The Nugget:
Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
My Comment:
There is still more for us to learn about prayer as we study what Paul reveals about the prayers of Epaphras! The content of the prayers of Epaphras included a focus and emphasis upon the outcome of the spiritual life of the Colossians that they may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
The best way I know to study this aspect of the prayers of Epaphras is to read and study the cross references given for the key word complete as I share them below:
complete. or, filled. or, fully assured. [ Gr. plero-o (S# G4137, Ep 5:18 note). Col 1:9, Col 2:10, Col 4:17. ]. +Luk 1:1 g note. Rom 4:21; Rom 15:13, 14, 2Ti 4:5.
These texts read as follows:
Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
When careful attention is paid to the underlying Greek grammar of Ephesians 5:18 careful readers will come to see a whole sermon in this one Greek word. It does not mean what most English readers of English Bible translations suppose it means. Here is the Note from The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, a note also to be found in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
be filled. There is a sermon in the mood, tense, voice and number of this verb: it is imperative mood, indicating a command; it is present tense, which in Greek represents aspect denoting continuous action—we are to be constantly or continuously filled; it is passive voice, indicating we are to allow this to be done to us; it is plural in number, meaning it applies to all believers. There is much needed corrective doctrinal instruction in the grammatical cases which this passive verb governs: the Dative case designates the filler, here, the Holy Spirit, necessitating an improvement in the English rendering to show we are filled not with but BY the Spirit; the Genitive case denotes what the vessel is filled with. When the verb “fill” is in the active voice, a third case, the Accusative, designates the vessel or whatever is filled. Note that the Holy Spirit is never said to fill us with Himself, but with gifts specified in the immediate context; here, gifts other than wine, gifts specified by the participles in the following verses, speaking (in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs), singing, giving thanks, and submitting. The filling of the Holy Spirit is always a reference to a filling with His gifts for service. He does not fill us with Himself, but with His gifts. Attention to these details will show how greatly mistaken are the popular conceptions of the Holy Spirit and His work. These mistaken conceptions, though taught with great sincerity, frequently supported by an appeal to misconstrued or misinterpreted experience, are in great error. Such mistaken notions lack Biblical authority because they are not based upon an accurate understanding of Scripture (+*Isa 8:20 note. **Mar 12:24, **2Ti 2:15). Eph 1:23; Eph 3:19, 2Ki 3:15, Psa 16:5, Luk 1:15; Luk 1:41; Luk 1:67, Joh 15:11, +Act 2:4; Act 4:31; Act 6:3; Act 9:17; Act 13:52, Rom 15:13.
Luke 1:1
1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,
King James Version
Here is the referenced note for Luke 1:1,
most surely. Note: Peplarophoramenon, the passive participle of plarophoreo, from plarasphora, “full measure;” and is applied to a ship fully laden, to a tree in full bearing, etc. Hence it implies that fulness of evidence by which any fact is supported, and also that confidence, or feeling of assent, by which facts so supported are believed. Act 3:18, Rom 4:21; Rom 14:5, Col 2:2; Col 4:12, 1Th 1:5, 2Ti 4:5; 2Ti 4:17, Heb 6:11; Heb 10:22.
Romans 4:21
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
King James Version
Paul is speaking of the strong faith of Abraham in this passage.
Romans 15:13-14
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.
King James Version
2 Timothy 4:5
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
King James Version