1. Philemon 1:23 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

Who was Epaphras and why is he mentioned?

Philemon 1:23 (ESV)

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,

Epaphras is mentioned because of his prominent status among the Colossian believers.1 He is the one who shared the gospel with people from that city (Colossians 1:7) and was a servant-hearted leader who worked hard on behalf of Christians living in the Lycus valley (Colossians 4:12–13).