No doubt he went, and did his work. We can fancy the eager groups,
perhaps in some upper room, perhaps in some quiet place of prayer by the
river side; in their midst the two messengers, with a little knot of
listeners and questioners round each. How they would have to tell the
story a dozen times over! how every detail would be precious! how tears
would come and hearts would glow! how deep into the night they would
talk! and how many a heart that had begun to waver would be confirmed in
cleaving to Christ by the exhortations of Tychicus, by the very sight of
Onesimus, and by Paul's words of fire!
What became of Tychicus after that journey we do not know. Perhaps he
settled down at Ephesus for a time, perhaps he returned to Paul. At any
rate, we get two more glimpses of him at a later period--one in the
Epistle to Titus, in which we hear of the Apostle's intention to
despatch him on another journey to Crete, and the last in the close of
the second Epistle to Timothy, written from Rome probably about A.D. 67.
The Apostle believes that his death is near, and seems to have sent away
most of his staff. Among the notices of their various appointments we
read, "Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus." He is not said to have been
sent on any mission connected with the Churches. It may be that he was
simply sent away because, by reason of his impending martyrdom, Paul had
no more need of him. True, he still has Luke by him, and he wishes
Timothy to come and bring his first "minister," Mark, with him. But he
has sent away Tychicus, as if he had said, Now, go back to your home, my
friend! You have been a faithful servant for ten years. I need you no
more. Go to your own people, and take my blessing. God be with you! So
they parted, he that was for death, to die! and he that was for life, to
live and to treasure the memory of Paul in his heart for the rest of
his days. These are the facts; ten years of faithful service to the
Apostle, partly during his detention in Rome, and much of it spent in
wearisome and dangerous travelling undertaken to carry a couple of
letters.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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