EPAPHRAS ĕp’ ə frăs (̓Επαφρᾶς, G2071, a contracted form of ̓Επαφρόδιτος, G2073, charming). A native of Colossae and founder of the Colossian church, who was with Paul when he wrote Colossians (Col 1:7, 8; 4:12, 13; Philem 23). He is not to be confused with Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25; 4:18), a member of the Philippian church.

Epaphras may have been Paul’s convert. As Paul’s representative he had evangelized Colossae (Col 1:7 RSV) and the neighboring towns of Laodicea and Hierapolis (4:12, 13) during Paul’s Ephesian ministry (Acts 19:10). His visit to Paul in Rome and his report concerning conditions in the churches of the Lycus Valley caused Paul to write Colossians (Col 1:7-9).

Paul’s high esteem for Epaphras is seen in the terms he applies to him, “our beloved fellow servant,” “a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf” (Col 1:7), “a servant of Christ Jesus” (4:12), and “my fellow prisoner” (Philem 23). Because the last term is applied to Aristarchus (Col 4:10), the probable meaning is that Epaphras and Aristarchus alternated in voluntarily sharing Paul’s imprisonment.

The unique distinction of Epaphras is Paul’s praise of him for his fervent intercession for the churches in the Lycus Valley (Col 4:12, 13).

Bibliography Commentaries on Colossians in loc. H. S. Seekings, The Men of the Pauline Circle (1914), 147-153; H. C. Lees, St. Paul’s Friends (1918), 146-159; D. E. Hiebert, Working By Prayer (1953), 67-82; H. Lockyer, All the Men of the Bible (1958), 110, 111.