Colossians 4:12 Meaning and Explanation
“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Epaphras, one of their own and a servant of Christ, greets them, always wrestling in prayer that they may stand mature and fully assured in all God's will.
What Does Colossians 4:12 Mean?
Paul returns to Epaphras, who first brought the gospel to Colosse. He greets the church as one of you and a servant of Christ, a man wholly devoted to the Lord he serves.
His devotion shows chiefly in prayer: always labouring fervently for you in prayers -- agonizing, wrestling intercession on the church's behalf. And Paul names the burden of those prayers: that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God, mature and fully assured, settled in everything God desires for them. Epaphras models a pastor's heart, pouring himself out in earnest prayer that his people might grow up firm and whole in Christ. For the Colossians, knowing the depth of his intercession would strengthen and humble them. True love for a church labors in prayer for its maturity, longing that its members stand complete in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12 in the Original Language
Agonizomai (ἀγωνίζομαι), 'labouring fervently' -- to struggle as in a contest, to strive earnestly; the root behind agonize.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colossians 4:12
What does Colossians 4:12 mean?
Epaphras, one of their own and a servant of Christ, greets them, always wrestling in prayer that they may stand mature and fully assured in all God's will.