Tying Up Loose Ends – Colossians 4:12-18

Tying up loose ends. That’s what it seems Paul is doing here. The term loose ends refers to the ends of a rope, string, or cable that need to be fastened. Most sources speculate that the term loose ends, and the longer expression tying up loose ends, is of nautical origin. If a sailor needed to prepare his boat for departure, he had many things to do. One of the minor details was making sure to tie any untied strings on board the ship.

Paul needs to reinforce several things as he closes his letter. He is tying up the loose ends that matter.

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. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.”

I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you. (Colossians 4:12-18, ESV)

Epaphras is the one who first brought the gospel to the Colossians. It seems he was one of them and had come under the influence of Paul and his preaching of the gospel, been saved, and wanted his people in Colossae to also know this wonderful news. But he is with Paul right now, as Paul writes this letter, sharing in Paul’s suffering as he awaits trial in Caesar’s tribunal. Nevertheless, he is constantly laboring, as Paul is, on behalf of the Colossians, “struggling” Paul says, on their behalf in prayer. And certainly some of those prayers are that these believers will not give up the gospel for a false philosophy from the world. Paul calls this a prayer for them to “stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.” Do you know people you are laboring in prayer for that they may become mature in and fully assured of the gospel and God’s will?

Paul wants to affirm Epaphras here because Epaphras is leading the Colossians in the apostolic tradition, the true gospel. And he is also concerned about the Laodiceans and those believers in Hieropolis, cities in the immediate vicinity of Colossae. Epaphras is an evangelist (Ephesians 4:11) who has taken the message to these communities also. This letter, Paul says, will be shared with them, and the one he wrote to the church at Laodicea (our Ephesians?) will be shared with the church in Colossae. We are not isolated communities in Christ. We share with one another in realization that we are one in Jesus Christ, equally parts of His Body. If part of the Body is getting off track we have some responsibility to help them back on the rails, even as Paul and Epaphras are doing for the Colossian believers.

Paul has some, to us, cryptic words for Archippus. Is he the one who has been a leader among the Colossians? Has he in any way been taken in by the false teachings? We don’t know, but he is charged by Paul to fulfill the ministry the Lord Jesus has given him. What ministry has the Lord Jesus given you? Are you pursuing it in His power and with His truth? The sign-off Paul gives the Colossians applies to you and me. In all we do Christ’s grace will be with us if we pursue His ministry.