Colossians 1:7
As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- sicut didicistis ab Epaphra carissimo conservo nostro, qui est fidelis pro vobis minister Christi Jesu,
- Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
- καθὼς ἐμάθετε ἀπὸ Ἐπαφρᾶ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ συνδούλου ἡμῶν, ὅς ἐστιν πιστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν διάκονος τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Haydock's commentary
Of Epaphras, who seems to have been their first apostle, and their bishop. (Witham)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, Colossians 1:1,2
Ver. 7 . “Even as ye learned of Epaphras our beloved fellow-servant.” He, it is probable, had preached there. “Ye learned” the Gospel. Then to show the trustworthiness of the man, he says, “our fellow servant.” “Who is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf; who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.” Doubt not, he saith, of the hope which is to come: ye see that the world is being converted. And what need to allege the cases of others? what happened in your own is even independently a sufficient ground for belief, for, “ye knew the grace of God in truth:” that is, in works. So that these two things, viz. the belief of all, and your own too, confirm the things that are to come. Nor was the fact one thing, and what Epaphras said, another. “Who is,” saith he, “faithful,” that is, true. How, “a minister on your behalf”? In that he had gone to him. …
St John Chrysostom The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians, Colossians 4:12,13
It is great praise, and greater than all the rest, his saying of Epaphras, “who is [one] of you, a servant of Christ.” And he calleth him a minister for them, like as he termeth himself also a minister of the Church, as when he saith, “Whereof I Paul was made a minister.” ( Col. i. 23 .) To the same dignity he advances this man; and above he calleth him a “fellow-servant” ( Col. i. 7 .), and here, “a servant.” “Who is of you,” he saith, as if speaking to a mother, and saying, “who is of thy womb.” But this praise might have gendered envy; therefore he commendeth him not from these things only, but also from what had regard to themselves; and so he does away with envy, both in the former place, and here. “Always,” he saith, “striving for you,” not now only, whilst with us, to make a display; nor yet only whilst with you, to make a display before you. …