Episode 320 - Be A Luke; Not a Demus

The conclusion of the study of Colossians takes place in today's episode.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:28

And welcome back to another episode of Two Brothers One Bible Podcast. We are so happy that you are listening today. People listen all over the world. Do you realize that? Really? We we we have listeners all over the world. Wow. That's pretty impressive. I'm impressed. Yeah. One of the listeners uh happens to be my uh two aunts. Oh. And they're in the world as well. They are. They're in Tennessee even.

SPEAKER_00 0:54

Whoa. I know, that's pretty good, isn't it? Okay, so you so one of one of the listeners is my two aunts?

SPEAKER_02 1:00

One of the listeners, they don't listen together. They listen to, and so they're actually two. It's actually two listeners, yeah. We didn't really structure that sentence all that well. But uh that's that's what I do. It's it's just my Greek background. Okay, it's true. I can't help it. I cannot help it. Well, how are you? I need to say who am I. Welcome to Two Brothers One Bima Podcast. I'm Robert Wakeman. I'm producer. And we just laugh the whole time that we're here. It's just unbelievable how much fun we have uh doing these podcasts, I gotta tell you. Well, we're going to uh attempt to finish Colossians, and I think we can uh do that today. We're gonna be in uh chapter four, verse twelve. Okay. So if you if you could compose yourself for more laughing so hard and try to read the word of the Lord here, that would be awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

I would do it. For starting in verse 12, Ephorus, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea in Heropolis. Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, Demas sends greetings. Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea to Nymphia and the church in her house, and after this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans, and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. Tell Acrippus, see you, see to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord, and I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, remember my chains, grace be with you.

SPEAKER_02 2:50

Alright, so that is the word of the Lord. So we've talked about uh the the Jewish uh pe people that were with Paul in prison there, and now we're gonna talk about the Gentiles. Uh that's how the I think he grouped that very well. And our first one that we're gonna talk about is Ephraus. Yep. Uh and he is the this guy wrote he's the wrestling intercessor. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Yeah. Now this isn't the first time he's been mentioned. Okay he was mentioned in Colossians chapter one, he was in verse seven. Okay. So I'm thinking this is the guy because we from from all we have from the missionary journeys, we have nothing where Paul went to Colossae. Right. So uh he he knew about it. It wasn't too far away from Ephesus, so he he probably heard the story of what's going on at the Church of Colossae from this guy.

SPEAKER_02 3:46

This guy thinks he was the founder of the Colossians Church. Could have been. He could have been. Yeah. Uh because he because of his ties with uh the the church in Colossae. Right. So he could have been the actual founder. And and Paul gives him some more great descriptive words than he's done on the other ones. He he says he's one of you. Yeah. And so that's why this guy seems to think that I mean he may have been the the founder of it. He's a local homegrown guy. There you go. How you like that? I like that. Yeah. And uh he's a servant of Christ. And and then this part he he says here he's always struggling uh on your behalf. Uh and so that that struggling is agonizominos, which is where we get our word agonizing. Yes. Uh so again, free free Greek for you once again. Appreciate it. Yeah, well, you can use that anywhere you go. Okay. Feel free to do that. But you know, he's wrestling in prayer. Yeah. Now that we'll talk about that for a second. Wrestling in prayer.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Yeah, we talked in the previous podcast about prayer and how we don't use it like we should. And so when he uses this word wrestling, it is probably coming from the the games that he used to be a part of when he was a tent maker. Uh it's literally translated to Greek as agony of contest. Okay. So it's that struggle, it's that wrestling with that striving, that persevering, that not giving up, not quitting. Right. And so he's saying, Man, this guy is always going to prayer. He's just relentless at it. And boy, do you want someone in your life who is known for their wrestling in prayer?

SPEAKER_02 5:24

I do want somebody in my life doing that. Because if they're wrestling in prayer, that is such that's a pastoral uh trait. Yeah. Uh you are always in prayer for for a new song. Yeah. Uh for every person that comes here. Uh, we we have a thing that we do once a month and we'll pray over the chairs in in the sanctuary. Yeah. And and we're agonizing to the Father, please fill these chairs up with people that we know and people we don't know.

SPEAKER_00 5:53

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 5:53

We want them to hear the word of God.

