Message summary: Today let us consider a little referenced man in the Colossian church named Epaphras. He was a New Testament long snapper.

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"We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth; just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit" (Colossians 1:3-8).

Yesterday we wrote about a little-known, but absolutely crucial position on a football team known as the "long snapper"; the player who snaps the ball for point after attempts, punts and field goals. This player is rarely mentioned but his position is vitally important. Just as every position on a football team is important, so is every member in the Body of Christ.

Today we consider a little referenced man in the Colossian church named Epaphras. In fact he is only mentioned with any detail in the letter to the Colossians, although he is also mentioned in Philemon. Today's portion of Scripture is a bit longer since we want you to have some of the background as Epaphras is introduced. He is mentioned twice in this book (also in 4:12) where Paul writes he is "one of you".

Colossae was a city in modern day Turkey (known as Asia Minor in Biblical geography). It can be located here on a Google map and is one of the churches that Paul wrote to in his prison epistles (that is he was in prison when he wrote them).

In today's text we can learn at least four points about Epaphras:

1) "Just as you learned it from Epaphras" Paul acknowledges Epaphras' role as a teacher in the Colossian church. He was the one who taught them the Gospel and foundations of their faith.

There are people like Epaphras in each of our own lives. We  are especially blessed if we have  parents who raised us in a Christ-filled home. Most all of our readers will likely identify believers who were like Epaphras such as a faithful pastor, Sunday School teacher, youth leader, a fellow worker who shared his faith with us, etc. We should, in some fashion, be like an Epaphras in teaching others about the Gospel and the ways of the Lord.

2) "Our beloved fellow bond-servant" Epaphras was with Paul when he wrote this letter as a fellow prisoner (see 4:12).At this time we still have freedom in America and many countries where our messages are read, but there are places today where taking a stand for truth can be costly and lead to imprisonment or worse. May the Lord fortify us to remain faithful should that happen where we live and may He give strength and assurance to our brothers and sisters where it is presently happening.

3) "Who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf". Let the gravity of these four words sink in, "faithful servant of Christ". Faithfulness is not a flashy virtue. So many start the race but over time teeter out, but as you get older you come to know and greatly appreciate the simple character trait of one's faithful service to Christ.

4) "He also informed us of your love in the Spirit" Of course this is primarily a commendation to the church but it also speaks of Epaphras' character. The church had some problems which Paul addressed in his letter in chapter 2 but Epaphras also knew the importance of a good report. There's a lot of bad news in our world which is to be expected when people choose not to walk with God. But it's especially troubling when there is scandal, dissension, or backbiting within the church where people choose to walk with God. May those who attend our House of Worship see the congregation's love in the Spirit of God and for their fellow believers.

Tomorrow we will examine an interesting characteristic of Epaphras found in the second reference to him in this letter. We may not be like a Tom Brady on God's team but we can all be like an Epaphras!

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13