Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Colossians 4:13
For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them [that are] in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
13. zeal ] Labour, R.V. (so Latin Versions; Wyclif, “ traveil ”), adopting a somewhat better supported reading, of which that represented in A.V. is probably a transcriber’s explanation.
Laodicea ] See on Col 2:1; and Introd. p. 13.
Hierapolis ] The third mission-station in the valley of the Lycus, looking across the river, southward, a distance of about six miles, to Laodicea. See Introd., ch. 1.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For I bear him record – Paul had had abundant opportunity to know what were his feelings in regard to these churches.
A great zeal for you – A great desire to promote your welfare.
And them that are in Laodicea – Laodicea was the capital of Phrygia, and not far from Colossae, There was a church there. See the Introduction, and the notes at Col 4:16.
And them in Hierapolis – This was also a city in Phrygia, and not far from Laodicea and Colossae. It was situated under a hill to the north, and had on the south a large plain about five miles over. On the south of that plain, and opposite to Hierapolis, was Laodicea, with the river Lycus running between them, nearer to Laodicea than to Hierapolls. This place is now called by the Turks Pambuck-Kulasi, or the Cotton-Tower, on account of the white cliffs which lie round about it. It is now utterly forsaken and desolate, but the ruins are so magnificent as to show that it was once one of the most splendid cities in the East. It was celebrated for the hot springs in its vicinity; and on account of the numerous temples erected there, it received the name of Hierapolis, or the holy city. The principal deity worshipped there was Apollo. See Travels by T. Smith. B. D. 1678. Compare the notes at Col 4:16. From the allusion to it here, it would seem that there were Christians there in the time of Paul, though there is no mention of a church there. It is nowhere else mentioned in the New Testament.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 13. He hath a great zeal for you] Instead of , much zeal, ABCD**, several others, with versions and fathers, read , much labour; they are here nearly of the same meaning, though the latter appears to be the better and genuine reading.
Laodicea, and-Hierapolis] These were both cities of Phrygia, between which Colosse, or the city of Colassa, was situated. See Col 2:1. The latter was called Hierapolis, or the holy city, from the multitude of its temples. Apollo, Diana, AEsculapius, and Hygeia, were all worshipped here, as appears by the coins of this city still extant.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you; for, saith the apostle, though I am not privy to his secret prayers, yet I can bear him witness, and do give him mine own testimony, that he hath a most ardent and special affection for you Christians at Colosse.
And them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis; yea, and for those also in your neighbour cities; see the argumeut, and Col 2:1; viz. Laodicea, the last of the seven churches, to whom excellent epistles were written, recorded by John the divine, Rev 1:11; 3:14; and Hierapolis, or the holy city, about six miles distant from the former, say geographers.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
13. a great zealThe oldestmanuscripts and Vulgate have “much labor.”
for youlest you shouldbe seduced (Col 2:4); a motivewhy you should be anxious for yourselves.
them that are in Laodicea . .. Hierapolischurches probably founded by Epaphras, as theChurch in Colosse was. Laodicea, called from Laodice, queen ofAntiochus II, on the river Lycus, was, according to the subscriptionto First Timothy, “the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana”(1Ti 6:21). All the threecities were destroyed by an earthquake in A.D.62 [TACITUS, Annals,14.27]. Hierapolis was six Roman miles north of Laodicea.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For I bear him record,…. The apostle was an eye and ear witness of his fervent prayers, his labour of love, and zealous affection for these saints and others; and therefore, as he judged he ought, he bears a testimony for him,
that he hath a great zeal for you; for their spiritual welfare, that the Gospel might continue with them, and they in that, against false teachers, and their attempts to subvert them; that they might grow in the grace of the Gospel, and walk worthy of it, and be at peace among themselves:
and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis; cities in Phrygia, which lay near to Colosse, the one being situated by the river Lycus, and the other by the Maeander; here were many believers, for whom Epaphras had a like zeal and affections as for the Colossians, and to whom very likely he had been useful, either in conversion or edification, or both. The apostle takes no notice to the Colossians of Epaphras being his fellow prisoner, as, he does in his epistle to Phm 1:23 it may be for this reason, lest they should be over much distressed and cast down with it.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And for them in Hierapolis ( H ). The third of the three cities in the Lycus Valley which had not seen Paul’s face (2:1). It was across the valley from Laodicea. Probably Epaphras had evangelized all three cities and all were in peril from the Gnostics.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
