Colossians 4:11 - Exposition

And Jesus, called Justus— the only name of this list wanting in Philemon. Nor is this person mentioned elsewhere. "Jesus" ("Joshua," Acts 7:45 ; Hebrews 4:8 ) was a common Jewish name. "Justus" ("just," "righteous") was frequently adopted by individual Jews, or conferred on them, as a Gentile (Latin) surname (comp. Acts 1:23 ; Acts 18:7 ); it implied devotion to the Law, and was the equivalent of the Hebrew Zadok (see Lightfoot). Its Greek equivalent, δίκαιος , is the standing epithet of James, the brother of the Lord, and the head of the Church at Jerusalem; and is emphatically applied to Christ himself ( Acts 3:14 ; Acts 7:52 ; Acts 22:14 ; 1 Peter 3:18 ; 1 John 2:1 ). Who are of the circumcision,—these only (my) fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, (men) who have been a comfort to me ( Philemon 1:1 , Philemon 1:24 ; 1 Thessalonians 3:2 ; Romans 16:3 , Romans 16:9 , Romans 16:21 ; 2 Corinthians 8:23 ; Philippians 2:25 ; Philippians 4:3 ). Aristarchus, therefore, was a Jew, as well as Mark and Jesus Justus. "These only," etc., must be read as in close apposition to the previous clause. This statement accords with the apostle's complaint in Philippians 1:15-17 ; Philippians 2:19-24 ; but the still stronger language of the latter passages seems to point to a later time when he was yet more solitary, having lost Tychicus and Mark, and perhaps Aristarchus also, and when he had a more definite prospect of release. The title "fellow worker" he frequently confers on his associates (see references). In Philemon 1:24 it is applied, to Luke and Demas also. "The kingdom of God" was, in Colossians 1:13 , "the kingdom of his Son;" as in Ephesians 5:5 it is "the kingdom of Christ and God." On his arrival at Rome, St. Paul is described as "testifying, and preaching the kingdom of God " ( Acts 28:23 , Acts 28:31 : comp. Acts 8:12 ; Acts 14:22 ; Acts 19:8 ; 1 Thessalonians 2:12 ; 2 Thessalonians 1:5 ). On the force of οἵτινες ("men who," "such as"), see Colossians 2:23 ; and for ἐγενήθησαν ("proved," "became in point of fact"), comp. Colossians 3:15 . παρηγορία comfort, a word found only here in the Greek Testament, is a medical term (compare "paregoric"), implying "soothing relief."