Writing from a Roman prison, the apostle Paul penned four letters, one of which was to the church at Colosse. In his closing lines to this church, he had instructions to be given to a certain individual. He told the brethren at Colosse to say to Archippus, “Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it.” (Colossians 4:17.) Not a great deal is revealed to us in holy writ about this man Archippus. The name itself means “Master of the horse” but whether he was a trainer of horses or merely an equestrian, or neither, we do not know.
There is an Archippus mentioned in the letter to Philemon. Note what Paul said: “Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer, and to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house.” (Philemon 1–2.) If this is the same brother, then note what is said of him. Paul referred to him as “our fellowsoldier.” They were both in the Lord’s army, associating in the labors and conflicts for the cause of Christ. He, as well as Paul, had put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18). The Christian life is a warfare against the devil and his onslaughts. But we are not on the battlefield alone. Surely Paul must have found some comfort while in prison to know that others were fighting in the struggles too. One description reads: one who struggles along with, one who works arduously along with, fellow struggler. How would you have liked Paul to have called you his “fellowsoldier”?
What were the brethren to say to Archippus? He was told to take heed to the ministry which he had received in the Lord. To “take heed” is from a Greek word (βλέπω) which means “to see; to pay attention, to watch out for, to notice carefully; to be ready to learn about future needs, with the implication of preparedness to respond appropriately.” Was Archippus slacking? Was he dilatory in his work? Did he need encouragement in the Lord’s work? Did he need a reminder?
The word “ministry” means “service.” Exactly what his duties were, we are not told. We know that the word “ministry” is applied to the preaching and teaching of God’s word (Acts 6:4; 12:25; 20:24). It is also used in helping the needy (1 Cor. 16:15). The apostles appointed seven men to help the Grecian widows in their daily needs (Acts 6). It includes “the service of those who prepare and present food.” (Luke 10:40.)
Archippus had received this work in the Lord. I take that to mean it was a work for the cause of Christ. One might engage in many good works, but the most beneficial work is to spread the gospel of Christ. Timothy is a fine example of one who put his hands to the plow of the gospel and was not distracted from his row. Paul said of him: “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.” (Phil. 2:19–22.) Some things since the first century have not changed a great deal, one of which is the statement, “for all seek their own.” That is, they seek their own interests, not the Lord’s interest. Such could not be said of Timothy or Paul.
The church at Colosse was to instruct Archippus to give attention to his service which he had received in the Lord, and to fulfill it. He was to complete his service. He needed to be encouraged to complete his work in the Lord. Are you one of those people who starts a task or job and does not complete it? Have you ever started reading through the Bible, but did not complete it? Have you ever agreed to do a certain job, but did not see it to the end? Are you guilty of volunteering to do a certain thing, but you “dropped the ball,” so to speak? This could have been the case with Archippus. The problem with most of us is not that we do not know what to do, but we do not do what we know to do.
Or, perhaps Archippus was simply being encouraged in the work he was doing. In running some races, there will be coaches and spectators who encourage the runners to finish strong. We all need that kind of encouragement. Preachers need to be encouraged in their work; elders need a pat on the back from time to time; teachers need to be complimented for their efforts; song leaders need for us to express our gratitude for their work; those who do good deeds need to be appreciated. Some who struggle to be able to make it to the services of the church need our encouragement. All of us need encouragement in our service for the Lord. Was not Paul commanding the church at Colosse to encourage Archippus? Yes, I know that after we have done all that has been required of us, we are still unprofitable servants, but we also need encouragement. Paul wrote, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” (Hebrews 10:23–24.)
So, let us be busy using our various talents for the Lord, and let us encourage each other in the Lord’s work.