-Definitely not the information age, this. No phones (no light, no motorcar...!), no faxes, no email or internet, no television or radio or even telegraph. Given the uncertainty and challenges associated with any long distance travel at this time, news from afar could take weeks, even months to arrive. One in shoes such as Paul’s would pack what you could in a letter and send it with a trusted protege or messenger, and for Paul, this was Tychicus, who he describes as both faithful and beloved (cf Col 4.7-9). Even tho we are fairly certain Tychicus was in fact from Ephesus, Paul does not mention that here (cf Col 4.9). Perhaps this is because the letter Tychicus carried was indeed more of a circular letter to a number of different assemblies which existed along the road between Ephesus and Colossae?
-No matter, Tychicus was entrusted not only with communicating factual information about Paul, he was also tasked with comforting and encouraging the hearts of these Asian believers, and since he WAS from that area (Act 20.4), all the more reason to send him. But this faithful, beloved servant of Paul (and the Lord) was actually entrusted with at least three letters (the others being the one to the church in Colossae as well as the letter to Philemon), and the task of encouraging a number of different assemblies. or this undertaking, Paul really needed someone he could trust, someone who was well suited to in fact carry out the mission. So he sent faithful Tychicus.
-Sent. We are likewise sent by Jesus (John 20.21, Matthew 9.38, Matthew 28.19, Mark 16.15). Perhaps not in a strictly apostolic sense per se (cf John 17.18 - that is apostello in the Greek, which gives us our word ‘apostle’). No, this word is pempo, the more common Greek word for ‘to send’. It appears some 75 times in the NT, and it is all about the mission, that reason why there is a sending to begin with. And if you are dispatching another in your stead, tasking them to do that which you are otherwise unable to do yourself, it is imperative that you can count on them to not only go in the first place but also to then actually fulfill the mission. The primary response to the sending of course is to go, and it is not some vague directionless going. There is the all-important ‘and’ - go AND take these letters and encourage. Go AND make disciples. Go AND preach the Gospel. But the first act of the sent is to go. We go out. And go out we must. Like the United States Coast Guard famously declares, we’ve got to go out. “When storms shut down entire ports, we go out. When hurricanes ground the United States Navy, we go out. And when the holy Lord himself reaches down from heaven and destroys his good work with winds that rip houses off the ground, We. Go. Out.” -The Guardian (2006) Like faithful Tychicus, on whom Paul could count to go out AND accomplish the critical task, we are called to go out. Will we answer the call? Where, to whom has the Lord sent me? And what is my all-important ‘AND’?
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