Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20100228.htm

THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Ephesians: Overcoming Our Insecurities In Christ
Part II: The Believer's Practice Based On His Secure Position In Christ, Ephesians 4:1-6:24
H. Tychicus' Example Of Overcoming Personal Insecurities In Christ
(Ephesians 6:21-24)
  1. Introduction
    1. Our study of the Epistle to the Ephesians teaches great lessons on overcoming our insecurities in living. We have learned that, in application of our doctrinal stance in Christ, we can function securely in relating well to other believers (Eph. 4:1-5:6), in living apart from the lost world's darkness (Eph. 5:7-14) and, by relying on the Holy Spirit's power (Eph. 5:15-21), to function well in marital (Eph. 5:22-33), family (Eph. 6:1-4) and workplace (Eph. 6:5-9) realms and for spiritual victory in the angelic conflict (Eph. 6:10-20).
    2. However, it is always good to see such how such teaching applies in real life examples, and we have such an example in the closing verses of the Ephesian letter in the person of Tychicus (as follows):
  2. Tychicus' Example Of Overcoming Personal Insecurities In Christ, Ephesians 6:21-24.
    1. Paul told his Ephesian readers that he was sending Tychicus, a dear Christian brother and faithful servant in Christ, to deliver his letter to them and to comfort them in reporting in person on Paul's welfare in his first Roman imprisonment, Eph. 6:21-22; Zondervan Pictorial Ency. of the Bible, vol. Five, p. 832.
    2. Surveying the rest of the New Testament record on Tychicus's activities reveals he exampled the way we believers can live securely by God's power and guidance in a very insecure world (as follows):
      1. In Acts 20:1-5 following the Acts 19:1-41 uproar at the city amphitheater of Ephesus over Paul's work that had curtailed the silversmith trade of pagan idols, Tychicus had joined seven other brethren to go with Paul, bearing offerings of the Churches in Europe and Asia to needy believers in Jerusalem. Tychicus was not afraid to go with Paul though he attracted such strong negative reactions in his work!
      2. While Paul was in Rome during his first Roman imprisonment, Tychicus was still with him, not afraid to be associated with a man hated by the Judaizers who had caused his imprisonment (cf. Acts 22-28), and Tychicus then delivered Paul's letters to the Ephesians and Colossians, Ibid.; Eph. 6:21; Col. 4:7-9.
      3. In making these deliveries, Tychicus took new convert and former runaway slave, Onesimus with him to Colossae with a personal letter from Paul to Philemon that pleaded for Onesimus' acceptance by his master, Ibid. This was a huge responsibility for Tychicus, for Onesimus' master, Philemon, had the right to execute Onesimus as a runaway (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1727)! Tychicus had the burden of helping to persuade Philemon to heed Paul's appeal in his letter to save Onesimus's life (Phm. 10-17), something that could occur only if Tychicus was a stable, secure believer in Christ!
      4. After Paul's release from his first Roman imprisonment, he planned to send Tychicus or Artemas to Crete to relieve Titus so he could meet Paul and winter with him at Nicopolis, Tit. 3:12; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1723. This would have been a very challenging task, for the believers on Crete, typical of their culture, were notoriously deceptive, abusive and lazy (Titus 1:12), so Tychicus had to be secure enough in his walk in the Lord to rebuke these undisciplined folk if they needed it, Tit. 1:13!
      5. In Paul's second Roman imprisonment, when he had been sentenced to death for his ministry, and wicked Nero ruled Rome (2 Timothy 4:6-7, 16; Ibid., p. 1716), he sent Tychicus, his faithful coworker to the end, to go to Ephesus to minister presumably to relieve Timothy of his pastorate there that Timothy might visit Paul before he died, 2 Tim. 4:12 with 1 Tim. 1:3; Ibid., Z. P. E. B. Thus, this last ministry effort by Tychicus occurred under great emotional and mental strain due to the dangerous era for believers, so Tychicus had to have been courageous in being still willing to associate with the condemned Paul, so he exemplified a life of security lived in the power of the Holy Spirit of God!
    3. Having referred to the exemplary Tychicus, Paul urged the Ephesian brethren to be secure in Christ, to be at peace in love with faith under the gracious oversight of God, Ephesians 6:23-24!
Lesson: Paul alluded to a great example in Tychicus of a life lived in settled security in the knowledge of one's standing in Christ before urging believers at Ephesus to live just as securely in God's grace!

Application: May we use the example of Tychicus as hope for living just as securely in the Lord under duress as he did, experiencing God's peace, love and faith in His grace to us in our position in Christ!