Newspaper Article

HELPERS DESERVE A HAND

REV. CARL HOLLAND Guest Columnist

1991

Overview

Again in 2 Timothy 4:12, [Paul] has him running as a trouble- shooter to Ephesus for him. Not mentioned in Colossians, but in 2 Timothy we find Titus was off and running for Paul too, as his job was that of a trouble-shooter for the Apostle. Also in the Colossians letter we find Onesimus mentioned. He is called a \"faithful and beloved brother.\" In fact, Onesimus was the runaway slave of Philemon who had found Paul and gotten his life straightened out. Onesimus was now a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother to both Paul and Philemon. Next Paul mentions Aristarchus. He and Gaius, who is not mentioned here, ran into Paul in Ephesus. They were seized by a mob after the hassle over the drop in sales of the silver shrines of the Ephesians' goddess Diana. Aristarchus and Gaius were dragged into the coliseum and beaten before the wild mob was quieted. Here, in Colossians, we find Aristarchus standing with Paul again when he's in hot water, as Paul calls him \"my fellow prisoner.\"

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