Colossians 1:7
New International Version
You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

New Living Translation
You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf.

English Standard Version
just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf

Berean Standard Bible
You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

Berean Literal Bible
just as you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on behalf of us,

King James Bible
As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

New King James Version
as you also learned from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

New American Standard Bible
just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

NASB 1995
just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

NASB 1977
just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

Legacy Standard Bible
just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow slave, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

Amplified Bible
You learned it from [our representative] Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf

Christian Standard Bible
You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You learned this from Epaphras, our dearly loved fellow slave. He is a faithful servant of the Messiah on your behalf,

American Standard Version
even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
According to what you learned from Epaphra our beloved companion, who is a trustworthy Minister for you of The Messiah.

Contemporary English Version
from our good friend Epaphras. He works together with us for Christ and is a faithful worker for you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;

English Revised Version
even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You learned about this Good News from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant. He is taking your place here as a trustworthy deacon for Christ

Good News Translation
You learned of God's grace from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is Christ's faithful worker on our behalf.

International Standard Version
You learned about this gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of the Messiah on your behalf.

Literal Standard Version
as you also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is a faithful servant of the Christ for you,

Majority Standard Bible
You also learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

New American Bible
as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow slave, who is a trustworthy minister of Christ on your behalf

NET Bible
You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave--a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf--

New Revised Standard Version
This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,

New Heart English Bible
even as you learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf,

Webster's Bible Translation
As ye also learned from Epaphras our dear fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

Weymouth New Testament
as you learned it from Epaphras our dearly-loved fellow servant. He is to you a faithful minister of Christ in our stead,

World English Bible
even as you learned from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on your behalf,

Young's Literal Translation
as ye also learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow-servant, who is for you a faithful ministrant of the Christ,

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Thanksgiving and Prayer
6that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood the grace of God. 7 You learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf, 8and who also informed us of your love in the Spirit.…

Cross References
Matthew 18:29
So his fellow servant fell down and begged him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you back.'

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.

Colossians 4:9
With him I am sending Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, so that you may stand mature and fully assured in the full will of God.

Philemon 1:23
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,


Treasury of Scripture

As you also learned of Epaphras our dear fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

Epaphras.

Colossians 4:12
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Philemon 1:23
There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;

our.

Philippians 2:19-22,25
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state…

a.

Numbers 12:7
My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

Matthew 24:45
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

Matthew 25:21
His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Jump to Previous
Behalf Beloved Bond-Servant Christ Dear Dearly-Loved Epaphras Ep'aphras Faithful Fellow Fellow-Bondman Fellowservant Fellow-Servant Helper Learned Minister Ministrant Servant Stead Well-Loved
Jump to Next
Behalf Beloved Bond-Servant Christ Dear Dearly-Loved Epaphras Ep'aphras Faithful Fellow Fellow-Bondman Fellowservant Fellow-Servant Helper Learned Minister Ministrant Servant Stead Well-Loved
Colossians 1
1. After salutation Paul thanks God for the Colossians' faith;
7. confirms the doctrine of Epaphras;
9. prays further for their increase in grace;
14. describes the supremacy of Christ;
21. encourages them to receive Jesus Christ, and commends his own ministry.














(7) Ye also learned of Epaphras.--Of Epaphras we know nothing, except what we gather from this passage, and from Colossians 4:12; Philemon 1:23. The name is a shortened form of Epaphroditus, but it is most unlikely that he is the same as the Epaphroditus of Philippians 2:25; Philippians 4:18. Being, it seems, a native of Colossae itself, he was apparently its first evangelist, and is afterwards described as feeling some responsibility for it and its neighbouring cities, Laodicea and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13). His work could not have been transient, for under him the Colossians are said not only to have "heard," but also to have "known" (come to know perfectly) "the grace of God." St. Paul here gives emphatic testimony to his faithfulness, and to his preaching to them "in truth." That he was, then or afterwards. Bishop of Colossae is probably a mere guess of tradition. But he may have had some such charge as that which was afterwards more formally committed to Timothy at Ephesus, and Titus in Crete. At this time, however, he remained with St. Paul (Colossians 4:12-13), and apparently shared his captivity, for he is called (in Philemon 1:23) his "fellow-prisoner." . . . Verse 7. - As ye learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant; literally, bondman (Ephesians 4:20; 2 Timothy 3:14). Only in Colossians 4:7 does the epithet "fellow-bondman" appear again in St. Paul (the Revisers in these two places omit their marginal "bondservant"). The dominant thought of Christ Jesus "the Lord" (Colossians 2:6; Colossians 3:22-4:1) possibly dictates this expression. That the Colossians had received the gospel in this way from Epaphras, a disciple of St. Paul, was a striking proof of its fruitfulness, and a further cause for thanksgiving on his own part. Who is a faithful minister of Christ on our (or, your) behalf (Colossians 4:12, 13; 2 Corinthians 8:22; Philippians 2:22). He puts his seal upon the ministry of Epaphras, and vindicates it against all questioning at home. Textual evidence for "on our" or "your behalf" is pretty evenly balanced: most older Greek copies read the first person, while the ancient versions generally adopted the second; and the critical editors are similarly divided. The Revisers, with Tregelles, Alford, Lightfoot, Westcott and Hort, prefer "our," which gives a finer and more fitting sense. It was as St. Paul's representative that Epaphras had ministered in Colossae, and to him he now reported his success; and this justified the apostle in claiming the Colossians as his own charge, and in writing to them in the terms of this letter (Colossians 2:1, 2, 5-7: comp. Romans 15:20; 2 Corinthians 10:13-16). "Minister" (διάκονος, deacon, in its official sense found in St. Paul first in Philippians 1:1, then in 1 Timothy) is to be distinguished from the "servant" (δοῦλος, slave) of the last clause, and from "assistant" (ὑπηρέτης: 1 Corinthians 4:1; Acts 13:5; Acts 26:16), and "attendant" (θεράπων: Hebrews 3:5); see Trench's 'Synonyms of the New Testament.' It is a favourite word of St. Paul's, and points to the service rendered, while other terms indicate the status of the servant.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
You learned [it]
ἐμάθετε (emathete)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 3129: Prolongation from a primary verb, another form of which, matheo, is used as an alternate in certain tenses; to learn.

from
ἀπὸ (apo)
Preposition
Strong's 575: From, away from. A primary particle; 'off, ' i.e. Away, in various senses.

Epaphras,
Ἐπαφρᾶ (Epaphra)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 1889: Contracted from Epaphroditos; Epaphras, a Christian.

our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

beloved
ἀγαπητοῦ (agapētou)
Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 27: From agapao; beloved.

fellow servant,
συνδούλου (syndoulou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 4889: From sun and doulos; a co-slave, i.e. Servitor or ministrant of the same master.

who
ὅς (hos)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

a faithful
πιστὸς (pistos)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 4103: Trustworthy, faithful, believing. From peitho; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful.

minister
διάκονος (diakonos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1249: Probably from an obsolete diako; an attendant, i.e. a waiter; specially, a Christian teacher and pastor.

of Christ
Χριστοῦ (Christou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5547: Anointed One; the Messiah, the Christ. From chrio; Anointed One, i.e. The Messiah, an epithet of Jesus.

on our
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

behalf,
ὑπὲρ (hyper)
Preposition
Strong's 5228: Gen: in behalf of; acc: above.


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NT Letters: Colossians 1:7 Even as you learned of Epaphras our (Coloss. Col Co)
Colossians 1:6
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