Colossians 4:11 – These Alone

10 Aristarchus, my fellow captive, greets you, and Mark (…) 11 and Jesus, termed Justus, who are of the Circumcision. These are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who became a solace to me.

After Aristarchus and Mark, Paul names, as a third, a certain Jesus who is called Justus. Since he names these three as the only fellow workers from the Circumcision, Justus necessarily belongs in that enumeration as well. The small number of fellow workers “from the Circumcision” who became a solace to him is illustrative of Paul’s ministry. His evangel is directed to the nations, since Israel as a nation, apart from a believing remnant, remained unbelieving.

Paul calls these three “fellow workers for the kingdom of God.” By phrasing it this way, a striking contrast emerges. While the Circumcision as a whole opposed the Kingdom, these three believers from the Circumcision worked for it. Not to reveal the Kingdom on earth, but, on the contrary, to help make known its secret (1:27; 4:3).

The Greek word for “solace” (Gr. paregoria) occurs only once in the New Testament. It speaks of encouragement, relief, and renewed courage. It is no coincidence that this Greek word lived on for centuries in the English paregoric, the name of a remedy that brought relief and calm. These three fellow workers not only stood by Paul in practical ways but were also a source of solace to him during his imprisonment.

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