Who is Your Epaphras?

I was thinking about my blog series over Colossians 3 from a couple of years back. I am considering expanding this Bible Study to cover the entire book. So, today, I was carefully reading chapter one and thinking through various sections of the chapter. While doing so, a phrase in verse 7 stuck out. As Paul is introducing his letter to the church at Colosse, he refers to his faithful companion mentioned throughout his letters, his friend and co-laborer, Epaphras.

Paul reminds the believers at this church that is was Epaphras who shared the gospel message with them, and Paul acknowledges his labor of love for the Colossian believers.

Paul states, “You learned it from Epaphras….”

That got me thinking…From whom did I ‘learn’ it? Who faithfully shared the gospel message with me some 45 years ago?

I think back on my faithful parents, of course, who shared God’s Word to my brother and me at home and made sure we had the opportunity to hear it at church as well. Then, I remembered faithful Sunday School teachers and other Children’s Ministry workers at our little church in Homestead, Florida. It was a result of all their teaching, their example, and, of course, the wooing of the Holy Spirit that led me to the point of calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:13).  I thank God for those dear folks. Some I have lost contact with, some I may not even remember, others I know have gone on to Heaven, and some continue to be faithful to the Lord to this day!

So, take a minute, and think…Who is the Epaphras in YOUR life? Paul encouraged the Colossians to be thankful to God for Epaphras... so take a moment to thank God for the Epaphras in your life! (And, yes, there may be more than one, but I didn’t want to ‘fight’ with the proper way to make an ‘s’ ending word plural!   Epaphrases?).

And, when we flip the coin, consider this…Have YOU had the opportunity to be an Epaphras in someone else’s life? Maybe you haven’t directly had the opportunity to lead someone to the Lord, but according to 1 Corinthians 3:6, I trust you have had a part!

Thank you “Miss Carroll” and “Uncle Joe”!

Be an Epaphras!

Debbie