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AS TO ALL MY AFFAIRS: Ta kat
eme panta:
(Eph 6:21, 22, 23)
All the things relating to me
In this final
section of the letter we find the apostle revealing his great love and
concern for the members of the body of Christ, a concern which vividly
illustrates the statement made by the apostle in
Colossians 1:24 (note), namely, that
he fills up that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in his
flesh "for his body's sake." Love for the brethren predominates.
Guy King has an interesting
introduction to this next section in which Paul mentions numerous
individuals by name...
I DARE say you have had the
experience of receiving a letter from a friend, in which he has
enclosed a group photograph of friends well-known to you both. Paul
seems to have done here, in words, something of the same kind. He has
grouped together, in thumbnail sketches, a number of people who are
roundabout him in Rome, and who are all well-known to the church
members in Colossae. How interested they will be in these glimpses, on
that Sabbath morning, in the Assembly, of their far-off comrades in
the Faith, brought so vividly to sight and memory by these spoken
miniatures. I dare say that we, too, may gain interest and inspiration
from a study of their features, for each has a characteristic profile
of his own. Take a good look at them, there in the group, one by one.
(His
Enclosed Group Photograph)
TYCHICUS, OUR BELOVED
BROTHER AND FAITHFUL SERVANT AND FELLOW BOND-SERVANT IN THE LORD: humin Tychikos o agapetos adelphos kai pistos diakonos:
(Acts 20:4; 2Ti 4:12; Titus 3:12) (Col 4:9,12; Ep 6:21; Phil 2:25)
(1Cor 4:1, 2, 3, 4)
Beloved
brother...faithful servant...fellow bondservant in the Lord - This
designation represents a beautiful threefold commendation of
Tychicus.
APPLICATION:
If Paul were writing a letter to
your church, would he give a similar description of your Christian
walk?
Beloved (27)
(agapetos from
agapao [word study]
= love) means
beloved, dear, very much loved. Agapetos is
love called out of one’s heart by preciousness of the object loved.
Agapetos is used
only of Christians as united with God or with each other in love.
God the Father uses this same word describing Jesus declaring that
This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Mt 3:17)
In fact the first 9 uses in the NT are of God the Father speaking of
Christ, His beloved Son. This gives you some idea of the preciousness
of the word "beloved"! This truth makes it even more
incredible that Paul described the saints at Thessalonica (and by
application all believers of all ages) as
brethren beloved (agapao
) by God, His choice"
(1Th 1:4-note).
Brother (80)
(adelphos from a = denoting unity +
delphús = womb) is literally one born from same womb.
Literally it is a male having the same father and mother.
Adelphos describes a close association of a group of persons
having well-defined membership. In the NT it often refers to fellow
believers in Christ united by the bond of affection. It can also refer
to a fellow countryman or a fellow Jew. In the present context it
refers to a fellow believer.
Faithful
(4103)
(pistos
[word study]) means trustworthy, dependable, reliable. Tychicus
was faithful in duty to himself and to others. He was a man of true
fidelity, which is a word we don't here much in our society any
more but which is defined as
faithfulness to something to
which one is bound by pledge or duty and implies strict and continuing
faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty.
Fidelity
is the degree to which an electronic device (CD, radio, television)
accurately reproduces its effect (as sound or picture). Think about
that for a moment!
Servant (1249)
(diakonos
see related words
diakoneo,
diakonia) is of uncertain origin.
Some say it is from dia (through) + konis (dust) which
denotes one who hurries through the dust to carry out his service. (Thayer
and others doubt
this derivation for technical reasons).
Vine says that
diakonos is probably from diako which means to hasten
after, to pursue and so to run on
errands. "Then the root idea is one who reaches out with diligence and
persistence to render a service on behalf of others. This would imply
that the deacon reaches out to render love-prompted service to others
energetically and persistently." (Hiebert)
This word group
(diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia)
focuses on the rendering or assistance or help by performing certain
duties, often of a humble or menial nature, and including such
mundane activities as waiting on tables or caring for household needs,
activities that to many would seem to be without dignity (not true of
course in God's eyes, Pr 15:3, Rev 22:12-note).
In summary, the basic idea of this word group is that of humble,
submissive, personal service, with less emphasis on a specific office
or a particular function. As Matthew Henry once said...
Those whom God will employ are
first struck with a sense of their unworthiness to be employed.
Diakonos -
"Waiting Tables"
in God’s Household
John
MacArthur adds that...
Diakonos has the idea of
“serviceability,” or “usefulness.” Those who serve Christ are
called to excellence in their usefulness to His cause.
Richards
observes that...
A survey of NT passages using the
diakoneo word group (diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia)
reveals how we can serve others and what "ministry" involves. It will
include the following activities: caring for those in prison (Mt
25:44), serving tables (i.e.,
meeting physical needs) (Ac 6:2), teaching the Word of God (Ac
6:4), giving money to meet others' needs (2Co 9:1), and all the
service offered by Christians to others to build them up in faith (1Co
12:5; Ep 4:12-note).
Although Paul and other apostles are called ministers, and
although there was the office of deacon in the early church,
there is a sense in which every believer is a minister and is
to use his or her gifts to serve others
This call for
every believer (note "each one" below) to be a minister is
especially emphasized by Peter in his summation of spiritual gifts...
As
each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving
(diakoneo)
one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever
speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever
serves (diakoneo),
let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all
things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the
glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1Pe 4:10,11-note)
A good picture of the meaning of
this word group is found in the use of diakoneo to describe
Peter's mother-in-law who was healed by Jesus
and she immediately got up and
waited (diakoneo) on them. (Lk
4:39)
Bridges rightly observes
that...
Service to God through service
to mankind is the only motivation acceptable to God for diligence and
hard work in our vocational calling.
Were it not for Paul’s letter, we
would never know that
Onesiphorus had served Paul and
the church (see 2Ti 1:16, 18-note).
