“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” At some point, most of us have heard these words whether in school or in a conversation about the faithfulness of mail carriers. The little motto isn’t official to the United States Post Office, but they are inscribed on a Post Office in New York City. Today, I want to share with you about a man in the New Testament that often gets overlooked in the lists of our heroes. This man was delivering important packages almost two thousand years ago. Tychicus (ti chi cus, literally means, “chance”) is mentioned five times in the New Testament. The list of the passages will be in the remainder of today’s blog.
We first meet him in Acts 20:4. Luke describes him in the verse like this. “…and of Asia, Tychicus…” He was an Asiatic Christian. What does that mean? Don’t think Far East (China, Japan) but think Asia Minor (area around modern-day Turkey). Most commentators think he was probably from Ephesus. Paul is traveling with a group of Christians that are daily involved in missions. Tychicus is one of those on the team.
Our next two passages reveal much of the character of our friend Tychicus. Ephesians 6:21, “But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:” Colossians 4:7, “All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord:” He was given the assignment to deliver “the letters” to these churches and to share with those churches around Ephesus and the congregation at Colossae about Paul and his situation. A third letter was in his care. The little letter we know as Philemon. Paul had written this epistle to the owner of a runaway slave, Philemon. We know the slaves name, it was Onesimus. Tychicus and Onesimus traveled together until they arrived at Philemon’s home where the letter from Paul was delivered and also where Tychicus could plead the case for his traveling companion, Onesimus, that had become a Christian while in Rome.
The Pastoral books of Titus and II Timothy also mention our man. Paul writes to Titus, who pastors on the Island of Crete, explaining that he hoped to send either Artemas or Tychicus with special instructions (3:12). In II Timothy 4:12, Paul is sending Tychicus back home to Ephesus. Paul wanted to see Timothy before he died (4:9). With Tychicus heading home to Ephesus, he would be able to assume the leadership of the church in Ephesus, freeing Timothy to travel to see Paul. The aged Apostle knows his days are numbered and is about to depart for glory and so he wishes to see his ‘son in the faith’ once more. Tychicus once back in Ephesus could travel a short distance to Miletus and visit his old friend that was very sick, Trophimus (4:20).
What can we learn from this man? Just the descriptions that we are given should give us a target for our own lives. Beloved brother, faithful minister, and fellow-servant are how this man, Tychicus is described. Maclaren makes the statement that fellow-servant means there is “no difference.” In God’s work, there are no ‘big me’s’ and ‘little you’s’. As long as we are in the will of God for our lives everyone is a fellow-servant. It takes all of us to do the job right. Had it not been for Paul and his obeying the Holy Spirit to write, Tychicus would have never delivered those wonderful letters we know as Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. It is probable they would not exist for us today. But by the same token, had Paul not had a trusted man, a man of great character and integrity, the letters would have never been delivered. This Postman was one of God’s choice “fellow-servants.”