Hungarian Church Press, 1949 (1. évfolyam, 4-13. szám)

1949-08-26 / 10. szám

I

TYOHXCHIS

Gospel-ma&sage "by Prai^X'xancls. Kiss

“All my state shall Tyohicus declare unto you, who is.a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the lord:

Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts. “ /Colossians 4:7,8/

Only once have we read of Tychicus in the Scriptures, and even then just a brief note, but those few lines suffice to give us an idea what, one of the first Christians and the fellow worker of Paul was like. The apostle writes five important things about the person and services of Tychicus:

1«/ Beloved brother. Paul mentions first of all, as a thing of greatest importance, that this fellow servant was a “beloved brother“« There is no bond so beautiful or blessed between men as being brethren in the lord through love. That loving brotherhood,is the very spring of a faithful testimony for Jesus, and there is no better way to make Him known to the world than through the love of His disciples. But there is nothing more destructive to keep the world from Jesus and His Gospel than striving loveless Christians. Tychicus, being a loving brother, Paul oould leave all his affairs in his hands.

2./ Faithful minister. This second characteristic can only rest upon the first. Nobody can be a faithful minister in the teachings and services of God without being a beloved brother. There are many who take service for God for different interests, no faithful service can ever be accomplished in this field without true brotherhood.

3./ Fellow servant. This word makes it plain that Paul has not considered himself above the first Christians, nor cared for any title, but together with the other apostles he regarded himself as mere servant and fellow servant. According to experience, the .only blessed way of preaching the Gospel is, - as the apostle Peter puts it - not by constraint, not for filthy lucre, but by a true relation of a servant and of a fellow servant. As proved by experience, even a faithful relationship between fellow servants is often disturbed by Satan. It is not by chance that Paul places brotherhood in the second and third place, for however important or zealous they may be, yet without love in the first place they can nevei gat on;. All of us must consider well and see quite clearly wnich is greater in us: a proper relation of brotherhood, or a mere zeal in services.

In the latter case our services remain dull,empty and futile.

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