Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Epaphras. He was apostle and bishop of the Colossians, as has been observed. It was he who engaged St. Paul to write to them, fearing lest they should give themselves up to the novelties of the false apostles, after having received the gospel from him in all its purity. (Calmet)
And he says, “always striving for you in prayers.” He did not write simply “praying,” but “striving,” trembling and fearing. “For I bear him witness,” Paul says, “that he has much zeal for you.”
In the commencement of this Epistle also, he commended this man for his love; for even to praise is a sign of love; thus in the beginning he said, Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit. Colossians 1:8 To pray for one is also a sign of love, and causes love again. He commends him moreover in order to open a door to his teachings, for reverendness in the teacher is the disciples' advantage; and so again is his saying, one of you, in order that they might pride themselves upon the man, as producing such men. And he says, always striving for you in prayers. He said not simply praying, but striving, trembling and fearing. For I bear him witness, he says, that he has much zeal for you. A trustworthy witness. That he has, he says, much zeal for you, that is, that he loves you exceedingly; and burns with passionate affection for you. And them in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. He commends him to those also. But whence were they to know this? They would assuredly have heard; howev...