SPEAKER_00 5:55

Right.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

And and I I would think as a pastor, that would be something that you would do often for your church.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Yeah, yeah. I mean, because I think that's part of the the role is to petition for your people. I mean, and you don't you don't have to know the needs in detail. We know there's a need. There's a need for them to just be saturated with the love of Christ, to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And for whatever, you know, problems are presented to them that that they would have wisdom, the wisdom of God, that they would be daily in his word, that they would just and so I mean these these are easy things to pray. In fact, in in Ephesians, the the the end of the first chapter, he he talks about seven things that we need to intercede for one another as as people in Christ.

SPEAKER_02 6:44

Exactly. And I think you know, this this whole intercession part of prayer, it we do that a lot. Yeah we we seem and but you know, sometimes it seems that's that's all we do. Yeah. We talked about that in an earlier podcast, how our prayers seem more like Christmas lists instead of uh gratitude or or whatever. Yeah. So uh this guy was an important guy in Colossae. He's local, he's homegrown, he's a servant of Christ, and he's agonizing, he's wrestling in prayer. Those are very, very good traits to him.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Yeah. And then Paul says in the rest of that verse, what what he is actually praying. He's praying that one, they stand firm, right? Second, that they be in the will of God, third, that they be mature and fully assured, or confident that they would be so confident in their faith that they're not gonna waver, they're not gonna drift like it says in Hebrews.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

Well, you and okay, it's so good that you mentioned that because the list is specific.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_02 7:41

I mean, not and I don't want you just to, you know, think about uh of Haphoris as a as a great man of prayer and a local guy, but I want you to pray for him in these ways. I want you to be sure that uh you pray that they they all stand mature with him. Yep. Um and so uh he's worked hard for you. Yeah, uh, but not only physically, but he's working hard spiritually. Exactly. And and when you think of working hard spiritually, wow, what a difference that would make. Yeah. What a difference it would make if we all worked as hard spiritually as Ephraus did. Wouldn't it be something? Well what what what would what would our potential be? He would be unstoppable, we would be unstoppable.

SPEAKER_00 8:18

Yeah, really.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

That's exactly right. Um this guy wrote this that he is the kind of pastor who fights battles on his knees before anyone else wakes up. Love that. That's really good. Yeah. All right, so let's go to verse 14, and we've got two characters that we well at least one that we've heard of before. And and that, and that's Luke and Demas. Yeah. Uh and this guy wrote, it's a tale of two trajectories. Uh Luke is the beloved uh physician, as does Demas. So, you know, we know that Luke is the uh the doctor, he's the historian, he wrote Luke and Acts. Um and he's called beloved here. Um and again, Paul is really surrounding himself with people that he loves.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

Yeah, and who love Paul.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 9:06

So here here's an interesting thing. You know, when when we get to Acts 17, 20, the the pronoun changes. Yes. So it goes from uh more of a a you second person to a first person we. And so Paul Paul and Luke are a part of this, and and probably Eriticus was a part of this too, since he was shipwrecked with with Paul and Luke. And so Luke is a part of the the third missionary journey, and then when you look in Second Corinthians about all the beatings and all the the canings of his feet and the beating in his back and the stoning, he needed a physician with him.

SPEAKER_02 9:52

That's so true. I never thought of that.

SPEAKER_00 9:54

I never did either, Robin.

SPEAKER_02 9:56

Right. That's an excellent point.

SPEAKER_00 9:57

But God granted him, you know, and I'm wondering, you know, we don't know what that thorn in the flesh was, but it it may have just been pain management. Uh and so he had someone to manage his pain. Wow, that's great. Someone to to bind his wound, someone to to put salve on it, someone to to just keep him healthy. And and and so that was Luke.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Right. You know what uh fascinates me about Luke being with Paul is when Paul uh would be bitten by the uh the poisonous viper.

unknown 10:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:29

And and I can see Luke scrambling over here in his little black medicine bag. Okay, I've got the antidote for this right here and everything, and he's fine. Yeah. Or he heals someone that's been blind from birth, or whatever the situation was. And Lucas as a doctor is witnessing all that, and he says, This is amazing.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:47