But the Lord knew and will reward him and He will reward you for your
faithful service “on that
day”
for God is not unjust so as to
forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in
having ministered (diakoneo) and in still ministering (diakoneo) to
the saints (Heb 6:10-note)
Hiebert
writes that diakonos...
refers to a servant in relationship to his activity, one who renders a
service to another for the benefit of the one being served. Unlike the
word for slave (doulos) diakonos implies the thought of voluntary
service. It is used of the “servants” at the wedding in Cana (John
2:5, 7, 9). They were individuals who had voluntarily assumed this
activity out of good will for the bride and groom. Among these various
Greek words this one has the. nearest approximation to the concept of
a love-prompted service. Thus basically the word “deacon” denotes one
who voluntarily serves others, prompted by a loving desire to benefit
those served....
The
non-technical usages of this word group (diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia) extend beyond
the narrow limits implied in the English word “deacon,” which
designates an ecclesiastical office. These Greek words provide a
spiritually rich concept of service. For a true understanding of the
biblical import of the term “deacon” this high concept of “deacon
service” must be retained.
The
basic concept underlying the word “deacon” is that of a voluntary,
love-prompted service for the benefit of others. It is a service that
desires the true welfare of those ministered to. “Deacon service” may
well involve prosaic, material “table service,” but it should go
beyond such service and seek to further the highest spiritual welfare
of others.
The
work of the deacon, related to the local church and to the whole cause
of Christ, must be spiritually motivated and be Christ-centered. It
finds its motivation and encouragement in the self-sacrificing example
and call of Christ. “The diakonos is always one who serves on Christ’s
behalf and continues Christ’s service for the outer and inner man; he
is concerned with the salvation of men.” It is a demanding and
consuming service, but it has Christ’s sure promise of reward: “If any
one serves Me, the Father will honor him” (John 12:26).
Since service associated with the
diakoneo word group (diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia) necessarily involved
dependence, submission, and constraints of time and freedom, the
Greeks regarded a diakonos, et al as a degrading and
dishonorable occupation. Service for the public good was honored, but
voluntary giving of oneself in
service of one’s fellow man is alien to Greek thought. The highest
goal before a man was the development of his own personality.
That last
sentence is strikingly contemporary, and is mindful of the fact that a
culture that is largely focused on SELF (cp 2Ti 3:1,2-note)
will find little value in menial, mundane servant hood.
To the
Greeks, diakonia service was
not dignified. Thus they lauded ruling and not service as the proper
goal of man. The formula of the sophist ("wise man") expressed the
basic Greek attitude
“How can a man be happy when he has
to serve someone?”
Judaism had no philosophy of
ministry involving the mundane, menial sense of a diakonos,
instead adopting a philosophy of service similar to the Greeks. If
service was rendered, it was done as an act of social obligation or as
an act to those more worthy (this too sounds very "modern"). In short,
a superior would not stoop to become a servant! Such an
attitude, which conforms so closely to man’s natural prejudices,
causes the Lord’s Servant attitude and actions to stand out even more
(cp Jn 13:3, 4, 5). Clearly, Jesus' examples teach us that the word
group diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia does not describe the
activity of a lesser to a greater, but in fact is to be the lifestyle
one privileged to be called a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus declared
If
anyone serves (diakoneo)
Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant (diakonos)
also be; if anyone serves (diakoneo)
Me, the Father will honor him. (John 12:26)
The
word group (diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia) differs the other Greek word group,
douleuo
(doulos) which also means to serve, in that the former word group
connotes “service” on behalf of someone while the latter speaks of
“service” as a slave under or subordinate to someone (as a bondservant
or bondslave to the “lord” or “master”). As Richards says...
In Greek thought, both types
of service were shameful. The duty of the Greek person was to himself,
to achieve his potential for excellence. To be forced to subject his
will or surrender his time and efforts for the sake of others was
intensely distasteful, even humiliating. But Jesus came to serve, not
to be served. In giving Himself for others, Jesus set the pattern for
a transformed value system. In Christ, serving is the highway to
greatness. In Christ we achieve our full potential by giving, not by
grasping. (Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
In fact, in the
first five NT uses of diakonos (Mt 20:26, Mt 23:11,
23:11, Mk 9:35, Mk 10:45, cp Jn 12:26), Jesus counters the wisdom of the world,
by elevating the menial role of the diakonos, declaring such a
one to be on the
pathway to greatness in His kingdom. As discussed, it is not surprising that servant
hood would be associated with kingdom greatness for this was the goal of
incarnation of the King Himself, as stated in Mk 10:45 (verb
diakoneo). It follows that for a man or woman to be a servant is to be
walk in the steps of the Lord. The corollary is that for one to
achieve true greatness, he must humble himself and serve others.
John Calvin thus rightly
noted that...
The highest honour in the
church is not government but service. (adding)...We shall never be fit
for the service of God if we look not beyond this fleeting life.
John
Blanchard phrases it this way
Christian service has
been dignified by
Deity.
J C Ryle writes that
The world's idea of greatness is
to rule, but Christian
greatness consists in serving (cp Mk 10:45).
Vance Havner...
There are no trivial
assignments in the work of the Lord.
Henrietta Mears...
Serving God with our little is
the way to make it more; and we must never think that wasted with
which God is honoured or men are blessed.
The
the word group diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonos
differs the other Greek word group, douleuo (doulos) which also
means to serve, in that the former word group connotes “service” on
behalf of someone while the latter speaks of “service” as a slave
under or subordinate to someone (as a bondservant or bondslave to the
“lord” or “master”). As Richards says...
In Greek thought, both types
of service were shameful. The duty of the Greek person was to himself,
to achieve his potential for excellence. To be forced to subject his
will or surrender his time and efforts for the sake of others was
intensely distasteful, even humiliating. But Jesus came to serve, not
to be served. In giving Himself for others, Jesus set the pattern for
a transformed value system. In Christ, serving is the highway to
greatness. In Christ we achieve our full potential by giving, not by
grasping. (Richards,
L O: Expository Dictionary of Bible Words: Regency)
Vine
writes that...
