Colossians 4:10 – My Fellow Captive

10 Greeting you is Aristarchus, my fellow captive, and Mark, cousin of Barnabas…

Paul first mentions Aristarchus, whom he describes as “my fellow captive.” That Greek word occurs only three times in the New Testament. Paul alone uses it (Rom. 16:7; Col. 4:10; Philem. 23). It does not refer to someone who is behind bars, but to someone who has been captured in battle and is being led away. The emphasis is not on a prison, but on sharing together in the struggle and its consequences.

That picture fits Aristarchus strikingly. We first meet him during the uproar in Ephesus, where he is dragged away by the crowd along with another of Paul’s coworkers (Acts 19:29). Later he travels with Paul through Macedonia and Asia (Acts 20:4) and even sails with him to Rome (Acts 27:2). Again and again, we find him at the apostle’s side. He shares not only in Paul’s work, but also in the struggle that this ministry entails.

Elsewhere, Paul speaks of the fight of faith and calls for it to be fought as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3). Against that background, the title “fellow captive” takes on special significance. Aristarchus was not merely a coworker or traveling companion, but a fellow combatant who shared Paul’s lot.

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