Tychicus and Onesimus, the Letter Bearers
A. Maclaren, D. D. Colossians 4:7-11 All my state shall Tychicus declare to you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord:… I. TYCHICUS. 1. The man and his mission. He was probably one of the fruits of the apostle's residence in Ephesus. On his way to Jerusalem after the riot he was joined by seven friends. Tychicus was one of the two from Asia; the other was Trophinius, whom we know to have been an Ephesian (Acts 21:29), as Tychicus probably was. This was about Then came an interval of three or four years, and then the apostle is in Rome. Whether Tychicus was with him all the time we do not know, but these verses, written A.D. 62 or 63, imply a considerable period of service. He is now sent to Colossae. The same words are employed about him in the contemporaneous letter to the Ephesians. Evidently, then, he carried both letters on the same journey, and one reason was that he was a native of the province, and probably of Ephesus. "You go, Tychicus. It is your home; they all know you." The most careful students now think that the Ephesian Epistle was meant to go the round of the Churches of Asia Minor, beginning with Ephesus. If that be so Tychicus would necessarily come to Laodicea, which was only a few miles from Colossae, and so could conveniently deliver this Epistle. After this we get two more glimpses of the man; one in the Epistle to Titus, when the apostle intended to despatch him to Crete, and the last in 2 Timothy 4:2 ( A.D. 67). "Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus," as if he had said, "Now go home, my friend! You have been a faithful servant for ten years. I need you no more. Take my blessing. God be with you!" So they parted — he that was for death to die I and he that was for life, to live and treasure the memory of Paul for the rest of his days. 2. His character and work. (1) As for his personal godliness and goodness, he is "a beloved brother," as are all who love Christ. (2) He was "a faithful minister" or personal attendant. Paul always seems to have had one or two such about him. Probably he was no great hand at managing affairs, and needed a plain common-sense nature to act as secretary and factotum. Men of genius, and men devoted to some great cause, want some person to fill such a homely office. Common sense, willingness to be troubled with small secular details, and hearty love for the chief, and desire to spare him, were the qualifications. Such probably was Tychicus — no orator, thinker, organizer, but a plain soul who did not shrink from rough work if it would help the cause. (3) He was "a fellow-servant in the Lord." As if he had said, "Do not suppose there is much difference between us. We have both, as I have been reminding you, a common Master." The delicacy of the term thus given to the commendation is a beautiful indication of Paul's chivalrous nature. No wonder that such a soul bound men like Tychicus to him. 3. Lessons. (1) Small things done for Christ are great. In some powerful engine there is a little screw, and if it drop out the huge piston cannot rise nor the huge crank turn. There is a great rudder that steers an ironclad. It moves on a "pintle" a few inches long. If that bit of iron were gone what would be the use of the ship. There is an old jingle about losing a shoe for the want of a nail, a horse for want of a shoe, a man for want of a horse, a battle for want of a man, a kingdom for loss of a battle. The intervening links may be left out — and the nail and the kingdom brought together. What is the use of writing letters if you cannot get them delivered? It takes both Paul and Tychicus to get the letter into the hands of the Colossians. (2) The sacredness of secular work done for Christ. When Tychicus is caring for Paul, his work is "in the Lord." The distinction between sacred and secular, like that of great and small, disappears from work done for and in Jesus. All done for the same God is the same in essence, for it is all worship. (3) Fleeting things done for Christ are eternal. How astonished Tychicus would have been if anybody had told him that those two precious letters in his scrip would outlast all the pomp of the city, and that his name, because written in them, would be known to the end of time all over the world. (a) They are eternal in Christ's memory, however they may fall from man's remembrance. (b) They are perpetual in their consequences.True, no man's contribution to the sum of righteousness can very long be traced, any more than the rain-drop that refreshed the harebell can be traced in a burn, or river, or sea; but it is there. The Colossian Church, with its sisters, is gone; but Christian men all over the world owe something to Tychicus' care. Paul meant to teach a handful of obscure believers; he has edified a world. (4) As the reward is given not to the outward deed, but to the motive which settles its value, all work done from the same motive is alike in reward, however different in form. Paul in the front, Tychicus in the rear, shall share alike at last. "He that receiveth a prophet," etc. II. ONESIMUS. 1. The man and his character. He is the same as we read of in Philemon. He had been a good-for-nothing servant, and apparently had robbed his master and then fled to Rome. Somehow or other he had found Paul, and Paul's master had found him. And now he goes back to his owner. With beautiful considerateness the apostle unites him with Tychicus, and refers the Church to him as an authority. But with sensitive regard he omits the "fellow-slave," which might have hurt, but he cannot leave out the "faithful," because Onesimus had been eminently unfaithful. There is no reference to his flight, etc. The Church has nothing to do with these, only Philemon. 2. Lessons. (1) The transforming power of Christianity. Slaves had well-known vices of which Onesimus had his full share. Think of him as he left Colossae; and think of him as he went back Paul's trusted representative. What had happened? Nothing but this — the message had come to Him. "Onesimus! Christ has died for thee and lives to bless thee. Believest thou this?" And he believed. It had changed his whole being, He is a living illustration of Paul's teaching, lie is dead with Christ to his old self; he lives with Christ a new life. The gospel can do that. Nothing else can. The gospel despairs of none; none are beyond its power. (2) The power the gospel has of binding men into a true brotherhood. We can scarcely picture to ourselves the gulf which separated master from slave; Christianity gathered both into one family. All true union must be based on oneness in Christ. The world must recognize that "One is your Master," before it comes to believe that "All ye are brethren." (A. Maclaren, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: WEB: All my affairs will be made known to you by Tychicus, the beloved brother, faithful servant, and fellow bondservant in the Lord.