Diakonos is, generally
speaking, to be distinguished from doulos, a bondservant, slave;
diakonos views a servant in relationship to his work; doulos views him
in relationship to his master...As to synonymous terms, leitourgos
denotes one who performs public duties; misthios and
misthōtos, a hired servant; oiketes, a household servant;
huperetes, a subordinate official waiting on his superior
(originally an under–rower in a war–galley); therapon, one
whose service is that of freedom and dignity.
The most common
sense of diakonos in the NT is that of a servant in some
capacity. (19/29x diakonos is rendered servant in NAS)
To summarize,
diakonos
is used to describe
(1) Domestic servants (Jn
2:5, 2:9)
(2) Civil (government) servants
(Ro 13:4)
(3) Servants in a general
spiritual sense (with some of the contexts suggesting specific
duties)
(a) as servants of God (Jesus)
(1Co 3:5, 2Co 3:6, 2Co 6:4, 2Co 11:23, Ep 3:7, Ep 6:21, Col 1:23, Col
1:27, Col 4:7, 1Ti 4:6) Tychicus is a lovely illustration of
one serving the Lord in a lowly place (Lowly in the
world's estimate, not God's!).
(b) as servants of Satan
(2Co 11:15).
(4) In a technical sense of
church officer (deacon) who exercises primarily a servant role
(Php 1:1, 1Ti 3:8, 1Ti 3:12)
(5) The way to greatness in the
Kingdom of God (which would clearly be interrelated with diakonos
used above in #3a to describe servants of God or Jesus) (Mt 20:26, Mt
23:11, 23:11, Mk 9:35, Mk 10:45, cp Jn 12:26).
Ministry
(including "mission" as shown in the reference below) is not the
activity of an elite class, but the mutual caring of a band of brothers.
Luke records that
Barnabas and Saul
returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission
(diakonia),
taking along with them John, who was also called Mark. (Acts 12:25)
Such service is personal and
practical, rather than institutional. A diakonos is one
who by choice and position has come to be under the authority of his
Master and who therefore serves others in love and gratitude. Paul had
been called and set apart to be a servant, Luke quoting Paul who
testified...
I do not consider my
life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish
my course, and the ministry (diakonia)
which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the
gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24)
Martha is an example of service of a
menial nature but without the proper attitude, Luke recording that
Martha was distracted
with all her preparations; and she came up to Him, and said,
"Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the
serving (diakonia) alone? Then tell her to help me. (Lk 10:40)
The word group diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia
involves
compassionate love towards the needy within the Christian community.
Paul and Luke in the Acts use the word to designate those who preach
the gospel and have care of the churches, even as Paul
instructed Timothy to...
be sober in all things,
endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry (diakonia) (2Ti 4:5-note) Therefore,
the word group diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia
describes an
office or ministration in the Christian community viewed with
reference to the labor needed for others.
What Paul said to
Archippus in the closing section
of Colossians applies to every believer...
Take
heed (aorist
imperative
= Don't delay! Do this now! The charge is urgent!) to the ministry (diakonia)
which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it. (Col
4:17)
Every believer is called by His
Lord to the role of a servant, and one of the surest ways we can serve
Christ is to serve the saints in His behalf (see Mt. 25:34, 35, 36,
37, 38, 39, 40). Diakonos
- 29x in 27v - Mt 20:26; 22:13; 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:43; John 2:5,
9; 12:26; Rom 13:4; 15:8; 16:1; 1Cor 3:5; 2 Cor 3:6; 6:4; 11:15, 23;
Gal 2:17; Eph 3:7; 6:21; Phil 1:1; Col 1:7, 23, 25; 4:7; 1Ti 3:8, 12;
4:6. NAS = deacons(3), minister(7), servant(10), servants(9).
Matthew 20:26 "It is not this way
among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your
servant,
Greatness in the world is having
many servants; greatness in God’s sight is serving (a majestic
Savior). (John Butler) (Words in parentheses added).
Hiebert - Paul used the word
diakonos of Christ Himself: “Christ has become a servant to the
circumcision on behalf of the truth of God” (Ro 15:8). And Jesus said
of Himself, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve (diakoneo), and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk 10:45;
Matt. 20:26). In the Upper Room, Jesus, the uncontested superior of
His disciples, washed their feet (John 13:1–17) as a lesson of
love-prompted service. Though the one being served is the accepted
superior, He pointed them to “the actuality: I am among you as a
servant. ƒ He is instituting in fact a new pattern of human
relationships” through His personal example. And “this summons to
service becomes binding because behind it stands the sacrifice of
Jesus, who came ‘not to be served but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many’ (Mark 10:45).” In His earthly ministry Jesus
Himself was the “Deacon” par excellence. He set the example not only
for deacons but for all believers.
Jesus said, “If any one serves Me, let him follow Me, and where I am,
there shall My servant also be” (John 12:26). When Jesus uttered those
words He was facing the cross. He knew that for His incarnate ministry
to be spiritually fruitful He must die (John 12:24). That imperative
lies on all His followers: “Where I am, there shall my servant also
be.” Believers too must
be willing to die to self, if they are to be His fruitful servants.
Matthew 22:13 "Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him
hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
Hiebert - Rendering Service
to Another = Often the scope of the service was broader than table
service and denoted service generally for the benefit of another.
Jesus used the noun diakonoi to denote the personal servants of a
great king (Matt. 22:1–14). In the first part of the parable (Mt
22:3,4, 6, 8, 10) Jesus used the ordinary word for slaves (doulos),
but later He changed to the word diakonos to denote those servants who
stood in a close relationship to the king and served him personally in
any desired capacity.
Jesus used these terms to depict the relationship of believers to Him:
“If any one serve (diakone) Me, let him follow Me; and where I am,
there shall My servant (diakonos) also be” (John 12:26). In this more
general sense believers today are challenged to render “deacon
service” to Christ Himself. Jesus added the encouraging assurance that
such service will have its reward: “If any one serves Me, the Father
will honor him” (John 12:26c). Such a love-prompted service to Him
will express itself in service to others. Jesus taught that He would
recognize such service as done unto Him (Matt. 25:40–45).
