Colossians 4:17 - Exposition

And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou receivedst in (the) Lord, that thou fulfil it ( Acts 20:28 ; 1 Timothy 1:18 , 1 Timothy 1:19 ; 1 Timothy 4:6 , 1 Timothy 4:11-16 ; 1 Timothy 6:13 , 1 Timothy 6:14 , 1 Timothy 6:20 , 1 Timothy 6:21 ; 2 Timothy 2:15 ; 2 Timothy 4:5 ). From the connection of this verse with the two preceding, it seems likely that "the ministry" of Archippus related to the Laodicean Church. Hence he is not addressed directly. If he was, as we gather from Philemon 1:1 , Philemon 1:2 , the son of Philemon, whose house formed a centre for the Colossian Church ( Philemon 1:2 ), the warning would be suitably conveyed through this channel. In the letter to Philemon, the apostle calls him his" fellow soldier" (comp. Colossians 4:10 ; Philippians 1:29 , Philippians 1:30 ). Both from this fact, and from the emphasis of the words before us, it would appear that his office was an important one, probably that of chief pastor. This warning addressed so early to the minister of the Laodicean Church is premonitory of the lapsed condition in which it is afterwards found ( Revelation 3:14-22 ); see Lightfoot, pp. 42, 43. (For "ministry" ( διακονία ) , comp. Colossians 1:7 , Colossians 1:23 ; 1 Corinthians 4:1 , etc. For "received," comp. note, Colossians 2:6 .) "In the Lord; "for every office in the Church is grounded in him as Head and Lord ( Colossians 1:18 ; Colossians 2:6 ; Colossians 3:17 , Colossians 3:24 ; Colossians 4:7 ; Ephesians 1:22 ; Ephesians 4:5 ; 1 Corinthians 8:6 ; 1 Corinthians 12:5 , etc.), and must be administered according to his direction and as subject to his judgment (see 1 Corinthians 3:5 ; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 ; 2 Corinthians 10:17 , 2 Corinthians 10:18 ; 2 Corinthians 13:10 ; Galatians 1:1 ; 1 Timothy 1:12 ; 2 Timothy 4:1 , 2 Timothy 4:2 ). "Fulfil" (comp. Colossians 1:26 ; 2 Timothy 4:5 ; Acts 12:25 ). This admonition resembles those addressed to Timothy in the Pastoral Epistles.