Meet my son.....Epaphras?

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (Colossians 4:12)

            I have never met an Epaphras. I have met several men named Peter, Paul and Timothy. I know several Johns and even a few Judes, but I do not know an Epaphras. It may be that Epaphras is one of those names that is just too hard to pronounce or unbecoming of our American sensibilities or it could be that we do not really understand the impact of Epaphras’s life in the history of the church?

            Charles Bridges wrote an excellent book on the Christian Ministry. His reflection on Epaphras is a helpful reminder for pastors,

Probably the laborious fervency of Epaphras’ secret exercises were as fruitful as his public work; and who knoweth, but we shall find that our must successful efforts for our people were the hours---not when we were speaking to them from God, but when we were speaking for them to God?[1]

We may be remembered by this world because of our public work, but we may be most effective in our secret exercises in prayer alone with God.

            One day when we stand before God all our labors will be revealed. The world may not remember Epaphras, but his prayers and his life were remembered by God. Dear friends, let us struggle in prayer for our people so that they may stand mature and fully assured in the will of God. We may not name our son’s Epaphras, but let us model his prayerful life for our families, our churches and for the glory of God.

[1] Charles Bridges, The Christian Ministry. Pg 149.