February 6

Who is for you a faithful minister of Christ.—Col. L. 7.

HERE is a threefold commendation of Epaphras: from his office or vocation, a minister of Christ; from the character of his ministry, a faithful minister; from the design or end of his ministry, for you, that is, for your salvation. Upon all these grounds, he ought to be held in the highest esteem among the Colossians.

A minister of Christ. The diakonos, Minister, which is used in the Greek text, is not employed in this place for the special office of taking care of the widows of the poor, to which duty the seven were chosen, Acts 6:3.; but in a larger sense, it is put for any dispenser of the divine word; so that sometimes it comprehends the apostles themselves, as in 1 Corinthians 3:5, Who is Paul, or who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed? But waiving any remark upon the word, let us inquire into the dignity of the office itself. A minister of Christ; that is, a minister of the supreme king of heaven, of earth, and hell. Not even angels disdain to minister to and serve this Lord.

But a minister in what? (for this also adds much to the dignity of the ministry.) Not in any mean or abject business, but in the dispensation of the most precious treasure, namely, the gospel of grace. Among the ministers of kings, the treasurer is accounted one of the most honorable: how much honor therefore should people attach to those, through whom the treasure of the grace of the gospel is dispensed to men? Such a minister was Epaphras; and therefore, worthy of being loved and honored by the Colossians.

From this title which is given to preachers of the word, many things may be deduced. 1. That, since they are the ministers of Christ, they may not be despised, or injured with impunity, by any man. David avenged the injury done to his embassadors by the Ammonites, in shaving their beards and cutting off their garments; how much more shall Christ avenge his embassadors and ministers, if any thing be done against them injuriously or contumeliously, by Ammonites amongst us.

2. That, since they are ministers of this heavenly king, it behooves them not to set their hearts upon temporal advantages, but to look for a heavenly reward. This splendid recompense Christ promises to his servants, The wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever. Upon this crown Paul had his thoughts ever fixed, There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.

A faithful minister of Christ. This in a special manner conduces to the praise of Epaphras. It is a great thing to be a minister of Christ,—a dispenser of the gospel; but as the apostle speaks, It is required in stewards, or ministers, that every one be found faithful. This faithfulness is particularly to be noted in two things:

1. In this, that a minister should always regard the honor of his Lord, not his own glory. But he regards the honor of God, who so speaks as the oracles of God, that God in all things may be glorified; and he seeks his own glory who so speaks that he may please vain men, and be commended by them either on account of genius, or learning, or eloquence. Concerning this desire of vainglory, Paul says to the Galatians, Do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. A wholesome admonition to preachers is that direction of Prosper: "Let them not in preaching place their confidence in splendid diction; but in powerful effects. Let them not be gratified by the acclamations of the people, but by their tears; nor let them aim at eliciting applause, but sighs."

2. The faithfulness of a minister is apparent in this, that he not only advances his Master's glory, but promotes with all his power, the benefit and safety of the people committed to him. This they do by watching over the flock; by distributing to them the food of their souls seasonably; by dispensing milk to babes, and strong meat to the more advanced; and to sum up all in a word, by never omitting, through indolence, to do or speak whatever may be necessary to the salvation of the people; nor to teach or do any thing, by any act of treachery, which may be hostile to their salvation. We have an illustrious specimen of this faithfulness in Paul, who, with a bold confidence, could declare concerning himself, I seek not mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. But to exhibit this faithfulness, it will be needful for every one constantly to propose to himself these three circumstances: Who? What? To whom?

Who he is, let him first of all carefully consider. He is not a private man, nor free, and master of himself; but an embassador and servant of Christ: wherefore it behooves the pastor not to indulge in ease and pleasure, but to prosecute, with all diligence, the business laid upon him.

What he has undertaken to handle, he should most seriously think with himself; namely, the Word of God, and the Sacraments of Christ. Either to conceal the former, or in any manner to adulterate it, is a gross impiety; to cast the latter before dogs and swine, or deny them to the children, is the greatest sacrilege.

To whom all these things are to be administered, let him consider in the last place:—To the sheep of Christ, to his brethren, to the children of God; to those whom Christ redeemed, not with silver and gold, but with his precious blood. He who shall lose even one poor soul of these by his unfaithfulness, it were better for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

But here it may be asked, Why in extolling Epaphras, the apostle should mention only his faithfulness, not his wisdom; when each is required in the dispensation of the divine word? as it is said in Matt. xxxiv. 45, Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath appointed over his household?

It is answered, First, because these two qualities are connected and joined with each other, so that true faithfulness cannot exist unless wisdom also be with it, which teaches and shows what is required from a faithful man: for wisdom is the eye of every virtue.

Secondly, that by the way he might check those new and false teachers in the church of the Colossians, who affected a show of wisdom, whilst at the same time they divested themselves of all regard to fidelity. He therefore calls Epaphras a faithful minister of Christ, that he might oppose him to those in whom an opinion of their own wisdom predominated, when, nevertheless, they were unfaithful towards Christ.

For you. After the apostle had commended Epaphras on the ground of his vocation itself, that he was a minister of Christ; and on the ground of the character of his ministry, that he was a faithful minister; he now adds what greatly conduced to conciliate their love to him, for you—for your good, for your salvation.

From the design, therefore, and end of the ministry, he shows that honor is due to a minister from his flock: for Epaphras is not a minister of Christ for himself, but for others, namely, the Colossians. Hence arises a useful and necessary lesson, which can never be sufficiently learnt by the laity.

Although a Christian people are bound to love and honor all ministers, yet each flock ought to cherish with especial love those who are set over them in particular. So Paul, We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake.