Some of the most faithful people in Scripture appear only a few times. Epaphras is named three times, and each mention is warm. Paul calls him “our dear fellowservant” and “a faithful minister of Christ,” and says he is “always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” In Philemon he is Paul’s “fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus.” What the verses show is a man who prayed hard for others, from a distance and from a cell. Start with Colossians 4:12, then read Colossians 1:7.
3 verses
As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
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.
There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
Matthew George Easton, 1897
Lovely, spoken of by Paul (Col. 1:7; 4:12) as “his dear fellow-servant,” and “a faithful minister of Christ.” He was thus evidently with him at Rome when he wrote to the Colossians. He was a distinguished disciple, and probably the founder of the Colossian church. He is also mentioned in the Epistle to Philemon (1:23), where he is called by Paul his “fellow-prisoner.”
William Smith, 1884
(lovely), a fellow laborer with the apostle Paul, mentioned (Colossians 1:7) as having taught the Colossian church the grace of God in truth, and designated a faithful minister of Christ on their behalf. He was at that time with St. Paul at Rome. (A.D. 57.) For Paul’s estimate of him see (Colossians 1:7,8; 4:12)