Watch Your Walk, Train Your Talk

So as we close out the book of Colossians, remember the context.

The reason why Paul ends that salutation saying, remember my chains, is because he is experiencing in prison in Rome.

He's really more under house arrest.

He is there awaiting trial before Emperor Caesar, and the reason that he is under arrest is his crime, in quotes, is that he has been preaching that Jesus is Lord and not Caesar is Lord.

And so Paul is going to write from prison this letter to the church in Colossae.

Now, Colossae was an ancient city in what is today on a modern map of Turkey.

And Paul has never met these people to whom he writes.

He has learned about them.

and about some issues that they are facing from their pastor.

His name is Epaphras.

He is mentioned twice in this letter, in chapter 1, and then again here in chapter 4.

Epaphras has come to Rome to visit Paul because Epaphras wants to share with him issues happening back at his home church, and he wants Paul's advice.

So Paul is going to put in writing this letter to be sent back to the church at Colossae to address these issues that are being raised by Epaphras.

Now, interestingly, Epaphras will not be the one to take this letter back to his church.

Paul will single out a guy, and he's mentioned actually here in chapter 4, verse 7.

His name is Tychicus.

Tychicus is actually going to be the courier.

He's going to take this letter back to the church at Colossae and read it to them.

Why is it that Epaphras doesn't go back with this letter himself? The answer is because we learn that Epaphras gets thrown in jail with Paul too.

Paul calls Epaphras in the letter to Philemon, another letter that he writes also from prison, Philemon 1.23, he calls Epaphras, my fellow prisoner.

Now, historians and scholars are divided as to why Epaphras ends up in prison with Paul.

Here he goes just to make a friendly visit.

I've got some issues going on in my church, and he ends up in jail with Paul.

Scholars believe one of two things.

Either Epaphras was also arrested for the same reason Paul was, thrown in prison with Paul, And some scholars believe that Epaphras voluntarily just stays there in prison with Paul to minister to him while Paul is awaiting trial.

So as we close out the book of Colossians, remember the context.

The reason why Paul ends that salutation saying, remember my chains, is because he is experiencing in prison in Rome.

He's really more under house arrest.

He is there awaiting trial before Emperor Caesar, and the reason that he is under arrest is his crime, in quotes, is that he has been preaching that Jesus is Lord and not Caesar is Lord.

And so Paul is going to write from prison this letter to the church in Colossae.

Now, Colossae was an ancient city in what is today on a modern map of Turkey.

And Paul has never met these people to whom he writes.

He has learned about them.

and about some issues that they are facing from their pastor.

His name is Epaphras.

He is mentioned twice in this letter, in chapter 1, and then again here in chapter 4.

Epaphras has come to Rome to visit Paul because Epaphras wants to share with him issues happening back at his home church, and he wants Paul's advice.

So Paul is going to put in writing this letter to be sent back to the church at Colossae to address these issues that are being raised by Epaphras.

Now, interestingly, Epaphras will not be the one to take this letter back to his church.

Paul will single out a guy, and he's mentioned actually here in chapter 4, verse 7.

His name is Tychicus.

Tychicus is actually going to be the courier.

He's going to take this letter back to the church at Colossae and read it to them.

Why is it that Epaphras doesn't go back with this letter himself? The answer is because we learn that Epaphras gets thrown in jail with Paul too.

Paul calls Epaphras in the letter to Philemon, another letter that he writes also from prison, Philemon 1.23, he calls Epaphras, my fellow prisoner.

Now, historians and scholars are divided as to why Epaphras ends up in prison with Paul.

Here he goes just to make a friendly visit.

I've got some issues going on in my church, and he ends up in jail with Paul.

Scholars believe one of two things.

Either Epaphras was also arrested for the same reason Paul was, thrown in prison with Paul, And some scholars believe that Epaphras voluntarily just stays there in prison with Paul to minister to him while Paul is awaiting trial.