Introduction: We’ve come to the final study in this series of lessons. This is Paul’s farewell to the members of the church at Colossae. 
The way in which Paul describes his coworkers is a lesson for all of us. When you are discussing someone you know, do you also mention the bad things about them? Or do you keep it positive? Let’s dive into our study of the Bible and see what we can learn!
I. Tychicus
A. Read Colossians 4:7-8. Do you think the members of the church at Colossae knew Tychicus? (It does not sound like they do.)
B. Read Ephesians 6:21-22. Is reporting about Paul and encouraging the members a standard role for Tychicus?
- What conclusion do you reach when you see that Paul wrote essentially the same thing about Tychicus to two of the churches?
II. Onesimus
A. Read Colossians 4:9. How does Paul describe Onesimus?
- Does it appear that the Colossians know Onesimus? (Yes. Paul says that he is “one of you.” Meaning one of those from Colossae.)
B. Read Philemon 1:10-12 and Philemon 1:15-18. What is Paul telling us about Onesimus? (That he is a runaway slave. Paul is sending him back to his master. But Paul writes that he is Paul’s “heart.” Paul loves Onesimus and looks on him as if he were a child of Paul.)
C. Look again at Colossians 4:9. Would you have written this introduction the same way?
- Or would you mention that Onesimus is a runaway slave?
- What point do you think Paul is making when he describes Onesimus as “one of you.” (Paul might simply be saying that Onesimus is from the same town. But he more likely is saying that Onesimus is a fellow Christian, and not a slave.)
III. Aristarchus
A. Read Colossians 4:10. What is the relationship between Paul and Aristarchus? (They are both prisoners.)
B. Read Acts 19:29-31. What has happened to Aristarchus, and what does Paul want to do about it? (The context is that Paul has been preaching about Jesus in Ephesus, a riot starts in defense of Artemis, the local goddess, and Aristarchus is caught and dragged by the rioters. Paul wants to rush in and save Aristarchus, but his coworkers think this is a bad idea.)
C. Read Acts 27:1-2. What kind of bonding relationship does Aristarchus have with Paul? (He is in prison with Paul more than once. He suffered at the hands of the rioters who were most likely looking for Paul. You might say that he is always in the danger zone when bad things happen to Paul.)
IV. Mark and Barnabas
A. Read again Colossians 4:10. Who were the Colossians acquainted with, Mark or Barnabas? (The fact that Paul calls Mark the cousin of Barnabas, tells us that they knew (or at least knew about) Barnabas.)
- Why would Paul be uncertain whether Mark would come?
- What kind of instructions do you think Paul sent regarding Mark?
B. Read Acts 15:36-40. What is John Mark’s history when it comes to being committed to the gospel work? (He had previously turned away. Paul and Barnabas disagreed about giving him another chance.)
C. What does Colossians 4:10 reveal to us about the motivation of Barnabas in this dispute? (John Mark is family. I suspect this fact especially influenced Barnabas, and perhaps it also affected Paul’s view of the dispute.)
- Do you think this is why Paul is uncertain about whether Mark will show up to work with the Colossians? (Read 2 Timothy 4:11. This shows us that John Mark has now become a trusted helper.)
- Do you hold grudges against those who have let you down before? (The key here is that Mark has proven himself to be “very useful.” If a church member regularly lets me down by failing to do what the member promised to do, I stop asking that member for help. This is not holding a grudge, it is doing what is best for the church.)
V. Justus and the Judaizers
A. Read Colossians 4:11. What does Paul mean by the phrase, “men of the circumcision?” (He means that they are Jewish, just as Paul is Jewish.)
- Who is Paul referencing? (The commentators disagree, but Adam Clarke writes that Paul is referring to Aristarchus, John Mark, and Justus.)
- Why is this comment appropriate? Paul previously wrote in Colossians 3:11 that these kinds of distinctions in the church are not appropriate? (Paul is making a different point. There was a general hostility about converting Gentiles, and a dispute over how “Jewish” the Gentile converts needed to become. Paul tells us that these men of Jewish heritage supported him.)
B. Look again at Colossians 4:11. What do you conclude from Paul stating that these “are the only men” of Jewish heritage supporting him? (Paul seems discouraged by this fact.)
VI. Epaphras
A. Read Colossians 4:12-13 and Colossians 4:16. What kind of a minister is Epaphras, who struggles when he prays? (According to the Popular New Testament commentary, the title Paul uses for Epaphras, “servant of Christ Jesus,” is special. Paul only uses it to describe himself, and once, to describe Timothy.)
- Is struggling in prayer a good thing? (Yes! This kind of prayer will help the Colossians “stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” Do not give up praying urgently for others.)
a. What do you think it means to stand mature and fully assured regarding the will of God? (The Holy Spirit has aided you to have confidence in your understanding of God’s will.)
B. In verses 13 and 16 Paul refers to the church in Laodicea. Read Revelation 3:14-17. Does the church in Laodicea have the same kinds of problems as the church in Colossae? (No. Laodicea is complacent and spiritually blind. The Colossians have a church that is basically healthy but is fighting false teaching.)
- So why would Paul tell the Colossians to share their letter with the Laodiceans? (They were neighboring cities in the Lycus Valley.)
- Wait a minute! Why would geography be the best answer, or even a good answer? (Geography by itself cannot be the only answer. Not everyone in a single church has the same spiritual struggles. While complacency might not have been the defining characteristic of the Colossians, it is likely that some members had this problem.)
VII. Luke and Archippus
A. Read Colossians 4:14. Why would Paul need a physician when miracles abounded in the early church? (Physicians know that their role is to aid the body in healing itself. Whether the miracle is slow or fast, God is the author of healing.)
B. Read Colossians 4:17. Who is Archippus? (Read Philemon 1:1-2. We know almost nothing about Archippus, except that he is a fellow worker with Paul.)
C. Read Colossians 4:18. Think about the way Paul closes his letter to the Colossians. What is the importance of this part of his letter being written in his own hand? (It authenticates the letter.)
- Why would Paul write about his chains? (Perhaps the chain was around his right wrist, making it more difficult for him to write.)
- Why are Paul’s last words about grace? (It is the most important point of his letter to the Colossians. We are saved by grace alone.)
D. Friend, Paul wrote this letter in part because of his concern that the members of the church in Colossae were threatened by those who argued that works made them fit to be saved. Paul wrote to them (Colossians 1:22) that Jesus presents us as “holy and blameless and above reproach” before God. Will you accept God’s grace right now?
VIII. Next week: We begin a new series of lessons on “Growing in a Relationship with God.”
Copr. 2026, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.
