TOPIC:‌“Thumbnail Sketches of Personal Friends”

‌‌   by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

TEXT:‌Colossians 4:11-14

‌‌“And Jesus, who is called Justus…Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant

‌‌of Christ…Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you” (4:11, 12, 14).

‌Paul's circle of friends enlarges and expands to include Joshua Justus, Epaphras, Luke and Demas. The Greek scholars tell us these companions were the ones who visited Paul during his Roman imprisonment and the very ones who took a personal interest in both his physical and spiritual welfare. I believe that to be correct.

‌Have you ever thought of what it must have been like to be associated with this great missionary of the cross? To have known Paul and have been in close company with him was one of the great honors of these men. They may not always have lived according to the spiritual principles Paul laid down, especially Demas, but even here there is some evidence he came back to Christ at some later date, but a least they were conscious of being in the presence of one who knew Christ intimately.

‌Let us now continue our study of these men Paul mentions in the verses before us.

I.

‌First of all, consider JOSHUA JUSTUS, the JEWISH CONVERT. Paul writes these words: “And Jesus, who is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, who have been a comfort unto me” (4:11).

‌This totally obscure Christian, not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, is put into God's Hall of Fame by being classified by Paul as one of three Hebrew converts who worked and helped him. But though little is known of Justus, his undaunted loyalty to Christ and his unending love for Paul puts him in a special class of people.

‌Justus was a common name given to various Jews such as Joseph Barsabas as found in Acts 1:23 and to a disciple of Corinth as found in Acts 18:7. He is described as being one of Paul's “fellow workers” and “a comfort” to him in the work. Justus was a real encouragement to this great missionary and Paul had a deep feeling of gratitude for him. . . .