Colossians 4:7 — Three Descriptions of Tychicus

7 All my affairs shall be made known to you by Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful servant and fellow slave in the Lord,

In the closing section of his letter, Paul transitions from his teaching to personal matters. Remarkably, he mentions his personal affairs only in passing. For further news, he directs the readers to Tychicus. Apparently, the apostle does not consider a letter addressed to an ecclesia the appropriate place for extensive personal reports about himself. He limits himself to announcing that Tychicus will inform the believers in Colossae about “all the things” concerning him.

Paul commends Tychicus to the Colossians with three striking descriptions. He does not merely call him a brother, but “a beloved brother,” thereby expressing his deep appreciation and affection for Tychicus. Next, Paul calls him a “faithful servant,” someone he can rely on completely. Finally, he is a “fellow slave in the Lord.” In doing so, Paul does not place himself above Tychicus. Both belong to the same Lord and stand under the same authority.

Remarkably, Paul does not commend Tychicus because of exceptional gifts or impressive achievements. He points to his faithfulness and his place in the Lord. In Scripture, reliability comes before competence. Thus, Tychicus is commended to the believers as someone fully worthy of the apostle’s trust.

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