For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis. Colossians 4:13
We know about Colosse, the location of the Assembly to whom the apostle Paul is writing this epistle. And we know about Laodicea, from two references in the Colossian letter and from its reference in Revelation 3 as the Assembly of apostasy with its prophetic application to the day in which you and I are living. But where was Hieropolis, and why would Paul mention that place in our text today? This is the only time it is mentioned in the Bible. If we were to look on an ancient map of what is now Turkey, we would find the three cities, Colosse, Laodicea, and Hieropolis, in close proximity in the Lycus River valley. They form a sort of triangle: Laodicea lies about 12 kilometers east of Colosse, and Hieropolis is about five kilometers north of Laodicea. Hieropolis was noted for its hot springs, its beautiful mineral terraces, and its temples for pagan worship. It also had a large and prosperous Jewish population. And it had an Assembly of Christians. Tradition says that Philip the Evangelist and his daughters settled there, and Philip was martyred there. Whether the Assembly was planted by Philip or by Epaphras, we don’t know. But from our text, we do know that this Assembly was of special interest to Epaphras. He had ‘a great zeal’ for it. What a difference it would make if more Christians had ‘a great zeal’ for our Assemblies today!
How would we know if someone had a great zeal for the Assembly? By their actions! Somebody who had a great zeal for the Assembly would be at every Assembly meeting. They would be wholeheartedly involved in all of the Assembly activities. They would also take a keen interest in the welfare of all of the Assembly members, would support the decisions and guidance of the Assembly oversight, would prepare themselves for participation in Bible readings and other meetings, and would learn as much as they could from the Scriptures about God’s Assembly. For such a person, the Assembly and its members would be even more important than their own family. But there is another way in which we can demonstrate a great zeal for the Assembly, and that is in prayer.
In the previous verse, Paul tells the Colossians that Epaphras was always labouring fervently for them in prayers. No doubt, this godly man prayed for all three of those Lycus Valley Assemblies that were so important to him. He would know everyone in the Hieropolis Assembly by name, and would know enough about them to pray for them personally. That is how God would have us pray for our Assembly members. No, we are not to be nosy neighbours, but we need to know enough about each Christian that we understand their circumstances and can bear their needs before the Throne of Grace. We also need to pray for guidance and wisdom for the young families among us, for help and support for the elderly and those who are not in good health, for encouragement and strength for young Christians, and so forth. A great zeal for the Assembly includes much prayer for preservation and edification as well.
How much zeal do we have for God’s Assembly? And does that zeal include the Christians in other Assemblies, too? – Jim MacIntosh