Let us turn once again to that
closing passage in the epistle of Paul to the Colossians, turning
to chapter 4 and the various names that he mentions from verse
7, right through as he conveys various greetings from those
who were with him in Rome, and I want us tonight really to center
our attention on the words that we have in verses 10 and 11.
In Colossians 4, 10 and 11, he speaks then of these men, Aristarchus,
my fellow prisoner, saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son
to Barnabas, touching whom ye receive commandments. If he come
unto you, receive him. And Jesus, which is called Justice,
who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellow workers
unto the kingdom of God which have been a comfort unto me."
I want us to consider then these
three characters and they are of course three converted Jews.
Three converted Jews. He says here in verse 11, concerning
them who are of the circumcision. So we take that for our theme.
Remember we've considered previously what's recorded in verses 7,
8, and 9 concerning two men, Tychicus and Onesimus, and I
have remarked as we've looked at those two characters that
in what Paul says about them we see something of his own loving
heart how evidently he was a very real and true pastor to these
people. He speaks somewhat of the character
of Tychicus here at the end of verse 7, commends him really
to the church of the Colossians by saying he is a beloved brother
and a faithful minister and a fellow servant in the Lord. And He speaks also somewhat of
his ministry, the mission that he's sending him on. Verse 7,
he says, All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you. And then again at the end of
verse 9, They shall make known unto you all things which are
done here. Paul, remember, is the prisoner. He's there, he's confined. in
Rome because his appeal to the Caesar he had that right as a
free-born Roman citizen as we see at the end of the Acts of
the Apostles when the Jews were plotting and scheming against
him and he's taken by the Roman authorities and they they beat
him and it was unlawful he was a free Roman citizen and so he
appeals to the Caesar and they have to release him and then
he makes that long journey to Rome and here in the chapter
he speaks of his bonds having made mention of prayer he wants
them to pray for him as that one who is the minister of the
gospel declaring the mystery of Christ for which I am also
in bonds." And these men then who were sent, they're bearing
this letter to him, Titicus and Onesimus, but he's not so much
concerned that the Colossians should know about himself and
his situation, he is rather concerned for them. as he says in verse
8, whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose that he
might know your estate and comfort your hearts. Although he cannot
visit the Colossians he wants to minister to them and he is
sending this letter as part and parcel of that ministry. All that Paul does is for the
profit, for the benefit of the churches. We see those remarkable
words in the opening chapter of 2 Corinthians. There, at verse
6, he said, "...whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation
and salvation, which is effectually the enduring of the same sufferings
which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your
consolation and salvation." In all that he does, all that he
experiences, he's mindful, of these people who, under the good
and gracious hand of God, have been instrumental in bringing
to the knowledge of salvation in the Lord Jesus and establishing
these churches. Well, we've looked at Stychicus
and we've also looked at Onesimus. Only last time I mentioned how,
as he's spoken of here in verse 9, Again, he's referred to as
a faithful and beloved brother, one of you. It appears that he
was a member of the Colossian church. But the only other mention
we have of this man is there in that lovely epistle to Philemon. And last time I was saying that
Ernestimus was really a slave. He was Philemon's slave. but
he'd been disobedient, he'd run away but then he'd come into
contact with the Apostle Paul and he'd been converted and Paul
as he writes to Philemon he's sending Onesimus back to his
master and we saw now that though the Apostle is a free-born Roman
citizen and Onesimus is a slave yet the apostle loves him as his
own heart those distinctions those old distinctions have gone
away in the gospel there's no more bond nor free there's no
more male nor female there's no more Greek nor Jew but believers
are all one in the Lord Jesus Christ and Paul the freeborn
Roman is one with Onesimus the slave but I concentrated especially
last week on how Paul will stand surety for Onesimus before Philemon
who had every right of course to punish him to deal with him
in a severe manner he was he was his possession he'd been
disobedient but remember the language that we have there in
verses 18 and 19, Paul says, If he hath wronged thee, or oweth
thee aught, put that on mine account. I, Paul, have written
it with mine own hand. I will repay it. I will repay
it. He wants him to receive him,
not as a slave, but as a brother slave, a brother, beloved, especially
to me. But how much more unto thee,
both in the flesh and in the Lord, he says. And so we said
something with regards to the apostle and his great love, his
willingness to be a surety, and all that that entailed, and made
reference of course to the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great
surety, the surety of a better covenant. But now we turn to
consider these others, these three men, and interesting it's the way
in which Paul sends them or conveys in his letter their greetings.