And that's why when you read Luke, you see a lot of uh a lot of medical things because that's that was his mindset.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 10:56

Yeah. And so I think that's an I've never considered him, though, being the doctor for Paul. That's a great, that's a great thing to think about.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Imagine traveling with your own physician. Oh you know, it's funny. That's what happened.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:11

Oh, that that's that's excellent. And we don't know a whole lot about that other guy.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Well, he's Demas is mentioned in 2 Timothy uh 4 10. Okay. And it says, Demas is forsaken, has forsaken me. Only Luke remains.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Oh, yes. Yeah. Yeah, so he's he's not in the best of light.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Yeah, in verse 14 in Colossians 4, he he's great, but apparently by the time we get to 2 Timothy, he is he's no longer part of the world.

SPEAKER_02 11:38

Yeah. He's yeah, uh that's what 2 Timothy 4 10. Apoll says demas des uh deserted him because he loved this present world. And I think this is a warning for all of us.

SPEAKER_00 11:50

It is, because you know, we're gonna be surrounded, people that we pour into. And uh, you know, uh we we want the best, we want them to grow in Christ, but you know, we're not guaranteed the results. Exactly. And sometimes there's going to be those demises in our life that we really loved, really, you know, we discipled them, we we were there for them, and then they're not there for us.

SPEAKER_02 12:14

Not everyone who starts well finishes well. That is exactly right. And and and I think that's that's the example here. Um and and you want to talk about two this guy wrote it was a tale of two trajectories. Okay. So uh these two men are standing side by side. You got Luke and Demas. Yes. Luke will write scripture while the other one will walk away.

SPEAKER_00 12:38

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 12:40

Two different uh trajectories altogether. Yeah. And and so that that is interesting. Yeah, so Demas is uh he's uh mentioned just those two times that and that's it. So we get to uh verse uh 15 and then we uh we get to the shaken howdy.

SPEAKER_00 12:55

There you go. I like shaking howdy.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

The shaking howdy. Uh give my greetings uh to uh Laosita and Nympha. So uh talk about those uh those right there.

SPEAKER_00 13:08

Well Laosida was close to uh Colossae, uh and so uh it makes sense that he's gonna include that, and he's gonna give us a bit more in verse 16 about this. The nymphia, everything I read, you know, they didn't know really if it was a man or a woman, but they assumed there was a house church. Uh, but obviously, by because Paul names this person, they were a key leader in having a church in their house.

SPEAKER_02 13:35

Yeah, she uh she obviously opened her home and her table and her life for the sake of the gospel. Yeah. So that that's that's pretty strong. Uh finally, in verse 16, we get uh the circulation of the letters. Have this letter read, um, and it goes on to say this and see that it's also read uh from Laodicea. So, like we mentioned, they they're close.

SPEAKER_01 13:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:55

And so he he he wants this letter shared. You know, it's interesting, he didn't say that in the Ephesian letter. No, that I remember. He didn't say go to Laodicea and read this. Yeah, no, yeah. But he says share share this with others. So because they that's what they did, they read them publicly.

SPEAKER_00 14:12

Well, and that I think that's interesting that he mentions that twice in this sentence. So, you know, there there wasn't a lot of literate people in the world, right? You know, they couldn't read, they couldn't write, and so there had to be someone within that church that would read that letter. And so uh and and I imagine, you know, there was probably several Sundays where they met, they would say, Hey, get that letter out from Paul. Let's let's read that again. Yeah. Or, you know, and so they they heard it, and then, you know, Paul stresses here, you know, don't just keep that. You need to share it. And and some say, well, maybe they made a copy of it before they sent it out. Someone, you know, low wrote it out with long hands so they could still have a copy, they could still read it, they sent it on. Uh, and so when it says you in turn read the letter from Laodicea, there's some that wondered, is there a letter to the Church of Laodicea that we don't have? Okay. Or is the letter to the Ephesians uh mislabeled? You know, maybe it was intended for Laodiceans and it but it went to Ephesus. Oh, okay. So it they're not really sure. Um, but I you know, there's other times where were two letters that are talked about to the church at Corinth that we don't have. So Paul was a prolific writer, and what happened to those letters we don't know. We just don't have any idea. Well, this is what I do know. Okay. God has preserved his word for what we need to give us everything we need to grow in Christ.

