Tychicus (see Acts 20.4, Eph 6.21, 2 Tim 4.12, Titus 3.12) is called a dear brother and a faithful worker and fellow servant in the Lord’s work. It is assumed that he is the same one who in Acts 20.4 appears as a companion of Paul, and who was from the province of Asia (of which Ephesus was the capital).
In the phrase our dear brother Tychicus, the order of constituents must be altered if the phrase is to be meaningful and natural in certain other languages, for example, “Tychicus, our fellow believer, who is dear to us.” Dear may also be expressed as “whom we like very much” or “whom we so greatly appreciate.”
Faithful worker could be “trustworthy helper”; the noun used is diakonos (as in 1.7, 23). Faithful worker may be rendered as “a worker who can be trusted” or even “our helper whom we trust.”
Fellow servant is used also of Epaphras in 1.7. The Greek “in the Lord” (Revised Standard Version) may mean, as Good News Translation has, in the Lord’s work, or it may simply be a way of saying “Christian,” which is so obvious, however, as not to need stating. Fellow servant in the Lord’s work may be rendered as “one who serves the Lord along with us.”
All the news about me are matters which Paul does not elaborate in the letter but leaves to Tychicus to deliver orally. (It is implied that Tychicus would be taking the letter to Colossae, but this is not stated explicitly, unless the verb “I am sending” in verse 8 means, as it sometimes does, “with the letter.”) Will give you all the news about me may be expressed as “will tell you all that has happened to me” or “… all that has happened to me recently.”
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
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