Colossians 4:13 – Much Toil for Them

12 Greeting you is Epaphras, who is one of you, a slave of Christ Jesus, always struggling for you in prayers, (…) 13 For I am testifying of him that he has much misery over you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis.

In the preceding verse, Paul portrayed Epaphras as someone who was continually struggling for the Colossians in his prayers. That this was no exaggerated characterization, Paul now confirms from his own observation: “For I am testifying of him…” He experienced Epaphras at close range and saw how deeply the situation of the believers affected him. Epaphras had “much toil” because of them.

The word for “toil” is ponos, a word that speaks of exertion that comes at a cost. This also explains the “struggling” (agōnizomai) of the previous verse. Epaphras knew of the dangers threatening the Colossians. People were trying to carry them off as spoil through deceptive philosophy and tradition (2:8). Although Epaphras was not present with them, he was intensely involved in that spiritual struggle.

Alongside Colossae, Paul also names Laodicea and Hierapolis, two nearby places, respectively 15 and 20 kilometers from Colossae. Apparently the same thing was happening in these places, or there was reason for the same concern. From a distance Epaphras could do little for them directly, but the threat would not let him go. Therefore he struggled for them in his prayers. And Paul, with whom he was staying, could testify to this from his own observation.

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