Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Acts 20:4 (NIV84) [Paul] was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, . . . and from the province of Asia Tychicus and Trophimus.
TYCHICUS
Tychicus was a companion of Paul on his third missionary journey. But that is not so glamorous as it may sound, for it did not just mean that he got to travel to Europe, to see the world. It also meant that Tychicus shared the dangers that confronted the Apostle. When the plot to do away with Paul in Corinth was discovered, Tychicus was among the companions who had to turn northward to Macedonia instead of sailing Eastward toward home. Could following the Word of the Lord's Apostle ever bring us face to face with danger today?
As a companion on Paul's journey, Tychicus was far more than a "missionary groupie." Paul called him "beloved brother" (Colossians 4:7 NKJV) and to Paul he was extremely valuable. Paul could send Tychicus to Crete, for example, to fill in for Pastor Titus, so that Titus could journey to confer with Paul in the confines of Rome. You see, Tychicus was also with Paul during both of his imprisonments in that empire capital.
From there Paul sent him with letters to the Colossians, the Ephesians, and Philemon. Tychicus was also sent to tell the Christians in Asia Minor how Paul was doing, how his imprisonment was not stopping the spread of the Word of God. There were now believers, even in Caesar's own household! What an encouragement that would be to the faithful in Asia, who might have thought that everything was over with Paul in prison!
This was Tychicus: companion, beloved brother, faithful servant, vacancy pastor, fellow-slave, and messenger-boy -- not really such an ordinary person at all. He was what God made Him . . . and so are you!