Jesus taught that believers must
voluntarily serve other believers, motivated and inspired by His own
example of service (Matt. 20:26–28; Mark 10:45). The terms thus came
to denote loving service to brothers and neighbors, which is to be the
distinguishing mark of Christ’s followers. Jesus taught His disciples
that instead of lording it over others, they must be willing to serve
others (Matt. 20:25–26). Such service was the way to greatness among
them, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant”
(diakonos; Matt. 20:26). Those who aspire to be leaders must
voluntarily stoop to serve.
Paul used the noun diakonia of the voluntary ministry which Stephanus
and his family were rendering to the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 16:15).
It involved a voluntary use of strength and possessions for the
benefit of others, thus furthering the fellowship of the church. And
in Hebrews 1:14 this term is used of the angels who are “sent out to
render service (eis diakonian) for the sake of those who will inherit
salvation.” This pictures angels divinely sent to render “deacon
service” to the saints. This service involves protecting believers and
furthering their well-being. Thus these terms for service are often
used in a general sense to denote any kind of service rendered for the
benefit of others.
Matthew 23:11 "But the greatest among you shall be your servant.
Mark 9:35 Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If
anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant
of all."
Mark 10:43 "But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to
become great among you shall be your servant;
John 2:5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do
it."..9 When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine,
and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had
drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,
Hiebert - Waiters at Tables
- The original sense of the verb diakoneo, “to wait at tables,” is
clear in Luke 17:8. Jesus spoke of a slave owner ordering his slave,
returning from work in the field, to gird himself “and serve me until
I have eaten and drunk.” This is also the meaning in Acts 6:2. It is
also the obvious meaning of the noun diakonos in John 2:5, 9. This
basic meaning of the cognate noun diakonia is evident in Luke 10:40
which uses it of Martha in whose home Jesus was a guest. While Mary
sat at Jesus’ feet, Martha was “cumbered about much serving” (KJV).
She was greatly concerned about getting an appropriate meal ready for
Jesus; she was engaged in “deacon service” on behalf of Jesus
personally. Peter’s mother-in-law, healed by Jesus, rendered a similar
service in the privacy of her home (Matt. 8:15). These terms were
often used of the domestic services of women. Also angels rendered
such a service to Jesus at the end of His wilderness temptation Matt.
4:11). They were rendering “deacon service” to Him in supplying His
physical needs after 40 days of fasting.
John 12:26 "If anyone serves (diakoneo) Me, he must follow Me; and
where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves
(diakoneo) Me, the Father will honor him.
What work does Christ set his
servants to do? The way that they serve him, he tells them, is by
becoming the slaves of their fellow-servants and being willing to do
literally anything, however costly, irksome, or undignified, in order
to help them. This is what love means, as he himself showed at the
Last supper when he played the slave’s part and washed the disciples’
feet. (From Your Father Loves You by James Packer)
Romans 13:4-note for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if
you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for
nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings
wrath on the one who practices evil.
Romans 15:8-note For I say that Christ has become a servant to the
circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises
given to the fathers,
Romans 16:1-note I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant
of the church which is at Cenchrea;
John MacArthur on deacon in
Romans 16 - Servant translates diakonos, the term from
which we get deacon. The Greek word here is neuter and was used
in the church as a general term for servant before the offices of
deacon and deaconess were developed. It is used of the household
servants who drew the water that Jesus turned into wine (John 2:5,
9), and Paul has used the term earlier in this letter (Rom. 13:4,
twice) to refer to secular government as “a minister of God to you
for good” and even of Christ as “a servant to the circumcision,”
that is, to Jews (15:8). When diakonos obviously refers to a church
office, it is usually transliterated as “deacon” (see, e.g.,
Phil.1:1; 1Ti 3:10, 13).
In 1Ti 3:11, Paul declares that “women must likewise be dignified,
not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.” Some
argue that he is referring to wives of deacons, rather than to an
office of women deacons. But it makes no sense that high standards
would be specified for the wives of deacons but not for wives of
overseers (or bishops, who are also called elders, see Titus 1:5),
whose qualifications he has just given in 1Ti 3:1-7. In this context
(1Ti 3:1–10, 1Ti 3:12,13), the office of deaconess is
clearly implied. The “likewise” in 1Ti 3:11 ties the
qualifications of these women to those already given for the offices
of overseer and deacon. In 1Ti 3:11, Paul did not refer to those
women as deaconesses because diakonos has no feminine form.
During the first few centuries of the church, the role of a woman
servant (diakonos) was to care for fellow believers who
were sick, for the poor, for strangers passing through, and for the
imprisoned. They also were responsible for helping baptize and
disciple new women converts and to instruct children and other women.
Whether or not Phoebe held some official title or not, Paul commended
her as a highly-proven servant of Christ and implored the church at
Rome to receive her in the Lord.
(MacArthur,
J: Romans 9-16. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
1Corinthians 3:5 What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants
through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each
one.
Servants here signifies
there were "conduits" or "instruments" through which the gospel flowed
to the hearers, some of who received and believed the truth.
John MacArthur - His
servants (diakonoi), or ministers (1Co 3:5KJV). It is not
the same word (doulos) often translated “servant, slave, or
bond–servant” (1Co 7:21, 22, 23; Ro 1:1; etc.), but simply meant
a menial worker of any sort, free or slave. It was often used of a
table waiter or what we would now call a busboy. Paul was saying in
effect,
“No one builds a movement around a
waiter or busboy, or erects monuments to them. Apollos and I are just
waiters or busboys whom the Lord used as servants to bring you food.
You do not please us by trying to honor us. Your honor, your glory, is
misplaced. You are acting like the world, like mere men. Build your
monuments, give your praise to the One who prepared the spiritual food
we delivered.”