SPEAKER_02 15:46

Amen to that. That's a great that's a great point. Great point. Uh verse 17, we get to Archipus. I love Archipis, don't you? You know, Archipis is one of my faves because I like saying his name. Oh yeah, who doesn't? If I had if I had another child, I would name him Archipis. There you go. No, I wouldn't name him that. Archie. Archie for short. Well, anyway, he's got a personal charge. See that you fulfilled the the ministry that you've received in the Lord. So this is this is a public, I don't know, it's a it's a public calling out. Uh it's gentle, but it's firm. Yeah. Yeah. Encouraging. And encouraging. Yeah. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 16:26

Well, Archibis is meant mentioned in Philemon, uh, the first verse. Okay. And so it is theorized that Archibis is probably the son of Philemon.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

Oh, I never knew that.

SPEAKER_00 16:39

Yeah. Well, it's okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:41

And did you know that later in life Archibis did heed the words of Paul. He became the bishop of Laodicea.

SPEAKER_02 16:48

Oh, I did not know that.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:50

Look at that. Yeah. Where did you find that? Um, reading. Real?

unknown 16:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:56

Well, thank you for reading. That's very helpful. Well, that's that's awesome. So fulfilled, uh he's he's obviously doing a great work there, but Paul wants him to say, you've got a role, finish it. Be sure you uh keep it going.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

You know, but I I think you know, when when Paul's wrapping up this letter, and and you know, it's it's so different back then. I can't imagine writing on a piece of parchment, you know. So you know you're running out of paper, literally. It's not like you can get another sheet, it's not like if you made a mistake, you you get a new one. Right. It this was an ordeal, and so he's knowing how much and and so for him to mention these people by name means this is important to him.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Yeah, and it's taking up valuable space.

SPEAKER_00 17:41

And he knows Anessism is going to go back to his dad's or to his master's house. Right. And when he thinks about the household of Philemon, he thinks about this young man, his son, who's got an interest in the ministry, and he says, Don't give up.

SPEAKER_02 17:58

Don't give up, keep going, keep going. Which I which I love that. Yeah. I love that he uh really was encouraging him. That then we get to the verse 18 where he says, I Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. And uh that's interesting because he was obviously dictating this to someone.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Yeah, we we think that because he makes a big deal out of this. He mentions this before, and in set 2 Thessalonians 3.17 says, Look with what let large letters I write. Right. And so here's the thinking is is with all those beatings that we talked about, maybe he couldn't see real well, so he wrote large so he could see it. Maybe his hands had been crushed with with rods, and and so he didn't write too well, but he did dictate those letters. Right. But he would want to personally put his own signature upon him. Isn't that great? And so he he writes this line, last line, with his own hand, and he gives this greeting. He says two things, remember my chains, and then grace be with you. Wow. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:04

Is it that you know, he he's asking for intercessory prayer, yeah, and then he's asking God to bless them with grace.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

You know, and I don't think he's he he mentions chains a lot, and we're going like, oh, we're supposed to have a pity party for Paul. And I don't think so. I think when Paul talks about the chains, he's saying, We have such a great faith. It is worthy of going through the hardships, the difficulties, the pain, the suffering, because our Savior did all that for us. Right. I don't mind my chains.

SPEAKER_02 19:37

No, I don't mind that.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

And you shouldn't mind your chains.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

Right, right. And I think that's an important point, and I think that's what he's saying here, too. Remember my chains. We all have chains of some sort. Yeah, and and but we've got the blessings uh of Jesus for what he did for us, that those chains can be removed.

SPEAKER_00 19:55

So be a Luke, don't be a demon.

SPEAKER_02 20:00

That is the name of this episode. I I can just tell you that right now. All right. Well, thank you so much for listening to uh Two Brothers One Bible Podcast. I'm Robert Wakefield. I'm Peter Search. And we have finished Colossians. We did. And that was awesome. And you want to tell them where we're going to go next?

SPEAKER_00 20:15

I would love to. We're gonna go to the wonderful, marvelous, awesome book of James.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

Yes, we are. That is going to be fabulous. So be sure to continue to listen to Two Brothers One Bible Podcast. We really do appreciate it, and God bless.