In his ministry over the years, Paul had
developed some relationship with trusted friends whom he co-labored with. They
were loyal to him and he highly valued them. He would sent them as his emissaries
to people whom he was ministering to but unable to attend to them personally. In
these three verses, Paul tells us briefly about the mission of Tychicus and
Onesimus.
According to Acts 20:4, Tychicus came from Asia
Minor and traveled with Paul in his third missionary journey. Here the apostle sent
him to deliver the letter he had written to the Colossians. He acknowledged him
as a beloved brother, faithful minister and fellow servant of the Lord. Besides
delivering the letter, Tychicus’ mission was to keep the Colossians informed of
all the circumstances about Paul. They were probably facts that he didn’t write
in his letter. Tychicus was also sent to encourage their hearts. To Paul he was
a reliable and loyal witness and could be trusted to convey information
concerning the state of the apostle’s imprisonment.
Onesimus was called a faithful and beloved brother.
He was a runaway slave and was recently converted. He was from Colossae, and
having acknowledged the Lordship of Christ in His life, was now a beloved
brother of Paul and the believers. Together with Tychicus, they would help to
keep the Colossians posted of all that was happening to Paul.
From the way Paul expressed about them, we
know that the apostle valued faithfulness and spirituality and not wealth or
status. These two envoys were sent in Paul’s place to help the Colossians to
stay faithful and obedient to the Word of God.
The Lord is faithful. The Apostle Paul was faithful.
The two envoys of Paul were faithful. The key to reliability
is faithfulness. It is important that we nurture faithfulness in our
lives. Be faithful to God, to friends and to the commission God had entrusted
to us, and be faithful witnesses of Christ in a lost and troubled world!
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