21 But that you also may know my affairs and how I am doing, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, will make all things known to you;
Verses 21 to 24 are the conclusion to the epistle of Ephesians. The conclusion has fewer personal greetings than Paul’s other epistles. This may be due to the fact that Ephesians was written not only for the city of Ephesus but for other churches in cities surrounding Ephesus.
21 But
The close of Paul’s epistles demonstrates how much involvement he had with people.
that
Paul’s purpose for the conclusion to Ephesians was to relieve Christians in Ephesus of their concerns about his situation in Roman imprisonment.
you also may know my affairs
Paul was a people person concerned with mature interpersonal relations. He wanted them to know how he was faring personally.
and how I am doing,
Paul first dealt with how the Ephesians were doing, now he dealt with how he was faring with his health and personal situation in jail.
Tychicus,
Tychicus was a personal friend of Paul and envoy of his epistles. He accompanied Paul on this third missionary enterprise. Tychicus was closely associated with Paul during the later stages of his ministry. He was from the Roman province of Asia (Acts 20:4).
The New Testament has five references to Tychicus (6:21; Co 4:7 Ac 20:4; 2 Ti 4:12; Ti 3:12). Paul sent Tychicus to Ephesus from his imprisonment in Rome (2 Ti 4:12).
Tychicus was the bearer of both Ephesians and Colossians (Co 4:7). Tychicus also carried the epistle of Philemon (Co 4:9). He traveled widely with the apostle Paul. He joined Paul in a journey from Ephesus to Jerusalem at the end of the third missionary journey (Ac 20:4). He linked up with Paul’s team on the final visit to Jerusalem (Ac 20:4-5; cf. 1 Co 16:1-4; cf. 2 Co 8:19ff).
At the close of Paul’s life, he sent Tychicus with Trophimus on a missionary journey to Ephesus to take Timothy’s place (Ti 3:12; 2 Ti 4:12). Tychicus was dispatched to Ephesus during the second Roman imprisonment (2 Ti 4:12). This would free Timothy to rejoin Paul, who wanted to see him before he met his fate as a possible martyr (2 Ti 4:9,21). Tychicus may have been sent to relieve Titus in the oversight of the churches on the isle of Crete as well (Ti 3:12).
Tychicus was one of those no-name servants of God in the New Testament who made a big impact for the cause of Christ. He was Paul’s servant to the churches of the Lycus Valley.
Titus 3:12 says Paul planned to send Tychicus or Artemas to Crete to free Titus to join Paul at Nicopolis. These commissions reflect the trustworthiness which Paul placed in him (Eph. 6:21; Co 47).
Paul repeatedly sent Tychicus somewhere. He sent Tychicus because he had confidence in him. It is a great asset in ministry to have confidence in those with whom we work. Paul was not suspicious of him. He knew he was loyal.
PRINCIPLE:
God uses no-name Christians for His glory.
APPLICATION:
God uses “no-name” Christians for His glory. Tychicus was a simple mailman, yet the mighty apostle Paul depended upon him. He carried the mail of the first reading of the books of Ephesians and Colossians. Small unseen parts of the motor of our car are crucial to the operation of our car. We may never know their names or their function, but we depend on them to run the car. Without the service of Tychicus, the Ephesians would have not read the Word of God to them.
