Who was Tychicus (2)? (Colossians 4:9)

Paul gives three descriptive details of his friend Tychicus: a beloved brother, a faithful minister, and a fellow-servant, with each of these relationships being ‘in the Lord’. These are a wonderful combination, and their wonder is enhanced when we recall that the relationship of Paul and Tychicus illustrates what Jesus had done in bringing Jews and Gentiles together (Eph. 2:11-17). In their pre-Christian days Paul and Tychicus would have had nothing to do with one another. Now their lives were entwined.

 

The first detail is that Tychicus is Paul’s beloved brother. Obviously, this reminds us that Christians belong to the same family, that they are the children of God. Adoption into God’s family is the height of spiritual blessing. The basic outlook of a family is love and that is true of God’s family. Love is expressed towards God and is also expressed towards one another.

 

Tychicus was dear to Paul because he saw true love displayed by his friend. Connected to this delight that Paul experienced was his awareness that Tychicus was dependable, revealing his trustworthiness as he functioned as Paul’s faithful minister. In Colossians 4:9 Paul uses two words that can be translated as ‘servant’: one is the term translated ‘deacon’ (also used in Ephesians 6:21) and the other term means ‘slave’.

 

By diakonos (minister), Paul probably refers to the personal role that Tychicus performed on the apostle’s behalf as his delegate or representative – he had proved himself faithful over the years that Paul had known him. By sundoulos Paul describes both of them as slaves of a common Master. Each of them had individual roles to perform as slaves of Christ, and Paul affirms that Tychicus did his role well.

 

In this third description, that of slave, we have the key to Christian service. Tychicus served Paul, but Paul was not his master. He served Paul because Jesus wanted him to do so. Because he loved Christ and desired to serve him, he also lovingly served Paul. Love to his Master led him to be faithful to his other servants.

 

As we close this reading, it may be useful to ask ourselves two questions. The first question is, ‘What do we say about other Christians?’ Do we highlight their positive contributions or their failures? Connected to that first question is a second one, which is perhaps more searching: ‘What would another Christian say about us based on the way we interact with them?’