Say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” Colossians 4:17
And to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house. Philemon 2
Archippus may have been Philemon’s son, but from what Paul tells him to do, he was no doubt “Paul’s son” also, worthy of motivation as a key figure in the Colossian church. He may very well have been its new young pastor filling Epaphras’ shoes, and he’d be the one to teach and implement what Paul had just written. His name means “horse ruler,” so this might also be a hint that he was indeed in charge.
What Paul knew about Archippus had to have come from Epaphras, and he would, of course, have a personal opinion about him. It seems that his “take” on the young man was good, but a tough challenge lay before him that proved to be daunting for his predecessor. But in Philemon 2, he’s described as a “fellow soldier,” so he had already demonstrated courage under fire.
Paul doesn’t use a particularly strong word like “charge” or “command” in his opening to Archippus, but says, “tell him” to “take heed.” The emphasis of this exhortation is the description of the ministry as “from the Lord.” This ministry was important enough for Archippus to essentially get Paul’s final personal admonition in his letter. These brief instructions would surely give him pause and drive him to his knees. It would me. As Christ did on the cross completing his mission, so was Archippus to do in his own way in the Colossian church. Timothy, who was with Paul at the time (Colossians 1.1, Philemon 1) would be similarly called to action in the years ahead.
But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:5
I’ve long thought Archippus was called on the carpet by Paul, that he wasn’t doing what he should be doing. Now, I don’t think so. He wasn’t pulling him off the field, or putting him on a short leash, but confidently sending him back into a close game to quarterback the church to victory.
Leave a Reply