(MacArthur,
J: 1Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
2 Corinthians 3:6 who also made us adequate as servants of a
new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter
kills, but the Spirit gives life.
John MacArthur - True
ministers, however, are servants of a new covenant. They do not mingle
the old (the Mosaic covenant of law) and the new covenant, because the
new covenant alone saves. The wonderful reality of the new covenant is
that no one has to come to God via external Judaism.
(MacArthur,
J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
2 Corinthians 6:4 but in everything commending ourselves as
servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships,
in distresses,
John MacArthur - Paul not
only sought negatively to avoid putting up barriers to faith in
Christ, but positively to be in everything commending himself as a
servant of God. A minister is not commended by his seminary degree,
theology, popularity, personality, or success. His life is the only
letter of commendation that matters; the only one that people will
read.
(MacArthur,
J: 2Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
2 Corinthians 11:15 Therefore it is not surprising if his servants
also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose
end will be according to their deeds.
2 Corinthians 11:23 Are they servants of Christ?-- I speak as
if insane-- I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments,
beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
Galatians 2:17 "But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we
ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister
of sin? May it never be!
Context - Paul is countering Peter
and other Jewish believers who felt it was necessary for a Gentile
believer to keep Jewish rituals. John MacArthur writes that
Paul was saying in essence - “If you became sinners because of
fellowshipping with your Gentile brothers,” he implies, “then Christ
Himself became a minister of sin, did He not?” How? Jesus had
clearly taught that no food can spiritually contaminate a person,
because food cannot affect the heart (Mk 7:19). Through the vision
of the unclean animals and the dramatic conversion and anointing of
Cornelius, the Lord had given Peter direct evidence that Gentile
believers are in every way equal to Jewish believers (Acts 10). On
many other occasions and in many other ways Jesus had taught that all
those who belong to Him are one with Him and therefore one with each
other. Shortly before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus
earnestly and repeatedly prayed to His Father that those who believed
in Him “may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in
Thee, that they also may be in Us … that they may be one, just as We
are one; I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in
unity” (John 17:21, 22, 23). But if the Judaizers were right, Paul
pointed out, Jesus was wrong; if they taught the truth, He had taught
falsehood and was thereby a minister of sin! Such an accusation must
have shaken Peter to his bones. To be called a hypocrite stung enough,
but to be called a sinner was unthinkable, and to be accused of making
Jesus a minister of sin was shocking and repulsive. Yet the logic of
Paul’s argument was inescapable. By his actions, Peter had in effect
condemned Jesus Christ. He therefore had to forsake his Judaistic
sympathies or continue to make His Lord a liar.
(MacArthur,
J. Galatians. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos)
Ephesians 3:7-note
(Context - Ep 3:4, 5, 6) of which (referring to the Gospel) I was made a minister, according to the
gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working (energeia
~ English "energizing") of
His power.
John Calvin said that "Whatever is
laudable in our works proceeds from the grace of God."
Vance Havner
put it this way "Our efficiency without God's sufficiency is only a
deficiency...The first thing we need to do in the church these days is
to discover that God's work must be done by God's people in God's
way."
Notice that Paul functioned as a
diakonos not in his own innate power but according to the
working of His power. Paul affirmed his service to Christ as a
minister or servant of Christ, a service which God granted (initiated)
by His grace. Rather than fleshly laborious servitude, ministry for
Christ brings joyful freedom as we depend on God's energizing power to
accomplish the task He has assigned.
In your sphere of work as a
diakonos, a humble "table waiter" for Christ, are you learning the
"secret" of depending on His power to accomplish His work through you?
It was Paul's secret of supernatural, successful ministry and is still
the "secret" for every fruitful servant of every age! John Bunyan
(Pilgrim's Progress) put it this way
"I was but a pen in God's hand and
what praise is due to a pen?"
Ephesians 6:21-note But that you also may know about my circumstances, how
I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful minister
in the Lord, will make everything known to you.
EBC - Eduard Schweizer has
shown that the Greek language was particularly rich in the vocabulary
of high office (Church Order in the New Testament, Eng. T. [London: S.
C. M., 1961], pp. 171, 172). The NT rejects almost all such titles
and fixes on a word altogether unassociated with prestige (cf. Eph
6:21). The servant (diakonos) is a table waiter who is always
at the bidding of his customers (so in Xenophon, Polybius, Lucian,
etc.; cf. BAG, p. 183). The term is used in the NT to denote one who
lives and works in the service of Christ and the church.
Philippians 1:1-note Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To
all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the
overseers and deacons:
Hiebert - In addressing his
letter to “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi,” Paul
added the unique expression “including the overseers and deacons.”
This is the first certain occurrence of diakonos as a term of office
in the New Testament. Mention of only these two offices in the
salutation of the epistle implies that they were the only two
officially established offices in the Philippian church. Though they
constitute two distinct offices, they are closely related; Paul names
both with one preposition. The order gives precedence to the
overseers. Both terms are in the plural; neither office was confined
to a single individual. The plurals leave undetermined how many
overseers and deacons the Philippian church had. That, of course,
would depend on the size and needs of the local church. The term
“overseers” (or “bishops,” KJV) points to the basic duty of this
office. The meaning of “deacons” simply points to a service function.
No further hints of the respective duties of these two offices are
given in this epistle. The order and basic meanings of the two terms
suggest that the deacons somehow assisted the bishops in their
ministries.
Colossians 1:7-note just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved
fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our
behalf,
Mark Hepner states that the
concept of diakonos - ‘serves’ as an apt metaphor for
Christian ministry since it denotes the taking of resources provided
by the Master of the house and distributing them to those gathered
around the Master’s table to sustain the physical and spiritual health
and well-being of the Master’s family....The picture of Christian
ministry distilled from Paul’s words to the Colossian believers may
thus be summarized as “the living Christ active in each member of the
family of God through the sensible, powerful presence of His Holy
Spirit, working in and through them to form them individually and
corporately into a body that looks like Him, loves like Him,
perseveres like Him, obeys like Him, suffers like Him, relates to the
Father like Him, and strives to see God’s purposes realized in the
world like Him.” (Ashland Theological Journal Volume 37:51.
