Epaphras was a native of Colossae (Col. 4:12) and the founder of the church in that city. Paul describes him as “a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf” (Col. 1:7), which suggests that he was the one who first brought the gospel to the Colossians.
He is mentioned three times in the New Testament: Colossians 1:7, Colossians 4:12, and Philemon 23. In Philemon, Paul calls him “my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus,” which indicates that he was imprisoned with Paul at some point, possibly in Rome.
The Colossian Church
The church at Colossae was not founded by Paul. It was founded by Epaphras, who had been converted through Paul's ministry in Ephesus during Paul's long stay there (Acts 19:10). This makes Epaphras a key figure in the expansion of Christianity in the Lycos Valley, alongside the churches at Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col. 4:13).
Paul describes Epaphras as “always struggling in prayer” for the Colossians, Laodiceans, and Hierapolitans (Col. 4:12–13). The word Paul uses is agōnizomai — the same word used for athletic competition and for spiritual warfare. Epaphras was not merely a church planter; he was a man of intense prayer.
Later Life
Nothing is known of Epaphras's later life beyond the New Testament references. Tradition holds that he remained in Colossae or returned there after Paul's imprisonment, but the details are uncertain. He is commemorated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church on 30 March.
“ Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.”
Colossians 4:12“ Epaphras our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf.”
Colossians 1:7Sources
- Colossians 1:7; 4:12–13; Philemon 23.
- Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, 31 January 2007.
- F. F. Bruce, The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (NICNT; Eerdmans, 1984), 43–45, 179–181.