Larry Reynolds, Denton, TX

• Henry Durbanville - “A friend is the first person to come in when the whole world goes out.”  
• Old Arab Proverb - “A friend is one to whom we may pour out all the contents of our hearts, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.”

 Tychicus was a true friend to Paul. In verse 7 Paul uses three beautiful phrases to describe his friend.  The first of those phrases is "our beloved brother."  That phrase can be paraphrased “much loved fellow Christian” [Vaughan]. Tychicus was Paul’s brother because he was a fellow believer. He and Paul had the same spiritual heritage. He earned from Paul the title “beloved” or “much loved” because his great loyalty to Paul. Tychicus stayed with Paul through many difficult situations.  Tychicus, who was from Thessalonica, traveled with Paul from Macedonia to Jerusalem to deliver a special offering to the Christians in that area. Such a long journey in itself was a difficult and dangerous undertaking. By accompanying Paul, Tychicus had to endure much hardship and be separated from his family, friends, and church for a long time. Since Tychicus was with Paul in Rome when he wrote Colossians, many scholars believe he loyally stayed with Paul through his arrest in Jerusalem, series of trials before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa, and the harrowing journey to Rome which included a shipwreck. And it was because of his loyalty, of his refusal to bail out when things got difficult, that Tychicus earned the title “beloved” from the great apostle. Tychicus reminds us that true friends are loyal to each other. I think that’s what Henry Durbanville meant when he wrote “A friend is the first person to come in when the whole world goes out.”

For more detailed notes on Colossians go to http://www.larryreynolds.org-a.googlepages.com/home)