2005)
Colossians 1:23-note if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established
and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you
have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of
which I, Paul, was made a minister.
Hiebert says this verse
(among others) depicts diakonos as indicative of - Servants of a
Spiritual Power - Diakonos is often used figuratively in the New
Testament of one who is the servant of a mighty spiritual power. This
power may be either good or bad.
Paul used the noun diakonos of false teachers who are the servants of
Satan (2Cor. 11:15). Paul commented that it was no surprise that men
should be the deceptive servants of Satan since Satan likewise
transforms himself into an angel of light,
But in most instances the word denotes a good power, the God whom
believers serve. Paul referred to his coworkers as diakonoi of God.
Paul said Epaphras was ƒ a faithful servant of Christ” (Col. 1:7). The
apostle also used this noun to describe Tychicus (Eph. 6:21; Col.
4:7), and he used the verbal form in referring to Timothy and Erastus
(Acts 19:22) and of Onesiphorus (2Ti 1:16, 17, 18).
Paul also used diakonos of himself to describe his position as
furthering the cause of God. He used the term to describe his relation
to the gospel and its message of hope (Col 1:23) and of his
relationship to the church (Col 1:25). As commissioned by Christ, he
performed a deacon service in voluntarily furthering the interest of
both. His God-given ministry (diakonia) was among the Gentiles (Acts
21:19, 1Ti 1:12). Paul described his God-given work as a “ministry of
reconciliation” (2Co 5:18), a service that aimed at bringing men into
spiritual reconciliation with God through the gospel.
Paul sent Archippus a special message: “Take heed to the ministry
(diakonia) which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill
it” (Col 4:17). It was a delegated ministry and in thought the usage
approaches the concept of the office of the deacon. But the context
suggests rather that he had been chosen for pastoral service to
replace Epaphras, their minister, while he was with Paul at Rome. The
ministry Archippus was to perform was pastoral in function, but as a
voluntary service for the spiritual benefit of the church it had the
character of deacon service.
Being used of God to convey His message to others is another phase of
such a ministry. Peter referred to this ministry by the Old Testament
prophets when they made known to New Testament believers the
sufferings and glory of the Messiah (1Pe 1:12). To be the channels of
making known to others the revealed message of God is a ministry in
which deacons can freely share but it is not limited to the office of
the deacon.
Colossians 1:25-note Of this church I was made a minister according
to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I
might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God,
Colossians 4:7-note As to all my affairs, Tychicus, our beloved brother and
faithful servant and fellow bond-servant in the Lord, will
bring you information.
1 Timothy 3:8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not
double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,
Diakonos places emphasis
upon the attitude that the leaders are to have in their leading. They
are not to “lord it over” the flock, but are to realize that they are
the ministers or servants to those whom the Lord has put under their
care.
1 Timothy 3:12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and
good managers of their children and their own households.
ISBE Article - DEACON; DEACONESS -
The term diakonos, and its cognates occur many times in the New
Testament...Christianity has from the beginning stood for filial
service to God and His kingdom and for brotherly helpfulness to man,
and hence, terms expressive of these functions abound in the New
Testament. It behooves us to inquire whether and where they occur in a
technical sense sufficiently defined to denote the institution of a
special ecclesiastical office, from which the historical diaconate may
confidently be said to be derived.
Many have sought the origin of the
diaconate in the institution of the Seven at Jerusalem (Acts 6), and
this view was countenanced by many of the church Fathers. The Seven
were appointed to "serve tables" (diakonein trapezais), in order to
permit the Twelve to "continue stedfastly in prayer, and in the
ministry (diakonia) of the word." They are not called deacons (diakonoi),
and the qualifications required are not the same as those prescribed
by Paul in 1Ti 3:8-12; furthermore, Stephen appears in Acts
preeminently as a preacher, and Philip as an evangelist. Paul clearly
recognizes women as deaconesses, but will not permit a woman to teach
(1Ti 2:12). The obvious conclusion is that the Seven may be called the
first deacons only in the sense that they were the earliest recorded
helpers of the Twelve as directors of the church, and that they served
in the capacity, among others, of specially appointed ministrants to
the poor.
Paul says, "I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant
(the Revised Version, margin "or, deaconess") of the church that is at
Cenchrea" (Ro 16:1). This is by many taken as referring to an
officially appointed deaconess; but the fact that there is in the
earlier group of Paul's epistles no clear evidence of the institution
of the diaconate, makes against this interpretation. Phoebe was
clearly an honored helper in the church closely associated with that
at Corinth, where likewise evidence of special ecclesiastical
organization is wanting.
In Phil 1:1 Paul and Timothy send greetings
"to all the saints .... at
Philippi, with the bishops and deacons."
Here then we find mention of "deacons"
in a way to suggest a formal diaconate; but the want of definition as
to their qualifications and duties renders it impossible to affirm
with certainty the existence of the office.
In 1Ti 3:8, 9, 10, 11, 12, after prescribing the qualifications and
the method of appointment of a bishop or overseer, Paul continues:
"Deacons in like manner must be
grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of
filthy lucre; holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also first be proved; then let them serve as deacons, if
they be blameless. Women in like manner must be grave, not slanderers,
temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be husbands of one
wife, ruling their children and their own houses well."
Deacons and deaconesses
are here provided for, and the character of their qualifications makes
it clear that they were to be appointed as dispensers of alms, who
should come into close personal relations with the poor.
We conclude, therefore, that the Seven and Phoebe did not exercise the
diaconate in a technical sense, which appears first certainly in 1 Tim
3, although it is not improbably recognized in Phil 1:1, and was
foreshadowed in the various agencies for the dispensing of alms and
the care of the poor of the church instituted in various churches at
an earlier date.
See also article by Daniel Akin
in Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology -
Deacon, Deaconess
1 Timothy 4:6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will
be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the
words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been
following.
