

    Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow servant in the Lord.

    it leads to

    • Ephesians 6:21–23

      Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know about me and what I am doing.

    • 2 Timothy 4:12

      Tychicus, however, I have sent to Ephesus.

    • Acts 20:4

      Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.

    • Titus 3:12

      As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there.

    • 1 Corinthians 4:1–4

      So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Where this verse is studied

About Colossians

The Word Made Flesh, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
The Word Made Flesh, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Colossians: the study guide →Read Colossians 4 →
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 11; 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.

Read on in Colossians 4 →