Colossians 4:12-15

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Colossians 4:7-18

In the close of this epistle the apostle does several of his friends the honour to leave their names upon record, with some testimony of his respect, which will be spoken of wherever the gospel comes, and last to the end of the world. I. Concerning Tychicus, Col. 4:7. By him this epistle was sent; and he does not give them an account in writing of his present state, because Tychicus would do it by word of mouth more fully and particularly. He knew they would be glad to hear how it fared with... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - Colossians 4:12-15

4:12-15 Epaphras, one of yourselves, the slave of Jesus Christ, greets you. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand mature and fully assured in the faith, engaged in doing the will of God. I bear him witness that he has toiled greatly for you and for those in Laodicaea and in Hierapolis. Luke, the beloved physician, greets you, and so does Demas. Greet the brothers in Laodicaea and Nymphas and the Church in their house. So this honour-roll of Christian workers goes on.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 4:13

For I bear him record ,.... The apostle was an eye and ear witness of his fervent prayers, his labour of love, and zealous affection for these saints and others; and therefore, as he judged he ought, he bears a testimony for him, that he hath a great zeal for you ; for their spiritual welfare, that the Gospel might continue with them, and they in that, against false teachers, and their attempts to subvert them; that they might grow in the grace of the Gospel, and walk worthy of it, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 4:14

Luke, the beloved physician ,.... Luke the Evangelist, though some doubt it, is here intended, who was a constant companion of the apostle in his troubles, and went with him to Rome, as the Acts of the Apostles wrote by him show, and as from 2 Timothy 4:11 it appears; so Jerom F14 Catalog. Script. Eccles. p. 91. Vid. Nicephor. Hist. l. 2. c. 43. calls the Evangelist Luke, the physician of Antioch, for from thence he was; and being converted by the Apostle Paul, as is very probable,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Colossians 4:15

Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea ,.... Where there was a church mentioned in the following verse, of which see on Gill Revelation 2:10 . And Nymphas ; which some, unskilful in the Greek language, have took for a woman; whereas it is the name of a man, as the following words show; and is a contraction of Nymphios, or Nymphidios, or Nymphodoros: and the church which is in his house . This man seems to have been an inhabitant of Laodicea, and that the church there met at his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 4:12

Epaphras, who is one of you - A native of some part of Phrygia, and probably of Colosse itself. A servant of Christ - A minister of the Gospel. Labouring fervently for you - Αγωνιζομενος· Agonizing; very properly expressed by our translators, labouring fervently. That ye may stand perfect and complete - Ἱνα στητε τελειοι και πεπληρμενοι . That ye may stand firm, perfectly instructed, and fully persuaded of the truth of those doctrines which have been taught you as the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 4:13

He hath a great zeal for you - Instead of ζηλον πολυν , much zeal, ABCD**, several others, with versions and fathers, read πολυν πονον , much labor; they are here nearly of the same meaning, though the latter appears to be the better and genuine reading. Laodicea, and - Hierapolis - These were both cities of Phrygia, between which Colosse, or the city of Colassa, was situated. See Colossians 2:1 . The latter was called Hierapolis, or the holy city, from the multitude of its... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 4:14

Luke, the beloved physician - This is generally supposed to be the same with Luke the evangelist. See the preface to the notes on this gospel. Some, however, suppose them to be different persons; because, where it is evident that Luke the evangelist is meant, he never has more than his simple name Luke; and because the apostle is supposed to intend a different person here, he adds, ὁ ιατρος ὁ αγαπητος , the beloved physician. The word ιατρος signifies a healer, and must not be... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Colossians 4:15

Salute - Nymphas, and the Church - in his house - This person, and his whole family, which probably was very numerous, appear to have received the Gospel; and it seems that, for their benefit and that of his neighbors, he had opened his house for the worship of God. In those primitive times there were no consecrated places, for it was supposed that the simple setting apart of any place for the worship of God was a sufficient consecration. See of those domestic churches, Romans 16:5 ;... read more

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