Verse 10 he says, Aristarchus my fellow prisoner salute of
you and Marcus sister's son to Barnabas and Jesus which is called
justice. All of the Those that he's speaking
of in these verses are sending their salutations. Again, we
see it in verse 12. The pathress, who is one of you,
a servant of Christ, saluteth you. And then he says in verse
14, Luke, the beloved physician and Demas greet you or saluteth
you. It's the same word really. It's
the same word there in verse 14 that's rendered greet you
and then he says salute the brethren which are in Laodicea and Nymphos
and the church which is in his house. Paul wants there to be
this conveying then of greeting from these various believers
one to another and John Davenant in his commentary says that the
word that we have the salutation literally means to embrace how
these early Christians loved one another, how they would embrace
one another, how they felt one for the other. Of course, when
the Lord Jesus Christ manifests himself to his disciples after
the resurrection, he greets them with those words,
Peace be unto you. And we observed on the Lord's
Day there in John 20 that we have that salutation three times
in verses 19, 21, and 26. Peace be unto you. And how these believers then
would embrace one another and greet one another. How there
is that fellowship of the saints. We believe in the communion of
saints, part and parcel, of course, of the great apostles' creeds. But let us consider these three
men, these converted Jews, or these spiritual Israelites, we
might call them, the spiritual Israelites spoken of in verses
10 and 11. Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner,
saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching whom
ye receive commandments, if he come unto you, receive him. And
Jesus, which is called justice, you are of the circumcision. These only are my fellow workers
unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me."
And so, Paul very much commends them. And yet, we know that certainly
two of these characters are very little known. Aristarchus and
Justus. We know very little about these
two men. Justus, it may be that this is
the same man who is spoken of in Acts 18 and verse 7. He was
there at Corinth. But very little is said about
this man Justus. We do have the other names at
the end of Philemon, Aristarchus, Marcus, Justus, Epaphras, Luke,
Demas. But of these six, the name Justus
is actually omitted there at the end of the Philemon epistle. The six are found here in verses
10 through 14, but only five of those names
are mentioned at the end of Philemon and so Justus in many ways is
rather an insignificant person we might say very little reference
to him he seems to be on the surface a man that's not very
important we read a little bit more about Aristarchus he was
Paul's companion on his third missionary journey is mentioned
there in Acts 19, 29 and chapter 20 at verse 4. The third missionary
journey is part of that company who were associated with the
Apostle and also in Acts 27, 2 he accompanies Paul on that
final journey to Rome. and it was a very real encouragement
to the Apostle together with Marcus and also Justice these
only are my fellow workers unto the Kingdom of God which have
been a comfort unto me they were dear, very dear unto the Apostle
But they're not very well known. We read so little of them in
the New Testament. But we know this much that they
are certainly those who are well known to the Lord God Himself.
They are those who are the Lord's true disciples. The foundation
of God standeth sure. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. The Lord knows these men. Their
names are written in the book of Life of the Lamb and written
there from the foundation of the world. How comforting is that truth
then that though we read so little of them. There have been many
of course throughout the centuries, the Lord's people, very little
known of them. We know of those who were great
and good men who made a mark and women also. Though many Millions
of believers we know nothing at all about and yet they're
all written in the book of Life of the Lamb. And many of them
are unimportant. When Paul writes in the opening
chapter of 1 Corinthians, he makes that quite clear, you see,
you're calling brethren that not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble are called, but we're told how
God calls the fools, and the weak, and the base, and the despised. Those are the ones that the Lord
God calls. And again, James echoes those
words, I can my beloved brethren have not God chosen the poor
of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that
he hath prepared for them that loved him. And so we have men
mentioned here who are not at all very well known. Certainly
that's the case with Aristarchus and with Jesus called Justus. And then we have Marcus. That would be John Mark. John
Mark is the man of course who is the human author of the second
gospel but he is the one who once upon a time had deserted
the Apostle. We have mentioned of him with
regards to Paul's first missionary journey back in Acts chapter
13 where Paul and Barnabas are separated
to this ministry and so we read of them going off on that first
journey to preach the gospel in Acts 13 at verse 5 we're told
when they were at Salamis they preached the word of God in the
synagogues of the Jews and they had also John to their minister
John was there to minister to them but then later in verse
13 we're told when Paul and his company loose from Paphos they
came to Perga in Pamphylia and John departing from them returned
to Jerusalem so for some reason he forsakes them and then of
course we read on and Paul and Barnabas return and report on
that first missionary journey and then in Acts 15 Paul decides
that he's going to go and visit those churches that had been
established, the brethren that had been converted But there's a division then.
There's a division between Paul and Barnabas, and it all centers
on John, whose surname was Mark, at the end of chapter 15 in Acts. Some days after, Paul said unto
Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city
where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they
do. And Barnabas determined to take
with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not
good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia,
and went not with them to the work. And the contention was
so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the
other. And so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed on to Cyprus, and
Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren
unto the grace of God, and he went through Syria and Cilicia,
confirming the churches." Now, we're told here, aren't we, in
Colossians, that Marcus was sister's son to Barnabas. In other words,
he must have been the nephew of Barnabas. So we can understand
why it was that Barnabas was more tolerant and still wants
to take John Mark but the Apostle feels that he was not suited,
he had not really committed himself to the work in the sense we might say he
had backslidden however we know that he was wonderfully
restored because he is also mentioned in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and
verse 11 where Paul writes to Timothy and this is Paul's last
epistle 2nd Timothy is the last of the Pauline epistles and he
says take Mark and bring him with thee for he is profitable
to me for the ministry how he was wonderfully restored and
here we have him mentioned together with these other men who he says
they were his fellow workers unto the kingdom of God and they've
been a comfort also to him. There is restoration for the
backslider there. I will heal their backslidings.