Zeal [] . Read ponon labor, which occurs elsewhere only in Rev 16:10, 11; Rev 21:4, in the sense of pain. Ponov labor is from the root of penomai to work for one’s daily bread, and thence to be poor. Ponov toil, penhv one who works for his daily bread, and ponhrov wicked, have a common root. See on wickedness, Mr 7:22. In their original conceptions, kopov labor (1Co 14:58; 2Co 6:5) emphasizes the fatigue of labor : mocqov hard labor (2Co 11:27; 1Th 2:9), the hardship : ponov the effort, but ponov has passed, in the New Testament, in every instance but this, into the meaning of pain. Hierapolis. The cities are named in geographical order. Laodicaea and Hierapolis faced each other on the north and south sides of the Lycus valley, about six miles apart. Colossae was ten or twelve miles farther up the stream. Hierapolis owed its celebrity to its warm mineral springs, its baths, and its trade in dyed wools. It was a center of the worship of the Phrygian goddess Cybele, 207 whose rites were administered by mutilated priests known as Galli, and of other rites representing different oriental cults. Hence the name Hierapolis or sacred city.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For I bear him record” (marturo gar auto) “For I bear witness to him,” offer testimony to his sincere care for you all in Asia Minor, especially in the Church at Colosse and other churches of the immediate associational area, Job 16:19; Php_1:8; 3Jn 1:12.
2) “That he hath a great zeal for you (hoti echei polun ponon huper humon) “That he has much care or distress on behalf of you.” It is believed that Epaphras had been either founder of or a former teacher in the Church at Colosse, in which capacity he also visited sister churches in Laodicea and Hierapolis.
3) “And them that are in Laodicea” (kai ton en Laodikeia) “and for (on behalf of) the ones in Laodicea;” a sister church near Colosse, perhaps in local association with the Church at Colosse, 2Ti 4:10-11.
4) “And them in Hierapolis “ (kai ton en Hierapolei) and (on behalf of) the ones in Hierapolis,” a mineral springs city about 20 miles northwest of Colosse where a New Testament Church was also located. This indicates that there was an association of Churches in this area of Asia Minor in which both Paul and Epaphras were earnestly interested.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(13) On the natural union of Laodicea and Hierapolis with Coloss, partly local and historical, partly, no doubt, having reference to their conversion by the same instrumentality (of Epaphras), see Note on Col. 2:1 and Introduction. Epaphras is said to have great zeal (properly, great labour) of anxietyfinding vent in the wrestling in prayer noted abovefor all three cities, for which he evidently still felt himself responsible. In such responsibility, as in the charges of Timothy and Titus, we see the link between the apostolate of this period and the episcopacy of the future.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
13. Record This testimony of the apostle was calculated to tenderly touch their hearts and move them to fidelity.
Laodicea See on Col 2:1.
Hierapolis Sacred city so called from the multitude of its temples. It is a city of Phrygia, about six miles north of Laodicea, and about twenty northwest of Colosse. The three were all in the basin of the Maeander. The Church there was probably founded by Epaphras, and exposed to about the same influences with that at Colosse. The place was destroyed by an earthquake A.D. 62, at the same time with Laodicea, and afterward restored. Its modern name is Pambouk-Kalessi, “Cotton Castle,” so called from its beautiful calcareous deposits, that have the appearance of frozen cascades. Mr. Riggs, an American missionary, describes them as consisting of a “deposit of carbonate of lime, white as the driven snow, assuming, when closely examined, various forms, and covering nearly the whole southern and western declivities of the elevation on which Pambouk-Kalessi is built.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Col 4:13 . General testimony in confirmation of the particular statement made regarding Epaphras in . . .; on which account there is the less reason to ascribe to the interpolator the more precise definition of . . ., which is given by . (Holtzmann). The is sufficiently clear and logical.
(see the critical remarks); much toil , which is to be understood of the exertion of mental activity of earnest working with its cares, hopes, wishes, fears, temptations, dangers, and so forth. The word is purposely chosen , in keeping with the conception of the conflict (Col 4:12 ); for is formally used of the toil and trouble of conflict . See Herod, vi. 114, viii. 89; Plat. Phaedr . p. 247 B; Dem. 637. 18; Eur. Suppl . 317; Soph. Track . 21. 169; often so in Homer as Il . i. 467, and Ngelsbach in loc.; comp. Rev 21:4 .
