Five Notable Men

"Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee; And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellowworkers " (Philemon, verses 23, 24).

It must have been with deep regret that the Apostle Paul parted with Onesimus, and sent him back to Philemon with this remarkable letter, beseeching Philemon to forgive his former slave and receive him back, no longer as a bond-servant, but as a brother beloved. The effectual working of God's grace is strikingly demonstrated in this fugitive slave. He possibly had robbed his master and decamped; and like many another runaway he gravitated to the metropolis and eventually reached Rome. How he came in contact with the Apostle we know not, but there is the possibility that he also was a prisoner chained to a Roman soldier, and that it was in prison that the message of the Gospel reached him. Onesimus had belied his name, which means "profitable," but a mighty change had taken place and the Apostle could refer to him as "the faithful and beloved brother." Philemon would, no doubt, read the letter with many a tear and gladly welcome Onesimus.

But the five men who send their greetings with the letter are worthy of our consideration, and we suggest that we may glean much to our mutual benefit from what is recorded of them in Scripture.

EPAPHRAS

Though little comparatively is said of Epaphras, that little stands to his credit. It is evident that he had been a resident in Colossae, for in the epistle to the saints there he is spoken of as one of them. While residing at Colossae he was no mean exponent of the grace of God ; his life and character being exemplary and giving weight to what he taught. It would seem that his labours were not confined to Colossae, but that he was well known in Laodicea and Hierapolis, neighbouring towns.

Epaphras proved himself a "faithful minister of Christ," not only bearing testimony in the Gospel, but his desire for the saints at Colossae was that they might "stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God" (Colossians 4. 12). Evidently, like the Apostle John he could say, "Greater joy have I none than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth" (3 John verse 4).

But Epaphras is now in Rome and a "fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus." How the Apostle must have been cheered as Epaphras assured him of the progress of the saints at Colossae and of their love in the Spirit.

We are indebted to the Apostle under God, for that revelation of the character of Epaphras which presents an example so worthy of our attention and imitation. How beautiful are the expressions concerning him found in the letter to the Colossians-" always striving" for them in his prayers, "much labour" on their behalf, as also for "them in Laodicea, and for them living in Hierapolis." The character of his prayers stamps him a true bond-servant of Christ Jesus.

As we think of this faithful, serving, praying one, may our hearts yearn to be imitators of him even as he was of Christ.

MARK.

As a young man, John Mark witnessed stirring times in his native city, Jerusalem, and one momentous Passover seems to suggest an epoch in his life. Herod the king had laid hold on James, the brother of John, and put him to death. Peter also apparently had a like fate before him, for he had been arrested and imprisoned. To be identified with "Jesus, the Nazarene," was sufficient cause in those days for persecution and even death. It may have been that some of the many meeting places of the Church (which embraced thousands of saints in Jerusalem) were no longer safe ground. But be this as it may, the house of Mark's mother was evidently a place of assembly, and Acts 12. 12 records a notable occasion when many were assembled and engaged in fervent prayer for Peter. The miraculous release of the Apostle is strikingly associated with the fact recorded in verse 5, "Prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him."

Persecution sometimes brings out the sterling qualities of a man or woman and it may well have been so with Mark, for his lot was cast in days of persecution.

Although Mark failed on one occasion, with serious consequences, yet he nobly served the apostles in difficult and trying times.

Famine had been rampant in Jerusalem, but relief had come to the sorely tried saints, by the hand of Barnabas and Saul (see Acts 11. 27-30). It is evident that John Mark must have manifested some gift, else the Apostles would never have taken him as their attendant. He accompanied them through Cyprus to Perga in Pamphylia. The writer of the Acts of the Apostles tells us in very brief terms that it was at Perga that "John departed from them and returned to Jerusalem" (Acts 13. 13). No explanation is offered--the words are pointed and significant. This retrograde step not only brought dishonour to himself, but, later on, it was responsible for the separation of Paul and Barnabas in the work of the Lord (see Acts 15. 39); the former stoutly refused to take John Mark with them on their second itinerary "and there arose a sharp contention so that they parted asunder."

Mark was a long time ere he regained the confidence of the Apostle Paul, but evidently he did so, for the commendations in Epistles written years after Acts 15. bear witness to the fact that, after his restoration to the work he went forward and was much used under God. Realising his previous failure, he seems to have thrown his whole weight into the work. A fellow-worker "unto the Kingdom of God," is the Apostle Paul's description of him as he writes from prison to the 'Colossians (see Colossians 4. 10, 11), and at a later time Timothy is instructed to take Mark and bring him to Rome for, the Apostle adds, "he is useful to me for ministering" (2 Timothy 4. 11).

Maybe, some of us, like Mark at Perga, have lost our first love and zeal for the things of God. Yet remembering Mark's restoration, shall we not follow his example in that subsequent pathway of restored love and zeal? and, "forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before ... press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3. 13, 14).

unknown | Mar 1933
Five Notable Men