Colossians 4:10–14

Colossians 4:10 — Aristarchus and Mark Paul opens his farewell greetings by identifying Aristarchus as his "fellow prisoner" (Greek: synaichmalōtos), a term that carries genuine weight: Aristarchus was not a volunteer visitor but a man who had shared Paul's chains. He appears in Acts 19:29 as a Macedonian from Thessalonica who was dragged into the theater during the Ephesian riot, and again in Acts 27:2 as a companion on Paul's sea voyage to Rome. The designation "fellow prisoner" is, in the Catholic tradition, a mark of honor — a participation in the suffering of Christ (cf. Col 1:24).

Mark is identified as "the cousin of Barnabas" — a significant detail, because this is almost certainly John Mark, the young man whose earlier desertion of Paul's first missionary journey caused the sharp dispute between Paul and Barnabas recounted in Acts 15:36–39. Now Paul explicitly rehabilitates him, instructing the Colossians to "receive him." This is a theologically charged act of reconciliation. The Church Fathers noted that Mark's restoration mirrors the pattern of Peter's restoration after his denial. Jerome, who himself translated Mark's Gospel and wrote a life of Mark in De Viris Illustribus, understood this greeting as proof that Mark had matured into a trustworthy minister of the Word.

Colossians 4:11 — Jesus called Justus This otherwise unknown figure is distinguished by Paul with a remarkable phrase: he and the other Jewish Christians named here are Paul's "only fellow workers for God's Kingdom who are of the circumcision." The Greek ek peritomēs ("of the circumcision") identifies them as Jewish Christians — a minority in Paul's largely Gentile missionary circle at this moment of his imprisonment. Paul calls them "a comfort" (paragoreia), the only use of this term in the New Testament, suggesting a deep personal solace. The phrase "workers for God's Kingdom" (sunergoi eis tēn basileian tou theou) is significant: the Kingdom is not Paul's project but God's, and these men are co-laborers (sunergoi) within it — a Pauline emphasis on the shared, collaborative, and essentially divine ownership of the Church's mission.

Colossians 4:12 — Epaphras the intercessor Epaphras, identified as "one of you" — a Colossian himself — is likely the founder of the Colossian church (cf. Col 1:7). Paul describes him as a "servant of Christ" (doulos Christou Iēsou), the same term Paul uses of himself in Philippians 1:1. His defining activity is prayer: he is "always striving" (pantote agōnizomenos) for the Colossians. The word agōnizomenos (from which we get "agonize") is an athletic metaphor: Epaphras wrestles in prayer as an athlete in competition. His specific intercession — that the Colossians "may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God" — directly echoes the great Christological prayer of Colossians 1:9–12, forming an inclusio that frames the entire letter with intercession. The word teleios ("perfect/mature") and plērophorēmenoi ("fully assured/complete") together describe not moral perfection but robust theological maturity and total alignment with God's will.

Colossians 4:13 — Epaphras and the Lycus Valley churches Paul's personal testimony about Epaphras ("I testify about him") gives apostolic weight to his pastoral credibility. The mention of Laodicea and Hierapolis alongside Colossae situates these greetings within a network of sister churches in the Lycus Valley. Laodicea appears again in Col 4:16, where Paul arranges an exchange of letters. This triangular pastoral care — one man interceding for three congregations — anticipates the early Church's understanding of episcopal and presbyteral solidarity across communities.

Colossians 4:14 — Luke and Demas Luke, "the beloved physician," receives perhaps the most affectionate personal description Paul gives anyone in his letters. This identification, combined with the strong ancient tradition linking the author of the Third Gospel and Acts to Paul's missionary circle, has been treasured by the Church since Irenaeus (Adversus Haereses III.1.1). The adjective agapētos ("beloved") is the same word used of the Son at Christ's Baptism, suggesting a depth of spiritual fraternity. Demas, mentioned without further comment here, stands in shadow: 2 Timothy 4:10 will reveal that he "deserted" Paul, "having loved this present world." His quiet appearance here makes the later tragedy all the more poignant — a sober reminder that proximity to the apostle does not guarantee perseverance.

Catholic tradition reads these greetings not as a postscript but as a window into the Church's essential nature as communio — a communion of persons united by charity and mission. The Second Vatican Council's Lumen Gentium (§7) teaches that the Church is the Body of Christ, in which every member contributes to the whole. These six co-workers illustrate that teaching concretely: the prisoner (Aristarchus), the rehabilitated (Mark), the obscure faithful (Justus), the intercessor (Epaphras), the healer (Luke), and the wavering (Demas) — together they represent the full human spectrum of discipleship.

The figure of Epaphras is particularly significant for the Catholic theology of intercession. His agōnizomenos prayer mirrors what the Catechism calls "the battle of prayer" (CCC §2725), a combat against distraction, dryness, and discouragement. The Church's tradition of contemplative orders — monks and nuns who "always strive" in intercessory prayer for the universal Church — finds a scriptural archetype in Epaphras. St. John Chrysostom, commenting on this verse in his Homilies on Colossians, marveled that Epaphras prays not for one city but for three, calling him a model of expansive pastoral charity.

The rehabilitation of Mark speaks to the sacramental reality of repentance and restoration. Augustine, drawing on Mark's story alongside Peter's, emphasized that the Church is a Church of sinners being healed, not a society of the perfect — a truth crystalized in the Council of Trent's teaching on the Sacrament of Penance (Session XIV). Demas, conversely, stands as a warning consonant with the Council of Trent's teaching that perseverance is a gift not to be presumed upon (Session VI, Canon 16).

For the contemporary Catholic, these verses pose a quietly demanding question: whose name would Paul write beside yours? Aristarchus chose to share a prisoner's chains; Epaphras wrestled in prayer for three communities he loved; Luke stayed when others drifted. Each of these men made a specific, costly, identifiable contribution to the mission of the Church.

In a culture that celebrates individualism and spiritual self-sufficiency, this passage invites Catholics to examine the concreteness of their ecclesial participation. Epaphras is not praying vague, formulaic prayers — he is agonizing for named people in named places. This challenges Catholics to move beyond generic intentions toward specific, sustained intercession for their parish, their diocese, and their bishop.

The story of Mark also speaks urgently: many Catholics carry wounds from earlier failures in faith or ministry. Paul's explicit instruction — "receive him" — is the Church's perennial word to those who have stumbled. No one is permanently disqualified from co-working in the Kingdom. And Demas warns that spiritual proximity — attending Mass, serving on committees, being known by name in the community — is not the same as perseverance. The interior disposition must be nurtured continuously.