. . . .] Epaphras had certainly laboured in these adjoining towns, as in Colossae, which was probably his headquarters, as founder, or, at least, as an eminent teacher of the churches.
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
13 For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.
Ver. 13. And them that are in Laodicea ] A minister must be like the sun, that shineth not only within its own orb, but illighteneth all round about it and within the reach of it.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
13 .] , an unusual word in the N. T., hence the var. readd., is usual in the toil of conflict in war, thus answering to . above: so Herod. vi. 114, : similarly viii. 89. Plato, Phdr. 247 b, . : Demosth. 637. 18, .
On account of this mention of Laodicea and Hierapolis, some have thought that Epaphras was the founder of the three churches. See Prolegg. ii. 2, 7.
] LAODICEA was a city of Phrygia Magna (Strabo xii. 8, Plin. v. 29: according to the subscription (rec.) of 1 Tim., the chief city of Phrygia Pacatiana), large ( . , , Strabo) and rich (Rev 3:17 ; and Prolegg. to Rev. iii. 13. Tac. Ann. xiv. 27: ‘Laodicea, tremore terr prolapsa, nullo a nobis remedio, propriis opibus revaluit:’ , Philostr. Soph. i. 25), on the river Lycus (hence called . or , see Strabo, ib.), formerly called Diospolis, and afterwards Rhoas; its subsequent name was from Laodice queen of Antiochus II. (Steph. Byz.) In A.D. 62, Laodicea, with Hierapolis and Coloss, was destroyed by an earthquake (Tacit. l. c.), to which visitations the neighbourhood was very subject ( . , . , Plin. ib.). There is now on the spot a desolate village called Eski-hissar, with some ancient ruins (Arundel, Seven Churches). Winer, Realw.
] Six Roman miles north from Laodicea: famed for many mineral springs (Strabo, xiii. 4, describes them at length, also the caverns which exhale noxious vapour. See also Plin. ii. 95), which are still flowing (Schubert, i. 283). Winer, Realw.
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Col 4:13 . The anxiety of Epaphras for these Churches was probably due to his connexion with them, either as founder or teacher.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
bear . . . record. See 2Co 8:3 .
zeal. Greek. ze los, but the texts read “ponos” labour. Compare Col 4:12.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
13.] ,-an unusual word in the N. T., hence the var. readd.,-is usual in the toil of conflict in war, thus answering to . above: so Herod. vi. 114, : similarly viii. 89. Plato, Phdr. 247 b, . : Demosth. 637. 18, .
On account of this mention of Laodicea and Hierapolis, some have thought that Epaphras was the founder of the three churches. See Prolegg. ii. 2, 7.
] LAODICEA was a city of Phrygia Magna (Strabo xii. 8, Plin. v. 29: according to the subscription (rec.) of 1 Tim., the chief city of Phrygia Pacatiana), large ( . , , Strabo) and rich (Rev 3:17; and Prolegg. to Rev. iii. 13. Tac. Ann. xiv. 27: Laodicea, tremore terr prolapsa, nullo a nobis remedio, propriis opibus revaluit: , Philostr. Soph. i. 25), on the river Lycus (hence called . or , see Strabo, ib.), formerly called Diospolis, and afterwards Rhoas; its subsequent name was from Laodice queen of Antiochus II. (Steph. Byz.) In A.D. 62, Laodicea, with Hierapolis and Coloss, was destroyed by an earthquake (Tacit. l. c.), to which visitations the neighbourhood was very subject ( . , . , Plin. ib.). There is now on the spot a desolate village called Eski-hissar, with some ancient ruins (Arundel, Seven Churches). Winer, Realw.
] Six Roman miles north from Laodicea: famed for many mineral springs (Strabo, xiii. 4, describes them at length, also the caverns which exhale noxious vapour. See also Plin. ii. 95), which are still flowing (Schubert, i. 283). Winer, Realw.
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Col 4:13. , for) The reason (tiologia: see Append.) is properly in, he hath. The verb, I bear him record, is modal.[34]-, zeal) lest you should be seduced, ch. Col 2:4 : comp. 2Co 11:2.