Hiebert notes that this word
group diakonos,
diakoneo,
diakonia
also reflects
A Monetary Ministry (diakonos is
not used with this sense) -This family of words is also used of
serving others through monetary means. When Jesus was preaching in the
cities of Galilee, He was accompanied by certain women whom He had
healed, who “were helping to support them out of their own means”
(Luke 8:3NIV). Out of love and gratitude they used their money to
supply the material needs of Jesus and His disciples. They formed the
first “Ladies Peripatetic Missionary Society” in that they used their
material means to further missionary goals.
Paul used these terms in connection with the collection being raised
for the poor saints at Jerusalem (2Cor. 8–9). In these chapters Paul
did not use the word “money”; instead he used terms which
characterized the collection as a spiritual service. By means of “this
ministry to the saints” (2Co 9:1) the local churches reached out to
believers elsewhere as a ministry in building up the whole body of
Christ (Ep 4:12; cf. Acts 11:29; 12:29).
Dealing with money matters is commonly accepted as a phase of the work
of church deacons. But when deacons deal with money, it should not be
viewed simply in terms of cold cash; the money entrusted to them must
be viewed as a means to minister to others for spiritual ends. When
the Gentile believers sacrificially raised money for the Jewish
believers in Jerusalem (2Co 8:1, 2, 3, 4, 5), they were rendering
“deacon service” toward them. They desired the total welfare of their
fellow believers in Judea. Thus all believers have the opportunity to
render “deacon service” to others through their material means.
Diakonos
- 3x in the non-apocryphal Septuagint - Esther 1:10; 2:2; 6:3, 5; Pr
10:4
Mark Hepner
offers this summation of diakonos...
This third member of the NT
“ministry” word group is used to designate the person who “serves”
(diakoneō) by doing acts of “service” (diakonia) on behalf of a
master. Here the emphasis is on the nature of ministry as discharging
the duties laid upon the servant by a person of higher status and
authority. As a king orders his servants and they obey (Mt. 22:13), so
the servant-minister acts in strict accordance with the will of his or
her Master (cf. 1Co 3:5NIV: “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is
Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has
assigned to each his task.”). Thus believers are variously described
as servants of Jesus (Jn. 12:26; cf. Col 1:7)), of God
(2Cor. 6:4), of the new covenant (2Cor 3:6), of the gospel
(Ep 3:7; cf. Col 1:23), and of the church (Ro 16:11; cf.
Col. 1:25).
If believers are servants of Christ
their Lord, they are also servants of Christ’s body, the church (Col
1:25). In the first instance believers serve the will of One who is
infinitely superior in authority and status. In the church however,
where all members (ideally) share the same status in Christ, ministry
is carried on among equals. In this context the Christian minister is
at heart one whose actions are dictated by the need-requirements of
his or her brothers and sisters in Christ. Thus a minister in the
household of God is one who makes the needs of the rest of the family
equal to the command of Christ himself (Mt. 20:26; 23:11).
To sum up, this survey of the
diakonia word group indicates that the core idea of ministry is
supplying what people need to keep on living as Christ’s body in the
world. Christian ministry is fundamentally a practical activity,
consisting of acts of service to others for the purpose of sustaining
their life as a community of faith, promoting their maturity and
growth in Christ-likeness, and enhancing their ability to carry on the
mission of Christ. Ministry is obedient service done on behalf of the
Master for the benefit of his people. Ministry is making the needs of
fellow believers equivalent to the command of the Lord himself and
willingly distributing to them what the Master has placed in their
hands to meet those needs. (Ashland Theological Journal Volume 37:51.
2005)
SERVANT
SYNONYMS
There are
several synonyms used in the NT to describe service or ministry.
(1) Diakonos - a minister,
waiter, attendant, servant (applied to a teacher, pastor or deacon),
and speaks of service or ministry to other men and women "as objects
of the loving services we extend to them for Jesus' sake". (Richards)
(2)
Doulos -
one who is in bondage and thus a servant related to the master as a
slave who must at all times be subservient. In the NT doulos often
speaks of a believer's submission to their Master Jesus, whereas
diakonos (diakonia, diakoneo) speaks more about the "loving action on
behalf of a brother or sister or neighbor" (Richards) a motif
concerning which Jesus set the premier example (cp Mk 10:45, Mt
20:28).
Hiebert - Doulos
carries the thought of one who belongs wholly to his master and is
obligated to do his master’s will. The early church found it a fitting
term to express the spiritual reality that a believer belongs wholly
to his heavenly Lord and consequently must obey Him in total
submission.
(3) Huperetes - literally an
under-oarsman (originally an under–rower in a war galley ship) and so
a subordinate servant, a subordinate official waiting to accomplish
the commands of his superior (Mt 5:25, Lk 4:20, Jn 18:36, Acts 13:5)
Hiebert - It denotes one who
works under the direction of another as his superior. It is the word
used in the Gospels of the officers of the Jews, acting under the
direction of the high priest, who arrested Jesus in the garden. The
term implies the position of a “staff-officer” (cf. Acts 13:5). In
John 18:36 Jesus used the term of His own disciples, implying their
dignity. In 1 Corinthians 4:1 Paul uses this term in referring to a
Christian minister in the widest sense.
(4)
Leitourgos
- in Classic Greek denotes one who
a public servant or one who who discharges a public service on
behalf of the people or the state. The term was used of the priests
ministering in the temple. In Romans 13:6 Paul used it of pagan
governmental officials, while in Philippians 2:25 he used it of the
ministry of Epaphroditus to him on behalf of the Philippian church.
(5)
Therapon
- a menial attendant
who shows serves voluntarily. Trench says therapon conveys "the sense
of one whose services are tenderer, nobler, freer than those of the
doulos." (Only used in Heb 3:5) Therapon is a willing servant
who serves out of respect and concern for others; it carries a note of
tenderness. As a technical term it was used to denote one who rendered
a service of healing (cf. the English word “therapy”).
