Colossians: Understanding The Mystery
Colossians 4:7-18
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It appears that Tychicus is going to deliver the letter and update the Colossians on Paul's condition. Tychicus is mentioned in Acts 20:4, Ephesians 6:21, Colossians 4:7, 2 Timothy 4:12, and Titus 3:12. In most of these, he appears to be the messenger for Paul, delivering his letters.
In addition to conveying Paul's circumstances (v. 7), Tychicus is also tasked with understanding the condition of the Colossians and providing them with comfort. It's important to recognize that the critical text—derived from a collection of manuscripts with varying ages and degrees of credibility—alters the pronoun "your" in "your estate" to "our," effectively rephrasing verses 7 and 9. While it may seem that no significant doctrine hinges on this change, it should nonetheless concern believers. One of these readings is the true Word of God, and the other is not, plain and simple. As Christians, we cannot afford to be indifferent about which text represents God's Word. This issue highlights the importance of engaging in a serious study of the differences between the Textus Receptus and the critical text. Understanding these differences is essential for defending the integrity of Scripture and ensuring that we are faithfully upholding the true Word of God. Christianity must confront the question of what the Bible truly is, and each of us has a role in that important endeavor.
In this verse, Paul adds the name of Onesimus. From this, we learn that Onesimus is "one of you," presumably a Colossian, though he is currently in Paul's service and company. The job of Tychicus and Onesimus is to "make known unto you all things which are done here," with "here" traditionally, with strong evidence, being a reference to Rome, where Paul was imprissoned.
Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica (Acts 27:2), is referred to by Paul as "my fellowprisoner" in Colossians 4:10. This title strongly suggests that Aristarchus is Jewish, a fact that becomes evident in verse 11. The importance of his Jewishness lies in the historical context: at this time, only Jewish believers were typically imprisoned for their faith. The Gentile world, and particularly the Roman Empire, largely tolerated various religious practices, except during periods of persecution, such as under Nero after the fire of Rome in A.D. 64. (Colossians was written around A.D. 62.) Aristarchus’ identity as a Jew could also be inferred by comparing this passage with Romans 16:7, where Paul refers to others as "my fellowprisoners," possibly indicating the same individuals.
Paul then mentions Marcus, the sister’s son to Barnabas. We know him better as John Mark (see Acts 12:12). John Mark’s Jewish heritage is also significant and ties into the discussion of verse 11.
Modern translations almost uniformly describe Marcus as Barnabas' cousin, but this is not at all incorrect. The Greek word ἀνεψιός (anepsios), from which we derive "nephew," is used here. Although some point out that the word "sister" does not appear in the text, this does not justify interpreting anepsios as "cousin" in the modern sense.
There are two critical points to consider:
Thus, there is stronger textual and etymological support for interpreting anepsios as "sister’s son" rather than "cousin" in the contemporary sense. This interpretation is further supported by older English translations, such as the Geneva Bible, Coverdale Bible, and Bishop’s Bible, all of which use "sisters sonne." The Douay-Rheims Bible uses the phrase "cousin german," reflecting a time when "cousin" still carried its original meaning of "sister’s son."
This analysis serves as a reminder not to hastily dismiss the KJV translators' choices due to differences in modern word usage. A careful examination of etymology and historical usage, as well as a comparison with older translations, often clarifies such issues.