I will love them freely, says the Lord God, through the prophet
Hosea. And we sometimes sing that lovely
hymn of Charles Wesley, 1060 in the book. Thou knowest the
way to bring me back, my fallen spirit to restore. O for thy
truth and mercy's sake, forgive and bid me sin no more, the ruins
of my soul repair, and make my heart a house of prayer." And
so we see this man here who was one evidently restored by the
grace of God, although he had once deserted the work of the
ministry that he'd engaged in with Paul and his uncle Barnabas. Now all of these men were Jews. We're told quite clearly here
in verse 11 concerning them who are of the circumcision so there
were Jews who were converted obviously and yet we know that
generally the Jews were great opponents certainly to the Apostle
and when he writes to the Thessalonians and the Thessalonians would experience
persecution and writing to them there in 1st Thessalonians 2
he makes mention of the cruelty of the Jews verse 14 of that second chapter
he says ye brethren became followers of the churches of God which
in Judea are in Christ Jesus for ye also have suffered like
things of your own countrymen even as they have of the Jews
who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have
persecuted us, and they please not God, and are contrary to
all men, forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles, that they might
be saved, to fill up their sins always, for the wrath is come
upon them to the uttermost." Paul speaks very plainly there
with regards to the persecutions, yet we know that he had a great
love towards the Jews they were of course his own people he was
himself a Jew, a Hebrew of the Hebrews he was of the tribe of
Benjamin and he expresses his great love and his longing for
their salvation there in the opening verses of Romans chapter
9 I say the truth in Christ, I
lie not, my conscience also bear me witness in the Holy Ghost,
that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart,
for I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for
my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites.
To whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants,
and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises?
Who are the fathers? And of whom, as concerning the
flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen." He loves them, yet He
recognizes their fallen. in rejecting Jesus of Nazareth
as the promised Messiah. Well, these three that he is
speaking of in the text we're considering here, verses 10 and
11 of this fourth chapter, these were not just ethnic Jews, they
were true spiritual Jews. doesn't he say there in that
ninth chapter of Romans we read the first five verses if we'd
have gone into the to the next verse they are not all Israel
which are of Israel and not all the true Israel of God and we
read the latter part of Romans 2 where he speaks so clearly
against the circumcised the Jews and their follies and then he
comes to the end of that chapter and says he is not a Jew which
is one outwardly neither is circumcision that which is outward in the
flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision
is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise
is not of men but of God. Paul makes it clear that God
had preserved Israel right through the Old Testament in order for
the coming of the Christ, Abram's true seed. Galatians 3.16 he
says, To Abram and his seed were the promises made. He saith not,
Unto seeds as of many, but as of one unto thy seed. which is
Christ. And Christ is that one, of course,
who is a light to lighten the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. And so there are those Jews who
are saved. And these three are such characters. They are of the circumcision. But they're not just those who
are circumcised in the flesh, they're circumcised in the Spirit,
they're those who profess that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ,
and they're trusting in Him. They believe the Gospel of the
grace of God that this man Paul is preaching, and preaching not
only to the Jew, but also to the Gentile. But as we close,
just to consider a little more especially, this man spoken of
in verse 11, Jesus, which is called Justice. Jesus, that's his name. And of
course, as we know, that's the Greek form of the Hebrew name
Joshua, and it's a name given to the Lord Christ. They shall
call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins,
neither is there salvation in any other. There is none other
name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved."
And this Jew is one who is trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ as his
Savior. But we have the other name, just
as Mark is John Mark, so this man is Jesus, Justice. And Justice is an interesting
name, because it reminds us that he is one who is a justified
sinner. He is trusting in the Lord Jesus
as his salvation, as his righteousness. Remember how Paul preaches in
the Acts, there in chapter 13 and verse 39, by him, that is
by the Lord Jesus. All that believe are justified
from all things that they could not be justified from by the
deeds of the Lord, he says. God hath made him to be sin for
us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God. in him and this man he's a justified
sinner he's a justified sinner all we know little then of these
men and yet how remarkable when we consider them and as I mentioned
here by the apostles and consider something of why it is that their
names are recorded on the page of holy scripture though a seed
of heavenly birth to men they are little known says the hymn
writer Thomas Calley how true it is they are little known these
men there is little mention of them here in the pages of scripture
and yet their names are recorded and it is good for us to to consider
them to remember them there are so many noble believers and yet
so little known of them Aristarchus My fellow prisoner salutes you,
and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas. Touching whom you receive commandments,
if he come unto you, receive him. We may once have been unfaithful,
even a backslider, but receive him, he's restored. And Jesus,
which is called justice, you are of the circumcision. These
only are my fellow workers unto the kingdom of God, which have
been a comfort unto me. Well, the Lord be pleased to
bless his word to us. Let us now sing that hymn of
Thomas Cullis I just made reference to. It's 1013. In the book, the tune we're going
to sing it to is Jackson's 163. There is a family on earth whose
father fills a throne, but though a seed of heavenly birth to men
their little known. 1013 June 163.