(6)
Oiketes- a household or domestic
servant (Lk 16:13; Ac 10:7; Ro 14:4; 1Pe 2:18) It portrays a closer
and more intimate relationship between servant and master than doulos.
(7) Misthios and misthotos
(see root
misthos)
- a hired servant, a hireling (in both good and bad sense), one
working for pay. (misthios - Lk 15:17, 19) (misthotos - Mk
1:20; Jn 10:12, 13)
Fellow bondservant
(4889) (sundoulos from
sun
= with +
doulos [word study] = servant) refers to a fellow
slave who is found in the same conditions as another. The noun
doulos conveys the idea of the
slave's close, binding ties with his master, belonging to him,
obligated and desiring to do his will, in a permanent relation of
servitude. The will of the doulos is altogether consumed
in the will of another, in this case of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
(Paul and Timothy - Col 1:1-note
and Titus) were in bondage, bound by "chains of love" to their Master
Jesus, willing to be completely
controlled by Him and to obey His commands. They were living examples
of the paradox of slaves who were free (in Christ - cp Jn 8:31, 32,
34, 36)! Remember that freedom in Christ is not the right to do as one
desires, but the power to do (obey) as one should. This is true life,
life which is abundant because it is in Him and from Him (cp Jn 15:5,
"our life" Col 3:4-note).
Vincent
says...
By this term he designates
Tychicus
as, in common with himself, a servant of Jesus Christ.
Tychicus is mentioned in
in four
other passages - Acts 20:4 Eph 6:21-note
Col 4:7 2Ti 4:12-note
Titus 3:12-note.
See Bible
Dictionary discussion on
Tychicus
WILL BRING YOU INFORMATION: gnorisei (3SFAI)...kai sundoulos
en kurio:
Will bring information
(1107)
(gnorizo from ginosko = acquire
information by whatever means but often with the implication of
personal involvement or experience) means to cause information to be
known by someone, communicating things before unknown or reasserting
things already known.
Paul is going to explain why God
has done so much for us as He has just described.
John
MacArthur has an excellent summary of Tychicus... We first meet Tychicus in (Acts
20:4). Paul was in
Ephesus near the end of his third missionary journey. He planned to
return to Jerusalem via Macedonia, where he intended to collect an
offering. With the offerings from Galatia and Achaia, he would present
it to the needy believers at Jerusalem (cf. 1Co 16:1-9). By so doing,
he hoped to cement the bond between the predominantly Gentile churches
outside of Palestine, and the predominantly Jewish church at
Jerusalem. He also planned to take some Gentile believers from Greece
and Asia Minor as representatives of their churches to the Jerusalem
church. Among them was Tychicus.
Tychicus’ willingness to travel with Paul to Jerusalem shows his
servant’s heart. Such a journey was not to be undertaken lightly.
Travel in the ancient world was far more difficult and dangerous than
in our day. The trip to Jerusalem would be very arduous, and it would
take Tychicus away from his family, friends, and church for a long
time. Along the way, Paul was repeatedly warned that trouble awaited
him in Jerusalem. Although Tychicus must certainly have heard those
warnings, he remained with Paul.
As Paul wrote Colossians, it had been more than two years since his
arrest at Jerusalem. Since then he had survived a plot by the Jewish
leaders to murder him, trials before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa, and a
harrowing voyage to Rome. Tychicus may have been with Paul through
that entire time. He definitely was with him during his imprisonment
at Rome. After Paul’s release, Tychicus remained with him. When Paul
needed a temporary replacement for Titus as pastor of the church on
Crete, Tychicus was one of the ones considered (Titus 3:12-note). Tychicus,
who had begun as a messenger, was now a candidate to fill in for as
great a man as Titus. At the very end of Paul’s life, during his second Roman imprisonment,
Tychicus was still with him. Facing imminent execution, Paul desired
to see Timothy one last time. Because Timothy could not leave his
congregation at Ephesus without a replacement, Paul sent
Tychicus (2Ti 4:12-note). Once again, Tychicus’ name comes up as a
replacement for one of Paul’s prominent associates. That speaks highly
of his character.
The writing of Colossians finds Tychicus in Rome with Paul during his
first imprisonment. By this time about four years have passed since
Tychicus joined Paul in Ephesus. Because he is a man of proven
loyalty, Paul has an important task for him: He is to deliver the
letter to the Colossians. Not only does he carry Colossians, but
Ephesians (cf. Ephesians 6:21-note)
and probably Philemon as well (cf. Col 4:9-note). The
trip from Rome to Colossae was a difficult one. Tychicus would first
have to cross much of Italy on foot, then sail across the Adriatic
Sea. After traversing Greece on foot, he would sail across the Aegean
Sea to the coast of Asia Minor. After all that, he still faced a
journey of nearly one hundred miles on foot to reach Colossae. That he
was entrusted with delivering three inspired books of Scripture once
again indicates Paul’s trust in him.}
Not only will Tychicus deliver the letter of Colossians, he will also
bring the Colossians information about Paul’s affairs and update them
on his circumstances. That would include bringing them information on
Paul’s health, his hopes, and his future prospects. He would also
encourage their hearts by adding a personal word of encouragement to
what was written in the letter and answering their queries about
Paul’s condition.
Paul next lists three credentials Tychicus possessed that qualified
him to act as Paul’s personal envoy.
First, he was a beloved brother in the Lord. That Paul calls
him a brother shows he was one of the family of believers. His
personal character had earned him the designation beloved from no less
than the apostle Paul himself.
Second, Paul describes him as a faithful servant. He never
achieved prominence, but he served in an important capacity as Paul’s
liaison to the churches. He was a faithful steward of his ministry—the
highest commendation Paul could give (cf. 1Cor 4:2).
Finally, Paul calls him a fellow bond-servant in the Lord.
He was a diakonos (servant) in relationship to Paul, but a sundoulos
(fellow bond-servant) with Paul in relationship to the Lord.
(MacArthur,
J. Colossians. Chicago: Moody Press
or
Logos
or
Wordsearch)
(Bolding added) |
