A native of Colossae who founded the church there and brought Paul news of it — a beloved fellow servant and faithful minister of Christ on their behalf. Paul says he is always struggling on their behalf in his prayers, that they may stand mature and fully assured, and that he has worked hard for Colossae, Laodicea and Hierapolis. In Philemon he is called Paul's fellow prisoner.
Role: Minister of Colossae
Lived: 1st century
What we know — and how we know it
Scholarly — supported scholarly belief · 2
Life, role & deeds
ScholarlyLater church tradition regards Epaphras as the founder and first bishop of the church at Colossae, extrapolating from Paul's statement that the Colossians learned the gospel from him. This is a plausible inference from the text but rests on later ecclesiastical tradition, not independent evidence.
Traditional identification (e.g., in later martyrologies); inferential from Col 1:7, 4:12-13.
Name & titles
ScholarlyEpaphras (Ἐπαφρᾶς) is a shortened, affectionate form (hypocoristicon) of the fuller name Epaphroditus, both ultimately built on the name of the goddess Aphrodite, so it means something like 'lovely' or 'favored by Aphrodite.' The two forms are distinct persons in Paul's letters despite the shared root.
Greek onomastics; contraction of Epaphroditos, a widely used name in the Greco-Roman world.
Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always striving for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