[34] Expression of feeling; opposed to categorical. See Append, on modus, modalis.-ED.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Col 4:13
Col 4:13
For I bear him witness, that he hath much labor for you, and for them in Laodicea, and for them in Hierapolis.-Paul testifies that Epaphras had great zeal in behalf of the disciples at Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis. These cities were of the Lycus Valley. Laodicea and Hierapolis were on opposite sides of the valley about twelve miles from Colossae. At all these places Epaphras had most likely preached, and was acquainted with them. His zeal for them was shown in the constant, earnest prayer he offered continually in their behalf. We ought to strive in prayer in behalf of those we would help. The supplication of a righteous man availeth much in its working. (Jas 5:16). The rationalism of this age, that has permeated the church, has well- nigh destroyed faith in prayer. But it is the effective instrumentality to which Christians must come before they convert the world, or be fully blessed themselves.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
I bear: Rom 10:2, 2Co 8:3
Laodicea: Laodicea and Hierapolis were both cities of Phrygia in Asia Minor, between which, and equidistant from each, was situated Colosse. Laodicea was seated near the Lycus, about 63 miles east of Ephesus; and became one of the largest and richest towns in Phrygia, vying in power with the maritime cities. It is now called Eski-hissar, the old castle; and besides the whole surface within the city’s wall being strewed with pedestals and fragments, the ruins of an amphitheatre, a magnificent odeum, and other public buildings, attest its former splendour and magnificence. But, when visited by Dr. Chandler, all was silence and solitude; and a fox, first discovered by his ears peeping over a brow, was the only inhabitant of Laodicea. Hierapolis, now Pambouk-Kaiesi, was situated, according to the Itinerary, six miles n of Laodicea; and its ruins are now about a mile and a half in circumference. Col 4:15, Col 4:16, Col 2:1, Rev 1:11, Rev 3:14-18
Reciprocal: Rom 12:11 – fervent Gal 4:15 – I bear
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
(Col 4:13.) -For I certify, in his favour, that he has great zeal for you. This verse is confirmatory () of the preceding. Instead of , A, B, C, etc., have ; while D1, F, G have . Some, again, read , and some . The best reading appears to be -the Vulgate rendering it multum laborem. The other readings-, , and -may have been so many glosses on the more difficult term , which occurs only elsewhere in the Apocalypse. is toil or travail-such as that which attends a combat. Hesychius defines it by , . It occurs several times in the Septuagint. This led to the previous prayerful . This stress of spirit begat the anxious solicitude in prayer which the apostle has described in the former verse. But the pains and prayers of Epaphras were not confined to Colosse, for the apostle adds-
-And for them in Laodicea, and for them in Hierapolis. Laodicea and Hierapolis were cities of the same region as Colosse. See Introduction, chap. i. All the three towns were in Phrygia, and Epaphras was well known to the churches in them. He bore their names on his heart before the Lord in fervent and uninterrupted intercession.
Fuente: Commentary on the Greek Text of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Phillipians
Col 4:13. Laodicea and Hierapolis were cities not far from Colosse, and Epaphras had expressed a fervent interest in the disciples at those places.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Col 4:13. For I bear him witness. The Apostle confirms the message, as an attesting witness.
Hath much labor for you. Zeal is poorly supported, but was substituted for labor, since the latter is an unusual word in the New Testament. It is in keeping with the previous figure (striving) and suggests the putting forth of energy, whether inward or outward. Here both are probably referred to. Some have thought that this verse was designed as an answer to those who might misinterpret the absence of Epaphras from his flock.
Them in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. See Introduction, 1. Certainly Epaphras had labored also in these neighboring cities as founder of the churches, or at least as an eminent teacher (Meyer). The same danger threatened these churches: comp. chap. Col 2:1.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Verse 13
Zeal for you; affectionate interest in you.–Hierapolis; a city near Laodicea and Colosse.
Fuente: Abbott’s Illustrated New Testament
“For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them [that are] in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.”
As we deal with Epaphras we need to remind ourselves of chapter one’s reference to him. 1:7-8 “As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; 8 Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.”
I have challenged many a church to consider this man’s life as we can know it from these few verses in light of a pastors qualities. We often look into a man’s qualifications, and overlook his qualities or lack thereof.
Let’s just list the qualities of this man as we see them.
From the church at Colosse
Servant of Christ
Interested in the saints (asked Paul to greet them)
Hard worker that never lets up
Prayer warrior
Desires they walk with God
Desires their completeness as believers
He was zealous for them (Zeal is a four letter word, but not a bad word)
Fellowservant of Paul’s
Minister of Christ
Observant of the qualities of others
Sharing of good qualities of others
Kind of a hard act to follow. (See appendix two for more on this man)