T. B. Allworthy.
E PAPER AS (shortened probably from Epaphro- ditus, but not to be identified Avith the evangelist so named). — Epaphras was a native or citizen of Colossae (Col 4^^), the founder, or at least an early and leading teacher of the Church there (Col V, where Kal, 'also,' is omitted in the oldest MSS), who had special relations with the neighbouring churches of Laodicea and Hierapolis (4'^). St. Paul had not yet visited this community when he wrote Col. ; but if the reading vir^p i^ixCbv (' on our behalf,' 'as our delegate') be accejrted in V (as by RV on the authority of the three oldest MSS), the Apostle, during his long residence at Ephesus, when ' all who dwelt in Asia heard the Word' (Ac 19^"), must have specially commissioned Epaphras to evangelize Colossoe in his (St. Paul's) name (Col 4'2- 'S). Epaphras' intimate association with St. Paul is shown by the designations ' beloved fellow-bonds- man ' (P) and 'fellow-captive' (Philem^S). The latter word (cf. Col 4i», Ro 16^), if it be not here used metaphorically, suggests either that Epaphras' friendship with St. Paul created suspicion and thus led to his arrest, or that he voluntarily shared the Apostle's captivity (Lightfoot, Colossians^, 1879, p. 34f.).»
When Col. was written, Epaphras liad recently arrived in Rome, and had given St. Paul a report of the Church of Colossa;. The Apostle assures the Colossian Christians of Epaphras' great zeal as well as fervent prayers for them ; and he conveys to them the friendly greeting of their townsman, who remained in Rome with St. Paul (Col 4^-- i^). The report about the Church of Colossse was on the whole favourable. Epaphras testifies to the spiritual life and fruitfulness of its members ; to their conspicuous faith, hope, and charity (1*-^). There was, however, a disquieting account of a peculiar heresy, which had broken out in the com- munity— a combination of Judaistic formalism with Oriental theosophy (see COLOSSIANS). Epaphras,
* Jerome (Com. on Phileni 23) mentions, without endorsing it, a tradition that St. Paul and Epaphras, in boyhood, were carried tofjether as captives in war from Judaea to Tarsus.
filled with anxiety, had wrestled (dyuvii^SpLepos) in praj'er for his converts ' that they mightstand fully assured in all the will of God ' (4*-). Probably one reason of his visit to Rome was to consult St. Paul about this new peril. The solicitude of Epaphras was shared by the Apostle, who, amid thanksgiving for the spiritual progress of the Colossians, ad- monishes them (p2) to abide in the ti'uth, ' grounded and stedfast.' Epaphras sends salutations to the household of Philemon, the letter to whom was dispatched along with the Epistle to the Colossians. Thenceforth Epaphras disappears from reliable history ; later traditions represent him as ' bisliop ' of Colossaj, as sutt'ering martyrdom, and eventually having his bones interred under the Church of Sta. JNIaria Maggiore in Rome.
Literature.— J. D. Strohha.ch, de Epaphrd, 1710; Commen- taries of Lightfoot, Ellicott, Eadie, Abbott, Wohlenberg, Maclaren, Haupt, etc., on Colossians ; F. Vigouroux, Diet, de la Bible, 1891-99 ; art. 'Epaphras' in BDB, SDB, and EBi.
Henry Cowan.
EPAPHRODITUS ( = ' favoured by Aphrodite [Venus],' 'comely'). — Epaphroditus Avas a leading member and delegate or messenger of the Pliilip- pian Church, mentioned only in Ph 2** and 4''*. He arrived in Rome during St. Paul's earlier im- prisonment with a substantial 'gift' (presumably of money) from the Philippian Christians to the Apostle, of whose impoverishment they liad heard. After fulfilling his commission, and strengthening, through his own warmly affectionate personality, the bond of communion between the Apostle and his ' dearly beloved ' Philippian converts, Epaphro- ditus remained in Rome partly to render personal service to St. Paul, as the representative of the devoted Philippians, and partly to take a share in the ' work of Christ ' as the Apostle's colleague in missionary ministry. St. Paul describes him as ' my brother, and fellow-worker, and fellow-soldier,' implying at once ' common sympatliies, labours undertaken in common, and community in suffer- ing and struggle' (J. S. Howson, Companions of St. Paul, p. 235). The ' true yoke-fellow,' also, of Ph 4^ is believed by Lightfoot {Philippians*, 1878, p. 158) to be most probably Epaphroditus, since 'in his case alone there would be no risk of making the reference unintelligible by the supj^ression of the name.' His evangelistic zeal, however, com- bined with devotion to St. Paul, over-taxed his strength, and became the occasion of severe illness which almost issued in death (2-''- '^^). It is notable that St. Paul, whose })Ower of working miracles is frequently referred to (Ac W> 28^, 2 Co 121^), did not exercise it in the case of Epaphroditus. It was a power which, ' great as it was, was not liis own, to use at his own will' (Barry in Ellicott's Com. on NT, 1884, Ph 2-^). Some inner voice doubtless enabled apostles to know when the time for working a miracle had come. But ' the prayer of a righteous man availeth much ' ; and earnest supplications were doubtless offered up in Rome by St. Paul and the Church there for the recovery of Epaphroditus. These prayers were heard. ' God had mercy upon him, and not on him only but on me also, lest I should have sorrow^ on sorrow' (Ph 2^).