Colossians 1:7

As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
As	καθὼς kathōs	G2531	just (or inasmuch) as · conjunction
ye	ἐμάθετε emathete	G3129	to learn (in any way) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 2nd person plural
also	καί kaí	G2532	and
learned	μανθάνω manthánō	G3129	to learn (in any way)
of	ἀπὸ apo	G575	"off · preposition
Epaphras	Ἐπαφρᾶ Epaphra	G1889	Epaphras · noun — genitive singular masculine, a proper name
our	ἡμῶν hēmōn	G2257	of (or from) us
dear	ἀγαπητοῦ agapētou	G27	beloved · adjective — genitive singular masculine
fellowservant	συνδούλου sundoulou	G4889	a co-slave · noun — genitive singular masculine
who	ὅς hos	G3739	the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun · relative pronoun — nominative singular masculine
is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
for	ὑπὲρ huper	G5228	"over" · preposition
you	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you
faithful	πιστὸς pistos	G4103	objectively · adjective — nominative singular masculine
minister	διάκονος diakonos	G1249	an attendant · noun — nominative singular masculine
Christ	Χριστοῦ, Christou	G5547	anointed · noun — genitive singular masculine, a title

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Colossians 4:12 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…
Philemon 1:23 There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;
Colossians 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord:
Hebrews 2:17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things per…
1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also…
Hebrews 3:2 Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
Numbers 12:7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 1:3-8

Here he proceeds to the body of the epistle, and begins with thanksgiving to God for what he had heard concerning them, though he had no personal acquaintance with them, and knew their state and character only by the reports of others. I. He gave thanks to God for them, that they had embraced the gospel of Christ, and given proofs of their fidelity to him. Observe, In his prayers for them he gave thanks for them. Thanksgiving ought to be a part of every prayer; and whatever is the matter of our rejoicing ought to be the matter of our thanksgiving. Observe, 1. Whom he gives thanks to: To God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In our thanksgiving we must have an eye to God as God (he i…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 1:7

As ye also learned--"Also" is omitted in the oldest manuscripts. The insertion implied that those inserting it thought that Paul had preached the Gospel to the Colossians as well as Epaphras, Whereas the omission in the oldest manuscripts implies that Epaphras alone was the founder of the Church at Colosse. of--"from Epaphras." dear--Greek, "beloved." fellow servant--namely, of Christ. In Plm 1:23 he calls him "my fellow prisoner." It is possible that Epaphras may have been apprehended for his zealous labors in Asia Minor; but more probable that Paul gave him the title; as his faithful companion in his imprisonment (compare Note, see on Col 4:10, as to MEYER'S conjecture). who is for…

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Adam Clarke on Colossians 1:7

As ye also learned of Epaphras - who is for you - Who this Epaphras was we cannot tell; only it is likely that he was a Colossian, and became, by the call and grace of Christ, a deacon of this Church, faithfully labouring with the apostle, to promote its best interests. Some think that he is the same with Epaphroditus, Epaphras being a contraction of that name, as Demas is of Demetrius; and it is remarkable that one of the Slavonic versions has Epaphroditus in this place. That he was a Colossian is evident from Col 4:12 : Epaphras, who is one of you, ὁ εξ ὑμων· some think that he was the first who preached the Gospel among this people, and hence called an apostle. He was raised up among th…

The Church Fathers

Ver. 7. "Even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant." He, it is probable, had preached there. "Ye learned" the Gospel. Then to show the trust-worthiness of the man, he says, "our fellow servant." "Who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit." Doubt not, he saith, of the hope which is to come: ye see that the world is being converted. And what need to allege the cases of others? what happened in your own is even independently a sufficient ground for belief, for, "ye knew the grace of God in truth:" that is, in works. So that these two things, viz. the belief of all, and your own too, confirm the things that are to come. Nor was the fact one thing, and what Epaphras said, another. "Who is," saith he, "faithful," that is, true. How, "a minister on your behalf"? In that he had gone to him. "Who also declared to us," saith he, "your love in the Spirit," that is, the spiritual love ye bear us. If this man be the minister of Christ; how say ye, that you approach God by angels? "Who also declared unto us," saith he, "your love in the Spirit." For this love is wonderful and steadfast; all other has but the name. And there are some persons who are not of this kind, but such is not friendship, wherefore also it is easily dissolved.
— John Chrysostom, Homily on Colossians 1

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Colossae — Or Colosse, a city of Phrygia, on the Lycus, which is a tributary of the Maeander. It was about 12 miles above Laodicea, and near the great road from Ephesus to the Euphrates, and was consequently of…
Colossians, Epistle to the — Was written by Paul at Rome during his first imprisonment there (Acts 28:16, 30), probably in the spring of A.D. 57, or, as some think, 62, and soon after he had written his Epistle to the Ephesians.…
Epaphras — 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…
Minister — One who serves, as distinguished from the master. (1.) Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Ex. 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2…
Colosse (Colossae) · A city of Phrygia — A city of Phrygia
Epaphras · A co-laborer with Paul — A co-laborer with Paul
Faithfulness · Exemplified: Epaphras — Exemplified: Epaphras

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Colossians 1:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 1:3-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 1:7

Adam Clarke on Colossians 1:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Colossians 1:7

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Colossians 1:3-8

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Colossians 1:7

Adam Clarke on Colossians 1:7

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Gill on Colossians 1:7

John Calvin on Colossians 1:1-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Colossians 1:7